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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 few weeks away, and she’s getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she participated in an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in different industries, made it various 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 companies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were available to respond to working with questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies consisting of VERG, WorkSource and employment 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 job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what kind of chances exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services manager 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 get ready for them, “gown 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 aiming to do,” Handoe stated, employment discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s objectives was to assist people find out about profession opportunities and employment how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

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

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

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

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

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and employment discovering their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.

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

He discussed that attendees ought to pinpoint the business they wish to speak to and research them ahead of time, to permit for informed discussions with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and employment talked with some recruiters. A senior information innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.