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 job seekers, she participated in a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM's Hawk Career Center.
"I simply try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, simply to make sure I'm as prepared as possible," she stated.
The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of 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 firms, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were readily available to answer hiring questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.
Informational tables represented organizations including VERG, 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 task fair is "a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back door," stated Christopher Gentz, transition 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 stated.
An elevator pitch is a "quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you're seeking to do," Handoe stated, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.
One of the job fair's goals was to assist individuals learn more about career chances and how their abilities line up with them, referall.us Gentz stated.
Education is a crucial benefit of attending a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they're "not ready to make that dive yet," or they have actually seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.
"We see that generally every year," he said. "We desire them to make an educated choice about their profession."
Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and "constructing a savings so you have something to deal with when it's time to go out," Handoe said.
"Everybody's going to get out of the Army someday," he said, "however 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 people in the outdoors world are looking for - consisting of certifications, accreditations and education - and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe said.
"You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later on down the road," he stated.
That preparation work consists of preparing for task fairs.
"You require to go into a hiring reasonable with a plan of what you're going to do and not just meander around," Handoe said.
He described that participants need to identify the companies they wish to talk to and research them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with recruiters.
Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.
