Topteamwork

About Us

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 applicants, she went to a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment in various markets, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and employment the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their and responded to concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were readily available to address hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for employment the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations consisting of 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 find out what sort of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

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

To prepare for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

An elevator pitch is a “fast intro 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.

One of the task fair’s goals was to assist people discover profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential advantage of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or employment they have actually seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that basically every year,” he stated. “We want them to make an informed choice about their career.”

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, including credit reports, budgets and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to work 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 whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, employment seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and finding out about their working with practices, Handoe said.

“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you desire to do later down the road,” he said.

That preparation work includes getting ready for task fairs.

“You need to go into a hiring reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.

He explained that guests must pinpoint the business they wish to consult with and research them ahead of time, to permit educated discussions with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior details innovation specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.