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 getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than employment in various markets, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, employment WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to address hiring questions, said 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 employment Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what sort of opportunities exist here outdoors your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, shift 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 aiming to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s goals was to assist individuals discover profession chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, employment Gentz stated.

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

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

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

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

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

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He described that attendees ought to pinpoint the business they want to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with employers.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and consulted with some recruiters. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.