JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, referall.us Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s military exit date is a few weeks away, and she’s preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she participated in an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, just to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

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

Informational tables represented companies 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 learn what sort of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job 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 “fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe stated, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to assist people discover profession chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

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

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “building 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’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are looking for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education – and discovering their employing practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for task 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 explained that participants need to pinpoint the companies they desire to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to permit for informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task fair and talked with some employers. A senior info innovation expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.