Dnawork

JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s military exit date is a couple of weeks away, and she’s preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task applicants, she attended a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in various industries, 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 companies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were readily available to address employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition 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; 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 opportunity to discover out what type of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” 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 prepare for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, referall.us Gentz stated.

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

Among the task fair’s goals was to assist individuals discover profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of attending a task reasonable, 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 offered opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army at some point,” he stated, “however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are searching for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their employing practices, Handoe stated.

“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 consists of getting ready for task fairs.

“You require to enter into a hiring reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.

He described that guests must determine the they want to speak with and research study them ahead of time, to allow for educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior info innovation expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.