JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s military exit date is a few weeks away, and she’s preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task seekers, she attended a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment in different industries, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and www.opad.biz the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were offered to answer hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations including VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and https://www.opad.biz/ 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 chance to discover what type of chances exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift 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 get ready for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

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

Among the job fair’s objectives was to help individuals find out about profession opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential advantage of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning about finances, 64.227.136.170 consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

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

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are searching for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and teachersconsultancy.com schooling – and learning about their hiring practices, horizonsmaroc.com Handoe said.

“You should be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later down the road,” he stated.

That preparation work includes getting ready for job fairs.

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

He explained that attendees need to identify the business they desire to speak to and research them ahead of time, to permit educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked with some employers. A senior details technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.