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 applicants, she participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply attempt to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in numerous markets, www.opad.biz made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and linked web site the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were available to respond to working with questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift 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 job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover out 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 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, www.opad.biz Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s goals was to assist individuals learn more about profession opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential advantage of going to a task reasonable, 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 available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “building a nest egg so you have something to deal 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’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what in the outside world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do in the future down the road,” he stated.

That preparation work consists of getting ready for job 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 discussed that participants must determine the companies they wish to speak with and research study them ahead of time, to permit informed conversations with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task fair and talked to some recruiters. A senior information technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.