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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she participated in a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply attempt to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in different 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, employers from state firms were offered to respond to hiring questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift 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 [empty] Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what type of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” 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 get ready for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

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

Among the job fair’s goals was to help people learn more about career opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the offered chances and jobs.constructionproject360.com decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “developing a nest egg 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 someday,” he said, “but while you remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, [empty] accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their employing practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

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

He described that attendees ought to identify the business they wish to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to allow for informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke to some recruiters. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.