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

As part of a group of about 30 task seekers, she participated in a working with 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 has to use, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of work in different 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 responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to answer hiring questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations including VERG, 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 job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what type of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services manager 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 stated.

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

Among the job fair’s goals was to help individuals learn more about career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of attending a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and referall.us 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 finances, including credit reports, budget plans and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he stated, “however while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

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

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

He explained that participants must determine the business they wish to consult with and research them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior information technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.