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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she participated in a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to take benefit of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state work, rather than work in various industries, made it various 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 companies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were offered to address working with questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations consisting of VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and referall.us VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, Youth and Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the .

A quarterly event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what sort of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion 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 “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s objectives was to help individuals find out about career opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key benefit of going to a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about finances, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “building 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 one day,” he stated, “however while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are trying to find – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He described that participants should pinpoint the business they desire to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to permit informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked with some recruiters. A senior details technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.