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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job candidates, she attended an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment in numerous 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were available to address working with concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies including VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of 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 chances exist here outside your back entrance,” stated Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor 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 said.

An elevator pitch is a “fast introduction 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 job fair’s objectives was to help people find out about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial benefit of attending a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the offered chances and choose 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 about financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and “developing a nest egg 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 someday,” he said, “however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs likewise exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – including accreditations, accreditations and education – and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

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

He discussed that participants must identify the business they wish to speak with and research study them ahead of time, to permit for informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and employment consulted with some employers. A senior info innovation specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.