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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she attended an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to provide, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment in various markets, hornyofficebabes.com/pics-gay/ made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were available to answer employing concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager 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, 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 learn what kind of chances exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and [Redirect-302] 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 introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s goals was to assist people discover about career opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key advantage of going to a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that essentially every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an educated choice about their career.”

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

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

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are looking for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and discovering their working with practices, empleosrapidos.com Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes preparing for job fairs.

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

He discussed that attendees should identify the companies they wish to consult with and research study them ahead of time, to allow for informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.