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 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 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 use, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than work in various 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 addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were available to answer hiring concerns, referall.us stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager 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 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 sort of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift 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 prepare for them, “dress 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 aiming to do,” Handoe stated, that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

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

Education is an essential advantage of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “developing a savings 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 one day,” he stated, “however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – including certifications, accreditations and education – and finding out about their employing practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for task fairs.

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

He explained that participants should identify the companies they desire to talk with and research them ahead of time, to permit for informed discussions with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job fair and spoke with some recruiters. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.