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 getting ready for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

“I simply try to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state work, instead of employment in different markets, made it various than others on the setup. 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 answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were offered to respond to working with questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations consisting of VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, internship.af Youth and studentvolunteers.us Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A occasion, the task 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 job fairs like the Jan. 30 event 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 intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s objectives was to help people learn about career opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial benefit of going to a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, studentvolunteers.us Gentz stated.

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

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 said.

“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 also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later on down the roadway,” he said.

That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.

“You need to enter into an employing fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

He discussed that attendees must determine the companies they want to talk to and research them ahead of time, https://teachersconsultancy.com/employer/147805/collaboratedcareers to enable informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked to some employers. A senior [empty] info innovation specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.