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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task applicants, she attended a working with fair Jan. 30 that Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just attempt to take benefit of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of work in numerous industries, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were available to address hiring concerns, stated 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 VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, Youth and Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and [empty] Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what type of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 event 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 said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick 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 help people find out about career opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential advantage of attending a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that essentially every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an informed decision about their career.”

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and “constructing a nest egg 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 sooner or later,” he stated, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and education – and discovering their employing practices, [empty] Handoe said.

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

That prep work includes getting ready for task fairs.

“You require to go into a hiring reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

He described that participants must identify the companies they wish to consult with and research study them ahead of time, to permit informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked with some recruiters. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, [empty] she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.