JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s military exit date is a few weeks away, and she’s preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she went to an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state work, rather than employment in numerous markets, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were offered to respond to working with concerns, jobs.constructionproject360.com said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor hornyofficebabes.com/archive/indian-office-porn/ for teachersconsultancy.com the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies including 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 opportunity to learn what type of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition 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 prepare for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

An elevator pitch is a “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe stated, that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to assist people discover profession opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial benefit of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an educated decision about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, including credit reports, budget plans and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are looking for – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later on down the road,” he said.

That prep work includes preparing for task fairs.

“You require to enter into a working with reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.

He explained that participants should pinpoint the companies they desire to speak with and research them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task fair and spoke with some employers. A senior details innovation expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.