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 candidates, she participated in an employing fair 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 provide, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of work in different markets, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, 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 agencies were readily available to address hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies consisting of VERG, hornyofficebabes.com/archive/indian-office-porn/ 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 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 get ready for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and [empty] 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 said, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s goals was to help people discover career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial benefit of attending a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the offered chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that basically every year,” he stated. “We want them to make an educated decision about their career.”

Part of the education piece is learning more about finances, consisting of credit reports, https://horizonsmaroc.com spending plans and “building a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army at some point,” he stated, “however while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their practices, Handoe said.

“You ought 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 getting ready for job fairs.

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

He discussed that participants need to determine the companies they wish to talk with and research them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and consulted with some employers. A senior information technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.