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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 preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

“I simply attempt to take benefit of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than work 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 firms, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were readily available to respond to working with concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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 Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what sort of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” 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 said.

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

One of the job fair’s objectives was to assist people find out about career opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial advantage of attending a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, budgets and “building a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” .

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army sooner or later,” he stated, “however while you remain 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 outdoors world are looking for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their employing practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for task fairs.

“You need to enter into a hiring fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.

He explained that attendees must pinpoint the business they want to speak with and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with employers.

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