JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, job 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 job candidates, she participated in a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

„I simply try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to use, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,“ she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in numerous industries, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, and the TAP, it started 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 address employing concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations consisting of VERG, WorkSource and Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, Youth and job 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 chance to find out what sort of chances exist here outside your back door,“ said Christopher Gentz, transition 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, „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 looking to do,“ Handoe stated, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to assist individuals learn more about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re „not prepared to make that dive yet,“ or they have seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, consisting of credit reports, budgets and „developing 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, „however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?“

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are looking for – including accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and finding out about their working with practices, Handoe said.

„You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later on down the road,“ he said.

That preparation work includes preparing for job fairs.

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

He described that guests need to identify the business they wish to speak to and research them ahead of time, to permit informed discussions with employers.

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