JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s exit date is a couple of weeks away, and she’s getting ready for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she went to an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
« I simply attempt to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to provide, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible, » she stated.
The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than work in various industries, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, [empty] it started with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were readily available to respond to working with concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition 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 opportunity to discover out what kind of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door, » stated Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.
Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and [Redirect-302] Sept. 11.
To get ready for them, « dress for success, » bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.
An elevator pitch is a « fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do, » Handoe stated, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.
One of the task fair’s goals was to help individuals discover about career opportunities and how their skills line up with them, jobs.kwintech.co.ke Gentz said.
Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re « not ready to make that dive yet, » or they have 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 informed choice about their profession. »
Part of the education piece is learning about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budgets 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 at some point, » he said, « however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out? »
Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their working with practices, https://teachersconsultancy.com Handoe stated.
« You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later down the roadway, » he said.
That preparation work includes preparing for job fairs.
« You need to enter into a working with reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around, » Handoe said.
He explained that participants must identify the business they wish to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated discussions with employers.
Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task fair and spoke with some recruiters. A senior information technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.