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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 task hunters, she went to an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State 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 use, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.
The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in different markets, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to address working with concerns, said 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 occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what type of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.
Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion 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 pitch is a “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.
Among the job fair’s objectives was to assist individuals find out about career opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.
Education is a key benefit of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.
“We see that basically every year,” he stated. “We want them to make an educated decision about their profession.”
Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, consisting of credit reports, employment budget plans and “developing a nest egg 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 one day,” he stated, “however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”
Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe said.
“You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later on down the roadway,” he said.
That preparation work consists of getting ready for job fairs.
“You need to enter into a working with fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.
He explained that participants ought to determine the business they want to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated discussions with recruiters.
Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior details technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.