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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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 task seekers, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I just try to take benefit 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 work in different markets, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and employment the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state firms, employment who shared their experiences and employment addressed questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were available to address hiring concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor 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 job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what sort of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager 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.
One of the job fair’s objectives was to assist people discover career chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.
Education is a key benefit of attending a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or employment they have seen the readily available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.
“We see that generally every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an educated decision about their profession.”
Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “building a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.
“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army someday,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”
Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, employment seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are searching for – consisting of accreditations, employment accreditations and schooling – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe stated.
“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do in the future down the road,” he said.
That prep work includes preparing for task fairs.
“You need to go into a working with fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.
He explained that attendees must determine the companies they desire to consult with and research them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with employers.
Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job fair and consulted with some employers. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.