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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she participated in a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I simply attempt to take benefit of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.
The focus of the job fair on state employment, horizonsmaroc.com instead of employment in different markets, janhelp.co.in made it different 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 responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were available to answer employing concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for 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 discover what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.
Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 event 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 stated.
An elevator pitch is a “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe stated, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.
Among the job fair’s goals was to help individuals learn more about career opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.
Education is an essential advantage of attending a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or working.co.ke they have seen the readily available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.
“We see that generally every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an informed choice about their career.”
Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “building a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe said.
“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army someday,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”
Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and discovering about their hiring practices, Handoe said.
“You should be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do in the future down the road,” he stated.
That prep work consists of preparing for task fairs.
“You need to go into a hiring reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.
He described that attendees ought to the business they wish to talk to and research them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with employers.
Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task fair and consulted with some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.