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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

“I just attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to offer, simply to ensure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state work, rather than work in numerous markets, made it different 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 agencies were available to address working with concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what kind of chances exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion 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 stated.

An elevator pitch is a “fast intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s objectives was to help people find out about profession chances and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential advantage of going to a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the available opportunities and choose 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 discovering finances, of credit reports, spending plans 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 stated, “however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and education – and finding out about their working with practices, referall.us Handoe said.

“You must 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 job fairs.

“You need to enter into a hiring reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.

He explained that participants ought to pinpoint the business they want to consult with and research study them ahead of time, to enable educated conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some employers. A senior information technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.