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 task hunters, she went to an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

„I just attempt to take benefit of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,“ she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than work in various 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, [empty] recruiters from state companies were readily available to respond to hiring questions, stated 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 dirkohlmeier.de 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 task fair is „a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back door,“ stated Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job 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 stated.

An elevator pitch is a „fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,“ Handoe stated, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

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

Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re „not ready to make that jump yet,“ or they have actually seen the offered chances and decide to continue serving, studentvolunteers.us Gentz said.

„We see that essentially every year,“ he said. „We desire them to make an informed decision about their career.“

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, including credit reports, budget plans and „developing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,“ Handoe stated.

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

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are looking for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and learning more about their working with practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.

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

He explained that participants ought to identify the they wish to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to permit for informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior remotejobscape.com infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.