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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task seekers, she attended a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of employment in various markets, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were available to address hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 opportunity to discover out what type of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services manager 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 “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s goals was to assist people discover about career opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential benefit of participating in a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the offered opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, and “constructing a savings 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 someday,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

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

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

That prep work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He described that participants ought to determine the companies they wish to consult with and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and employment consulted with some recruiters. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.