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, employment and she’s preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job seekers, she went to a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than work in various markets, made it various 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 agencies were readily available to respond to working with questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager 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 .

A quarterly event, employment the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what sort of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

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

To prepare 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 looking to do,” Handoe said, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s goals was to assist people discover career opportunities and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial advantage of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “constructing a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

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

Job fairs likewise exist to assist people with networking, employment seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.

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

He explained that attendees should identify the companies they wish to talk to and research them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job fair and talked to some employers. A senior information technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she desires to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.