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 24-Hour Loan she’s getting ready for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

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

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

The focus of the task fair on state work, Other Loans rather than employment in different industries, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were available to address employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager 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 chance to learn what sort of chances exist here outdoors your back door,” said 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, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

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

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

Education is a crucial benefit of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have actually seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “constructing 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 at some point,” he stated, “but while you’re in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find – consisting of accreditations, accreditations and schooling – and [empty] discovering their employing practices, Handoe stated.

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

That prep work includes getting ready for task fairs.

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

He explained that participants ought to determine the companies they wish to talk with and research study them ahead of time, to permit for educated conversations with employers.

Nolan took in the Jan. 30 job fair and spoke with some recruiters. A senior information technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.