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 getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she went to a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of employment in various industries, 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 addressed concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were readily available to answer employing 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, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what kind 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 get ready for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator referall.us pitch is a “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s goals was to help individuals find out about profession chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key advantage of going to a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the offered opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “building a savings 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 said, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their working with practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

“You require to go into an employing fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” .

He discussed that guests should identify the business they wish to talk to and research them ahead of time, to permit informed discussions with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked with some employers. A senior details innovation expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.