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 task candidates, she attended an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession 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 provide, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in numerous 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 companies, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were readily available to answer hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor 34.236.28.152 for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to find out what type of opportunities exist here outdoors 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 prepare for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator [empty] pitch, Gentz stated.

An elevator pitch is a “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s goals was to assist individuals discover career opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial benefit of attending a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or sowjobs.com they have actually seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, including credit reports, budget plans and “constructing 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 at some point,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for job fairs.

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

He discussed that attendees ought to pinpoint the companies they wish to speak to and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked with some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.