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 applicants, she attended 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 needs to offer, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in different markets, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were available to address employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager 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 referall.us Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what sort of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services manager 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 introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s goals was to help people learn about career chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial 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 jump yet,” or they have seen the available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is learning about finances, including credit reports, budgets and “building a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to get 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 get out?”

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

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for job fairs.

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

He explained that participants ought to identify the business they wish to speak to and research them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task fair and talked to some employers. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.