JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s 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 seekers, she participated in an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in numerous 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 firms, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were available to answer hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for 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 event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what type of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” said 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, Gentz stated.

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 objectives was to help people find out about profession opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared 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 said. “We desire them to make an informed decision about their career.”

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “developing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army at some point,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are searching for – consisting of accreditations, referall.us accreditations and education – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of getting ready for job fairs.

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

He described that guests need to determine the companies they wish to talk to and research them ahead of time, to allow for informed discussions with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job fair and talked with some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.