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 hunters, she attended an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities 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 has to provide, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than employment in various markets, made it various 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were available to respond to working with concerns, 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 occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what type 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 stated.

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

Among the job fair’s objectives was to help individuals discover career opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or employment they have seen the readily available opportunities 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 about finances, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “constructing a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

“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 get out?”

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

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

He explained that attendees must identify the companies they wish to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and consulted with some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.