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 candidates, she attended a working with 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 has to offer, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state work, instead of work in different markets, made it various than others on the installation. 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 answered questions. Following the panel, employers from state firms were offered to answer working with questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 Health Services, Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what sort of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, referall.us 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 seeking to do,” Handoe stated, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s objectives was to help individuals learn more about career chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key benefit of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that generally 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, spending plans and “developing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army at some point,” he said, “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 looking for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for job fairs.

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

He described that guests should identify the business they want to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.