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

As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, 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 use, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, employment instead of employment in various industries, 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 companies, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, from state agencies were readily available to address hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor 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 event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what type of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion 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 intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe stated, employment discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to assist people discover about profession opportunities and employment how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

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

“We see that essentially every year,” he stated. “We want them to make an educated decision about their career.”

Part of the education piece is discovering about financial resources, including credit reports, budgets 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 said, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work includes getting ready for job fairs.

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

He described that participants should determine the companies they desire to speak with and research them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with employers.

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