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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task applicants, she went to a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to offer, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of work in various 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 firms, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were readily available to answer hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to find out what type of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,” stated 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 stated.

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

Among the task fair’s goals was to assist people learn more about career opportunities and how their with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a key advantage of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or referall.us they have actually seen the offered opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering about finances, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “developing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army at some point,” he stated, “however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and discovering about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work includes getting ready for task fairs.

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

He described that participants ought to determine the business they desire to talk with and research them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke with some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.