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 job applicants, she attended a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances 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 needs to use, just to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of employment in different industries, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, employment WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, employment employers from state companies were offered to respond to employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager 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 occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover out what kind of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

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, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s goals was to help people learn more about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial benefit of participating in a task 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 readily available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering about finances, including credit reports, budgets and “developing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to get out,” Handoe said.

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

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

“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later down the roadway,” he stated.

That preparation work consists of preparing for employment job fairs.

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

He described that participants must identify the companies they desire to talk with and research them ahead of time, to permit for educated conversations with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke with some recruiters. A senior details innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.