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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 task seekers, she participated in a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the task fair on state work, rather than work in numerous industries, made it different 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 firms, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were offered to address employing concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies including VERG, WorkSource and referall.us 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 opportunity to find out what sort of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift 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 prepare 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 wanting to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s objectives was to help people discover about career opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key benefit of attending a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the offered opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “developing 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 said, “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 finding out about their working with practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes preparing for job fairs.

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

He discussed that guests ought to determine the companies they wish to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated discussions with .

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke with some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.