JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, employment Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s military exit date is a couple of weeks away, and she’s preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she attended a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career 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 has to use, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than employment in different industries, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were offered to respond to hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, employment deputy transition services supervisor 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 task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what sort of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

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

To prepare for employment them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and employment practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

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

Among the task fair’s objectives was to help individuals discover about profession opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial advantage of attending a job 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 actually seen the offered opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that generally every year,” he said. “We want them to make an informed choice about their career.”

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

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

likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and discovering about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for employment task fairs.

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

He discussed that guests should identify the business they desire to speak to and research them ahead of time, to enable for educated conversations with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked with some recruiters. A senior employment infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.