JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. - Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan's military exit date is a couple of weeks away, and she's preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she participated in a hiring reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances 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 needs to provide, just to ensure I'm as prepared as possible," she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in various industries, made it various than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, job WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, employers from state agencies were readily available to respond to working with questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for job the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations including VERG, WorkSource and Washington State's Department of Veterans Affairs and job 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 type of chances exist here outdoors your back entrance," stated Christopher Gentz, shift 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 get ready for them, "gown for success," bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

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

One of the task fair's objectives was to help individuals discover about career chances and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they're "not all set to make that jump yet," or they have seen the offered opportunities and decide to serving, Gentz said.

"We see that generally every year," he stated. "We desire them to make an informed decision about their career."

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and "building a nest egg 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 someday," he stated, "but while you remain in, are you doing whatever 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 accreditations, accreditations and schooling - and job discovering their working with practices, Handoe said.

"You ought to be doing prep work now for what it is you desire to do in the future down the roadway," he stated.

That preparation 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 simply meander around," Handoe said.

He explained that guests should identify the business they want to talk with and research them ahead of time, to enable informed conversations with recruiters.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke to some employers. A senior info technology professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian function.