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 job candidates, she attended a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than work in numerous industries, made it various 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and answered questions. Following the panel, employers from state firms were available to answer employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor 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 task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job 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 stated.

An elevator pitch is a “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe stated, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

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

Education is a key advantage of attending a job fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that generally every year,” he said. “We want them to make an educated decision about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “building 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 sooner or later,” he stated, “however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – including certifications, accreditations and education – and discovering about their working with practices, Handoe stated.

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

That preparation work includes preparing for job fairs.

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

He described that participants need to determine the business they desire to speak to and research them ahead of time, to enable for educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job fair and consulted with some employers. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian .