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 applicants, employment she went to a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in different markets, made it different 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were readily available to respond to hiring questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies including VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, Youth and employment Families; Department of Social and employment Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what type of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor 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 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 said, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn more about career chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential advantage of participating in a job reasonable, employment as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, employment Gentz said.

“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We want them to make an educated choice about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “constructing 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 someday,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are searching for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and education – and employment discovering their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

“You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do in the future down the roadway,” he stated.

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He discussed that guests need to pinpoint the business they want to talk to and employment research them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some recruiters. A professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.