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 went to a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply attempt to benefit from 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 employment, instead of work in different industries, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and mtglobalsolutionsinc.com the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state firms were available to answer employing questions, said Frank Handoe, services supervisor 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, https://studentvolunteers.us/ 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 opportunity to discover what type of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor 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, “dress for success,” bring your resume and [empty] 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 skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn more about career chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial benefit of going to a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering about financial resources, including credit reports, budgets and “building a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe said.

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

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

“You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later on down the road,” he said.

That preparation work includes preparing for job fairs.

“You require to enter into a working with reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.

He described that guests should identify the companies they desire to consult with and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and consulted with some recruiters. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.