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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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 task candidates, she went to an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I just try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.
The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than work in numerous industries, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were available to answer employing questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.
Informational tables represented companies consisting of VERG, referall.us 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 job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what kind of chances exist here outdoors your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.
Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.
To get ready for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.
An elevator pitch is a “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.
One of the job fair’s objectives was to assist people discover about profession opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.
Education is an essential advantage of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.
“We see that essentially every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an educated choice about their profession.”
Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and “developing 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 sooner or later,” he stated, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”
Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their employing practices, Handoe stated.
“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later on down the roadway,” he said.
That preparation work includes getting ready for task fairs.
“You require to enter into a hiring fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.
He explained that guests ought to identify the companies they desire to speak with and research them ahead of time, to permit for informed discussions with recruiters.
Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task fair and talked to some recruiters. A senior information innovation specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.