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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she participated in a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try 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 work, rather than employment in numerous industries, made it various 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 addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were readily available to answer employing concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for https://sowjobs.com/employer/somalibidders/ 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, Youth and Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what kind of chances exist here outside 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 get ready for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, studentvolunteers.us Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick intro 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 job fair’s objectives was to assist people learn more about career chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential advantage of participating in a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the offered chances and https://sowjobs.com/employer/ltu/ decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We want them to make an informed choice about their career.”

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, including credit reports, budgets and “constructing a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

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

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

That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.

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

He explained that guests must identify the companies they wish to talk to and research them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some recruiters. A senior details innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.