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 job hunters, she participated in an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

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

The focus of the task fair on state employment, instead of work in different 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 addressed questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were readily available to address working with concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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, 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 type of chances exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, referall.us transition services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task 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 introduction of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s objectives was to help people find out about career chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key advantage of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP discover they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the offered chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that essentially every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an informed choice about their career.”

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, including credit reports, budgets 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 someday,” he said, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?”

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for – including certifications, accreditations and and discovering about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work consists of preparing for task fairs.

“You need to go into a hiring fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.

He explained that participants ought to determine the companies they want to speak with and research study them ahead of time, to permit for informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and talked to some employers. A senior info innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.