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 participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession 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 provide, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of work in numerous industries, made it various than others on the setup. 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 addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were available to respond to employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor 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 prepare for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, job Gentz said.

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

Among the job fair’s goals was to help people find out about profession chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial advantage of going to a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the offered chances and job choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, budget plans 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 at some point,” he stated, “however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, job seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are trying to find – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.

“You require 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 discussed that attendees should determine the companies they desire to speak to and research them ahead of time, to enable for informed conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job fair and spoke with some employers. A senior information innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.