JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, 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 task candidates, she went to a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the task fair on state work, instead of employment in numerous markets, made it various 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 responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were readily available to address hiring concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager 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 event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To prepare for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator referall.us pitch, Gentz said.

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

Among the job fair’s goals was to assist individuals discover 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 discover they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the readily available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, including credit reports, budget plans and “developing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

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

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outdoors world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.

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

He described that attendees must identify the business they wish to speak with and research them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and consulted with some employers. A senior information technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.