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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 preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she attended an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I just try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to offer, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.
The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of work in different industries, made it different 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 companies, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were readily available to answer hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor 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; 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 opportunity to discover out what kind of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.
Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.
To prepare for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.
An elevator referall.us pitch is a “quick 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.
One of the job fair’s objectives was to help individuals learn more about profession opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.
Education is a crucial advantage of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the offered opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.
“We see that essentially every year,” he stated. “We want them to make an informed decision about their career.”
Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “building a savings 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 sooner or later,” he stated, “however while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”
Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and finding out about their hiring 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 preparing for job fairs.
“You require to go into a working with reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.
He described that attendees must determine the companies they want to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with employers.
Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task fair and consulted with some recruiters. A senior information with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.