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 preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task applicants, she went to a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to benefit from 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 stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, employment rather than employment in various markets, 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were readily available to address hiring questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations including VERG, WorkSource and employment Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, Youth and Families; of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what kind of chances exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor 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, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

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

Among the job fair’s goals was to help individuals find out about career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial benefit 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 employment they have actually seen the offered chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and “building a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe said.

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

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are trying to find – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you desire to do later on down the road,” he stated.

That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.

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

He explained that attendees must determine the companies they wish to speak with and research study them ahead of time, employment to permit for educated discussions with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job fair and talked to some employers. A senior employment information technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.