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 preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she participated in an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk .

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

The focus of the job fair on state work, referall.us instead of employment in various markets, made it various than others on the installation. 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 responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were available to answer employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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 event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what sort of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

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

Among the task fair’s goals was to help individuals learn more about profession opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial advantage of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared 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 said. “We desire them to make an educated decision about their career.”

Part of the education piece is learning about finances, consisting of credit reports, spending plans 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 everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

“You need to go into a hiring reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

He discussed that guests must determine the business they wish to speak to and research them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with employers.

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