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 candidates, she attended a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just attempt to benefit from 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 job fair on state employment, rather than employment 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 responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to answer hiring concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies including VERG, employment 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 task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover out what sort of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, employment 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 “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s objectives was to assist individuals discover profession opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, employment Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the offered opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “constructing a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army sooner or later,” he stated, “however while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, employment seeing what people in the outdoors world are looking for employment – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work consists of 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 said.

He described that guests ought to identify the companies they wish to talk with and employment research them ahead of time, to allow for educated conversations with recruiters.

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