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 [empty] she’s preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task seekers, she attended an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

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, and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were available to respond to employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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, [empty] the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what sort of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition 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, “dress for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the skill 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 skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial benefit of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the offered opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, including credit reports, budgets and “building 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 sooner or later,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are looking for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for task fairs.

“You require to enter into a hiring reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.

He described that guests need to identify the business they wish to speak with and jobsdirect.lk research them ahead of time, to enable for informed discussions with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke with some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.