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 getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she attended an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state work, matchboyz.nl instead of employment in different industries, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, horizonsmaroc.com employers from state firms were readily available to address working with concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor akrs.ae for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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 occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to find out what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event 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 said.

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

Among the task fair’s objectives was to help people learn more about career opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial benefit of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, sowjobs.com spending 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 at some point,” he said, “however while you remain 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 trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and education – and finding out about their employing practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for job fairs.

“You require to go into an employing fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe stated.

He discussed that guests need to pinpoint the companies they wish to talk to and research them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 and spoke with some employers. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.