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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 job seekers, she went to a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than employment in various markets, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, referall.us recruiters from state firms were available to answer working with questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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 task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what type of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To prepare for them, “dress 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 looking to do,” Handoe stated, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s goals was to help individuals find out about profession opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key advantage of participating in a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the offered chances and decide to serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is learning about finances, 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 at some point,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are looking for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and discovering their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He discussed that guests should determine the business they wish to speak to and research them ahead of time, to permit informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke to some recruiters. A senior details innovation expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.