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 getting ready for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task applicants, she participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances 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 use, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of employment in various markets, made it different 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 answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were available to address employing concerns, employment said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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 job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what sort of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

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

To get ready for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, employment Gentz stated.

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

One of the task fair’s objectives was to assist people discover about career chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential advantage of attending a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the available chances and employment decide 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 learning more about finances, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “building a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.

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

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and education – and discovering their hiring practices, employment Handoe stated.

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

That prep work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He explained that guests need to pinpoint the business they desire to speak with and research them ahead of time, to permit informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan took in the Jan. 30 task fair and spoke to some recruiters. A senior information technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.