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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task seekers, she attended a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities 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 stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than work in various markets, made it different than others on the installation. 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 offered to to employing concerns, stated 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, referall.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 chance to learn what sort of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition 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, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s goals was to help people learn more about career opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the offered chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and “developing a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.

“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 likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are looking for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and discovering about their employing practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.

“You require to enter into a hiring fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

He discussed that participants need to pinpoint the companies they wish to speak with and research them ahead of time, to permit informed conversations with recruiters.

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