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 went to a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in numerous 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 answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were readily available to respond to hiring questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations including VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Apprenticeship Program; 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 type 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 event will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To get ready 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 wanting to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to assist individuals discover about profession chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of participating in a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

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

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their employing practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

“You require 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 explained that attendees ought to pinpoint the companies they wish to speak with and research them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior referall.us infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.