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 task hunters, she participated in an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to take benefit of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of work in different industries, made it different 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 firms, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to answer employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, referall.us deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

represented companies 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, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what sort of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” stated 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, “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 aiming to do,” Handoe stated, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

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

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “developing a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

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

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

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

That prep work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

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

He described that attendees should determine the companies they desire to consult with and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.