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 participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of work in different markets, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were readily available to answer employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor 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 task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover out what type of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To prepare for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “fast intro 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 task fair’s objectives was to assist people learn more about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

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

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, including credit reports, referall.us budget plans and “building 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 someday,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

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

“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do in the future down the roadway,” he stated.

That preparation work includes preparing for job fairs.

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

He described that attendees should determine the companies they want to talk with and research them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke with some employers. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.