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 preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

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

The focus of the task fair on state work, 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 firms, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, employers from state firms were readily available to respond to hiring questions, stated 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 event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what kind of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, referall.us 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, “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 seeking to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s goals was to help individuals find out about profession chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.

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

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, consisting of credit reports, budgets and “constructing a savings 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 one day,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and education – and learning about their hiring practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He explained that attendees need to determine the business they wish to speak with and research study them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her function.