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 task candidates, she participated in a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I simply attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.
The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of employment in numerous industries, akinsemployment.ca made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, seedvertexnetwork.co.ke it began with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to respond to hiring concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift 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 Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
A quarterly event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what type of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.
Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and [empty] Sept. 11.
To prepare for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and decreases practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.
An elevator pitch is a “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.
One of the task fair’s objectives was to help individuals learn more about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.
Education is an essential advantage of participating in a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.
“We see that basically every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an informed choice about their profession.”
Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “building a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.
“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army someday,” he stated, “however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”
Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, weldersfabricators.com seeing what people in the outdoors world are trying to find – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their working with practices, Handoe stated.
“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later on down the roadway,” he said.
That prep work includes getting ready for job fairs.
“You require to enter into a hiring reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.
He described that participants need to identify the companies they desire to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with employers.
Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task fair and spoke with some employers. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.
