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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she participated in a working with 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 needs to use, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than work in various industries, made it various than others on the installation. 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 addressed concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were offered to respond to employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for referall.us 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; of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what kind of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,” 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 wanting to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn about profession opportunities and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial benefit of going to a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

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

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army sooner or later,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their working with practices, Handoe stated.

“You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later on down the road,” he said.

That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.

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

He discussed that guests must pinpoint the business they wish to speak to and research them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some recruiters. A senior info innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.