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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task applicants, she participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of work in different industries, 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 answered concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were available to respond to employing questions, said Frank Handoe, employment deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations consisting of VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, employment 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 chance to discover what kind of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, employment shift services manager 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, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

An elevator pitch is a “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe stated, discussing that the is taught as part of the TAP.

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

Education is a key advantage of participating in a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “developing a nest egg 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 at some point,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, employment accreditations and schooling – and discovering their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of getting ready for job fairs.

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

He discussed that attendees must pinpoint the companies they want to speak with and research them ahead of time, to permit informed discussions with employers.

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