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 for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, employment she went to a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of work in various markets, made it different 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 companies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were readily available to address working with concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition 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 event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what type of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift services manager 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, “dress for success,” bring your resume and employment practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

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

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

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

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, including credit reports, budgets and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to deal 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 remain in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning more about their employing practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He discussed that attendees need to pinpoint the companies they desire to talk with and research them ahead of time, to permit educated discussions with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and talked to some recruiters. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.