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 hunters, she participated in a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of work in different industries, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, employment WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of from state companies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were available to answer employing concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for employment the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task 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, employment Gentz stated.

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

One of the task fair’s goals was to assist individuals learn more about career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the offered opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

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

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he said, “however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are looking for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their working with practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of getting ready for job fairs.

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

He discussed that guests need to pinpoint the business they desire to speak with and employment research study them ahead of time, to permit informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked with some employers. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.