JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Staff Sergeant 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 task candidates, she attended a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances 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 needs to offer, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in numerous industries, made it various 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 firms, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, employers from state firms were readily available to answer hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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 occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what kind of opportunities 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 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 seeking to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to help people find out about career chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the offered opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that basically every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an informed decision about their career.”

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, including credit reports, budgets and “constructing 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 one day,” he said, “however while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are looking for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and education – and learning more about their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for referall.us task fairs.

“You require to go into a hiring fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.

He explained that participants must determine the companies they wish to talk to and research them ahead of time, to permit informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior details technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.