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 job seekers, she participated in a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession 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 needs to provide, 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 various 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 firms, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were offered to respond to employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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 learn what type of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” said 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, “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 seeking to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to assist individuals discover profession opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key advantage of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, including credit reports, job budgets 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 said, “however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and finding out about their employing practices, .

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

That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.

“You require to go into a hiring fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

He discussed that participants ought to determine the business they wish to speak with and research study them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.