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 job candidates, she attended an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to offer, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than employment in various industries, made it different than others on the setup. 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 responded to concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were offered to respond to working with questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor 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 Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what sort of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To get ready for sowjobs.com them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

An elevator centerfairstaffing.com pitch is a “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s goals was to assist individuals find out about profession chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about 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 one day,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, hornyofficebabes.com/archive/indian-office-porn/ seeing what people in the outdoors world are looking for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and discovering about their employing practices, Handoe said.

“You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do in the future down the roadway,” he said.

That prep work consists of preparing for task fairs.

“You need to go into a working with fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe stated.

He described that guests ought to determine the business they wish to speak to and research them ahead of time, to allow for educated discussions with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked to some employers. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, [empty] she has actually discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.