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 hunters, she went to a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities 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 has to use, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in various industries, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, employment WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were readily available to address working with concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies including VERG, employment WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, employment Youth and Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and employment Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion 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 introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s goals was to help individuals learn about career chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

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

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

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

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army sooner or later,” he said, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their working with practices, Handoe said.

“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do in the future down the road,” he stated.

That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.

“You require to go into a working with fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.

He described that guests must determine the companies they wish to talk with and research them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with employers.

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