Accountingworks

Overview

  • Founded Date April 5, 1910
  • Specializations Administrative

Company Description

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 preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she participated in an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career 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 has to offer, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state work, rather than work in different industries, 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 referall.us responded to questions. Following the panel, from state companies were readily available to address hiring concerns, 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 occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what kind of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task 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 “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s objectives was to help people discover profession opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key advantage of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We want them to make an educated choice about their career.”

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, including credit reports, budget plans and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to work 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 remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later down the roadway,” he stated.

That prep work includes preparing for task fairs.

“You need to enter into an employing reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.

He explained that attendees need to pinpoint the companies they wish to speak to and research them ahead of time, to enable for educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task reasonable and consulted with some employers. A senior info innovation expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.

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