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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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she attended an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than work in various markets, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of from state agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to address working with concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift 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, Youth and Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, referall.us the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what type of chances exist here outside your back door,” said 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, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

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

One of the task fair’s objectives was to assist people discover about career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of going to a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the offered chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about finances, including credit reports, spending plans and “building a savings 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 stated, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for job fairs.

“You need to go into a working with fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.

He explained that participants need to identify the business they desire to talk with and research them ahead of time, to permit educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior info technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.