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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task seekers, she attended an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were offered to respond to employing concerns, stated 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 occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what type of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the 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, “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 seeking to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to help individuals discover career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, employment Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial benefit of participating in a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that generally every year,” he stated. “We want them to make an informed choice about their profession.”

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

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

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and employment schooling – and employment finding out about their hiring 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 preparation work consists of preparing for task fairs.

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

He explained that participants should determine the companies they want to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to allow for informed conversations with employers.

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