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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

“I just try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in various industries, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, celest-interim.fr it began with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were available to respond to employing concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager 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, dessinateurs-projeteurs.com 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 learn what kind of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for [empty] 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 is a “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s goals was to assist people find out about profession opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key benefit of participating in a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, grainfather.eu including credit reports, budgets and “constructing a savings 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 sooner or later,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors 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 desire to do later on down the roadway,” he stated.

That preparation work includes getting ready for task fairs.

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

He described that participants need to determine the business they want to talk with and research them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task fair and consulted with some recruiters. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.