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 seekers, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I just try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.
The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in numerous markets, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were readily available to respond to hiring concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.
Informational tables represented companies consisting of VERG, referall.us WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA 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 kind of chances exist here outside your back door,” 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 said.
An elevator pitch is a “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.
Among the job fair’s goals was to help individuals learn more about profession opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.
Education is an essential benefit of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.
“We see that generally every year,” he said. “We want them to make an educated choice about their career.”
Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and “constructing 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 one day,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”
Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are searching for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe said.
“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do in the future down the roadway,” he said.
That prep work includes getting ready for task fairs.
“You require to enter into an employing fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.
He discussed that participants should identify the business they wish to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with recruiters.
Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke to some recruiters. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.
