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 getting ready for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she attended a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances 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 ensure I’m as prepared as possible, » she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than work in different industries, 64.227.136.170 made it different than others on the setup. 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 responded to concerns. Following the panel, matchboyz.nl employers from state agencies were readily available to answer working with concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies consisting of VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA 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 what type of opportunities exist here outside your back door, » said 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 said.

An elevator pitch is a « fast intro 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 find out about career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential advantage of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re « not prepared to make that jump yet, » or they have actually seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

« We see that essentially every year, » he stated. « We want them to make an educated choice about their profession. »

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, budgets and « building a savings 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 someday, » he stated, « but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out? »

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, [Redirect-307] seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of 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 desire to do in the future down the road, » he stated.

That prep work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

« You require to enter into a working with fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around, » Handoe stated.

He explained that guests need to pinpoint the companies they want to speak with and research them ahead of time, pakgovtnaukri.pk to permit for educated conversations with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task fair and hornyofficebabes.com/archive/movies-homemade/ spoke with some recruiters. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.