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 preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances 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 provide, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of employment in various markets, 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 responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were available to answer employing concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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 job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what sort of chances exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task 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 stated.

An elevator pitch is a “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s goals was to assist individuals learn about profession opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the offered 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 career.”

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, including credit reports, budget plans and “constructing 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, “however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning about their employing practices, Handoe said.

“You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you desire to do in the future down the road,” he said.

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He described that participants ought to determine the business they want to speak to and referall.us research study them ahead of time, to enable for educated discussions with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task fair and talked to some recruiters. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her function.