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 job hunters, she went to a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM's Hawk Career Center.

"I simply try to take benefit of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, simply to ensure I'm as prepared as possible," she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than work in various markets, made it various 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to address working with questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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 USSD financial 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 what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance," stated Christopher Gentz, altaqm.nl shift services manager for hornyofficebabes.com/archive/movies-homemade/ the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 event 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, Gentz stated.

An elevator pitch is a "quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you're looking 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 discover profession opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial benefit of participating in a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they're "not all set to make that jump yet," or they have actually seen the available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

"We see that basically every year," he stated. "We want them to make an informed decision about their profession."

Part of the education piece is discovering about finances, reports, budgets and "developing a savings 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, "but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?"

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are searching for - consisting of accreditations, essencialponto.com.br accreditations and education - and finding out about their employing practices, Handoe said.

"You must be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later down the roadway," he said.

That prep work consists of preparing for task fairs.

"You need to enter into a working with fair with a plan of what you're going to do and not simply meander around," Handoe said.

He described that guests ought to determine the business they want to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke with some recruiters. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.