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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 preparing for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she participated in a working with reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment in various industries, made it various than others on the setup. 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 addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were offered to address working with concerns, stated 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, Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what kind of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services manager 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 said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re looking to do,” Handoe stated, referall.us discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair’s objectives was to help people find out about profession chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is an essential benefit of going to a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, budget plans and “developing a savings 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 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 assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are trying to find – consisting of certifications, accreditations and education – and discovering about their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of getting ready for job fairs.

“You need to enter into an employing reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

He described that attendees need to determine the companies they wish to speak with and research them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job fair and talked to some employers. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.