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 task applicants, she attended a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession 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, just to make certain I'm as prepared as possible," she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, instead of employment in numerous industries, made it different 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state were available to answer employing questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for referall.us 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, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly event, the task fair is "a low-stress, low-pressure chance to learn what sort of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance," said Christopher Gentz, transition services manager 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 said.

An elevator pitch is a "fast introduction of yourself, who you are and what you're aiming to do," Handoe said, discussing that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the task fair's goals was to assist individuals find out about career chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential advantage of attending a task fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they're "not ready to make that dive yet," or they have actually seen the available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

"We see that basically every year," he said. "We desire them to make an informed choice about their profession."

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, including credit reports, budgets and "building 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 someday," he said, "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 outside world are searching for - consisting of accreditations, accreditations and education - and discovering their employing practices, Handoe said.

"You must be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later on down the roadway," he said.

That prep work includes getting ready for job fairs.

"You require to go into a working with fair with a plan of what you're going to do and not just meander around," Handoe said.

He discussed that participants ought to pinpoint the companies they desire to consult with and research them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task reasonable and consulted with some employers. A senior information innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian role.