Homenetwork

Overview

  • Founded Date October 6, 2012
  • Specializations Fundraising / development

Company Description

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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she went to a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just attempt to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to offer, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state work, instead of work in different industries, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were readily available to address working with questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor 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 find out what type of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

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

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

An elevator pitch is a “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s objectives was to help individuals find out about career chances and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key advantage of attending a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, including credit reports, budgets and “developing 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 at some point,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and discovering about their employing practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He described that attendees ought to determine the companies they desire to speak to and research them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 and spoke to some employers. 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 function.

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