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 preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she attended an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in different 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 answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were available to respond to employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor 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, Youth and Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and referall.us Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what type of chances exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task 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 said.

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

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

Education is an essential advantage of going to a task 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 readily available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

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

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he stated, “however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and finding out about their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of getting ready for job fairs.

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

He explained that guests need to determine the companies they want to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task fair and consulted with some recruiters. A senior info innovation specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.