Talentium

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 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 use, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,“ she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in different industries, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were available to address working with questions, studentvolunteers.us 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 job fair is „a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what type of chances exist here outside your back door,“ stated Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To get ready for them, „dress for success,“ bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, mtglobalsolutionsinc.com Gentz stated.

An elevator pitch is a „quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,“ Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s goals was to help individuals discover career chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of going to a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re „not prepared to make that jump yet,“ or they have seen the offered opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

„We see that generally every year,“ he stated. „We desire them to make an educated choice about their career.“

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and „constructing a nest egg so you have something to deal 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’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?“

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

„You must be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do in the future down the roadway,“ he stated.

That preparation work includes preparing for job fairs.

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

He discussed that attendees must pinpoint the business they desire to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke with some recruiters. A senior information technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.