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 hunters, she went to a Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than 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 firms, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were readily available to respond to employing questions, employment said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies consisting of 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, employment Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what type of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, employment 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 employment Sept. 11.

To prepare for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

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

Among the task fair’s goals was to assist people learn about profession opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of attending a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, including credit reports, employment spending plans and “building a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.

“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 go out?”

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

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

That prep work includes preparing for task fairs.

“You require 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 discussed that attendees ought to pinpoint the business they want to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to permit for informed discussions with employers.

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