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 hunters, she attended an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk .

“I simply attempt to take benefit 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 stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in different markets, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, employment it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were offered to answer hiring 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 employment Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and employment Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to find out what type of chances exist here outdoors your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for employment the Directorate of Human Resources.

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

To get ready for them, “gown 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 said, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn about career opportunities and how their skills 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 prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that basically every year,” he said. “We want them to make an educated choice about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “building a nest egg 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 one day,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – including accreditations, accreditations and employment schooling – and learning more about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes getting ready for job fairs.

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

He described that guests ought to pinpoint the companies they wish to speak with and research them ahead of time, employment to permit informed conversations with recruiters.

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