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 seekers, she participated in a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply 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 stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of employment in numerous markets, made it various than others on the installation. 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, recruiters from state companies were offered to answer hiring concerns, stated 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 event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for referall.us the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion 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 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 skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to assist people discover career opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

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

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

Part of the education piece is learning about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “developing 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 at some point,” he said, “however while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their employing practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work includes getting ready for task fairs.

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

He discussed that attendees must determine the companies they wish to speak with and research them ahead of time, to allow for with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job fair and spoke to some employers. A senior details technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.