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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just attempt to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to provide, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state work, rather than employment in different industries, made it various 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 firms were available to address employing questions, stated 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 opportunity to learn what sort of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor 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 get ready for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

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

Education is a key benefit of participating in a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, referall.us including credit reports, budgets and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army at some point,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

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

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

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

He discussed that attendees need to pinpoint the business they want to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with recruiters.

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