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 task candidates, she attended a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to provide, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of work in various industries, 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 referall.us responded to concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were available to address working with questions, 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 event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what sort of chances exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated 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, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

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

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

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, including credit reports, budgets 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 at some point,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are looking for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work consists of preparing for task fairs.

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

He discussed that attendees need to identify the business they wish to speak to and research them ahead of time, to permit informed conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job fair and talked with some recruiters. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.