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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

“I just attempt to make the most 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 stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in various industries, 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 answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were readily available to answer employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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, job the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover out what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” 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, “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 seeking to do,” Handoe stated, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s goals was to help individuals discover profession opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, job Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of attending a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, .

“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We want them to make an informed choice about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go 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 get out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are searching for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their employing practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for job fairs.

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

He discussed that attendees must determine the companies they wish to consult with and research them ahead of time, job to allow for educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior information innovation specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.