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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job seekers, she attended a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to provide, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, jobs.kwintech.co.ke instead of work in numerous markets, 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were readily available to answer employing concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift 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; 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 type of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and [Redirect-302] Sept. 11.

To prepare for them, “gown 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 wanting to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s goals was to assist people discover about profession opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key advantage of going to a task reasonable, www.rotaryjobmarket.com as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

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

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

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

“You need to go into a hiring reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe stated.

He explained that participants need to identify the companies they want to talk with and research them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task reasonable and www.opad.biz talked with some employers. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.