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 job applicants, she attended a working with fair 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 provide, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of employment in numerous industries, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and referall.us the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were offered to respond to working with questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what sort of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift 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 prepare for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

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

Among the job fair’s objectives was to assist people discover career chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of going to a job fair, 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 offered chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that basically every year,” he stated. “We want them to make an educated decision about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, 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 said, “however while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their employing practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

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

He described that participants must identify the they desire to talk with and research them ahead of time, to permit for educated discussions with employers.

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