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, jobs.salaseloffshore.com and she’s getting ready for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task seekers, celest-interim.fr she went to a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply attempt to take benefit of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, 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 different industries, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, [empty] WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were available to answer hiring questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations including VERG, 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 occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition 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 stated.

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

One of the task fair’s goals was to assist people find out about career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial benefit of participating in a job fair, 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 available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “constructing a savings 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 someday,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

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

“You must 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 task fairs.

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

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

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task fair and spoke with some recruiters. A senior info innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.