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 hunters, she went to a hiring reasonable 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 provide, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state work, rather than work in various industries, 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 addressed concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were readily available to address hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables 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 referall.us 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 outside your back door,” said 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, Gentz said.

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

One of the job fair’s objectives was to help individuals discover profession opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential benefit of going to a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the offered chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, including credit reports, spending plans and “developing a nest egg 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 said, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and finding out about their employing practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He discussed that guests ought to identify the business they wish to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to permit informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked with some employers. A senior info technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.