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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in numerous markets, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and addressed questions. Following the panel, employers from state companies were available to address hiring concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition 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 occasion, employment the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what kind of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for employment the Directorate of Human Resources.

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

To prepare for them, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, employment Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “fast introduction 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 help individuals discover profession opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential advantage of attending a task reasonable, employment as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budgets 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 someday,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are looking for – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and learning about their employing practices, Handoe said.

“You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do in the future down the roadway,” he said.

That prep work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

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

He described that participants must identify the business they want to speak to and research them ahead of time, to enable for informed conversations with recruiters.

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