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 transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she went to an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career 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 offer, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, referall.us rather than work in various industries, made it various than others on the installation. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were offered to respond to employing concerns, stated 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 occasion, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to learn what kind of chances exist here outside your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, shift 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 get ready for them, “dress 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 aiming to do,” Handoe said, pointing out that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the job fair’s objectives was to assist people discover profession opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

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

“We see that essentially every year,” he stated. “We want them to make an educated decision about their profession.”

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “constructing a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he said, “however while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to go out?”

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

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

That prep work includes getting ready for job fairs.

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

He discussed that guests ought to determine the companies they wish to talk to and research them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 and consulted with some employers. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wants to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.