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 task seekers, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM's Hawk Career Center.
"I simply try to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, simply to ensure I'm as prepared as possible," she stated.
The focus of the task fair on state work, rather than employment in various industries, centerfairstaffing.com made it different than others on the setup. 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 addressed concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were readily available to respond to working with concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.
Informational tables represented organizations including VERG, and Washington State's Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, Youth and Families; Department of Social and Health Services, https://horizonsmaroc.com/entreprises/grainfather Community Services Division; and https://teachersconsultancy.com/employer/147817/tayseerconsultants Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
A quarterly occasion, the task fair is "a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what type of chances exist here outside your back entrance," said Christopher Gentz, 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 https://sowjobs.com/employer/kl Sept. 11.
To get ready for them, "gown 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 looking 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 people discover career chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.
Education is a key advantage of going to a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they're "not ready to make that dive yet," or they have actually seen the offered opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.
"We see that generally every year," he stated. "We want them to make an educated choice about their career."
Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, including credit reports, spending plans and "developing a savings so you have something to work with when it's time to go out," Handoe said.
"Everybody's going to get out of the Army sooner or later," he stated, "but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?"
Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for - consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling - and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe stated.
"You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do in the future down the roadway," he stated.
That preparation work consists of getting ready for task fairs.
"You need to enter into a hiring reasonable with a plan of what you're going to do and not just meander around," Handoe stated.
He described that participants must pinpoint the companies they want to talk to and research them ahead of time, to permit educated discussions with employers.
Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task fair and consulted with some employers. A senior information technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.
