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 preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she went to an employing fair Jan. 30 that State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply attempt to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of employment in different 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 firms, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were offered to address hiring questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies consisting of 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 event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what kind of chances exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 event 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 stated.

An elevator pitch is a “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe stated, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn more about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial benefit of attending a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the readily available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, including credit reports, budgets and “developing a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army someday,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

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

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for employment job fairs.

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

He explained that participants need to identify the business they want to talk to and research them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked with some recruiters. A senior info technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.