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 job seekers, she participated in an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of 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 responded to concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were offered to address employing questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 type of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, shift 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 prepare for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s goals was to help individuals find out about profession opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the available chances 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 learning more about finances, employment consisting of credit reports, budgets and “developing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army sooner or later,” he said, “however while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

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

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

That prep work includes getting ready for task fairs.

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

He described that participants must determine the companies they wish to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to enable for educated conversations with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked with some recruiters. A senior details technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.