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, referall.us and she’s getting ready for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task candidates, she participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in numerous industries, made it different than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were offered to answer hiring concerns, 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 Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to find out what sort of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” said 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 get ready for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick 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 individuals discover about career chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of attending a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the offered opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is learning more about finances, including credit reports, spending plans and “building a nest egg 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, “but while you’re 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 outdoors world are searching for – including accreditations, accreditations and education – and finding out about their employing practices, Handoe said.

“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you desire to do in the future down the road,” he stated.

That preparation work includes 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 guests need to determine the companies they wish to talk with and research them ahead of time, to enable educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke with some employers. A senior info technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.