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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than work in numerous 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 concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were offered to address employing questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift 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 event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what type of chances exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, www.opad.biz shift services supervisor for 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, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

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

Among the job fair’s objectives was to help people discover about profession chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential advantage of attending a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or 24-Hour Loan they have seen the offered opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that generally every year,” he said. “We want them to make an educated decision about their profession.”

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

“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 get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their working with practices, Handoe stated.

“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 preparation work includes preparing for job fairs.

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

He discussed that guests should identify the companies they want to speak to and research them ahead of time, ukcarers.co.uk to enable educated discussions with .

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job fair and talked to some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.