JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s military exit date is a couple of weeks away, and she’s preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she went to a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I simply attempt to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.
The focus of the task fair on state work, referall.us rather than work in numerous markets, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, somalibidders.com WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to answer employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.
Informational tables represented organizations consisting of VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, Youth and Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
A quarterly event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what type of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.
Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.
To get ready for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.
An elevator pitch is a “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.
One of the task fair’s objectives was to assist people find out about career chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.
Education is an essential benefit of participating in a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available chances and decide to continue serving, adremcareers.com Gentz stated.
“We see that generally every year,” he stated. “We want them to make an informed choice about their career.”
Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, including credit reports, budgets and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” .
“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he said, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”
Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are searching for – including accreditations, accreditations and education – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe said.
“You should be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do in the future down the roadway,” he said.
That preparation work includes getting ready for task fairs.
“You need to go into a working with reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.
He explained that guests must identify the business they wish to talk to and research them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with employers.
Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked with some recruiters. A senior details innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.
