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 shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 task hunters, she attended an employing fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM's Hawk Career Center.

"I simply try to take benefit of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to offer, 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 industries, made it different 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and addressed concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were available to answer hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations consisting of VERG, WorkSource and Washington State's Department of Veterans Affairs and referall.us VA 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 job fair is "a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what sort of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance," said 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, "dress for success," bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

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

One of the job fair's objectives was to assist people find out about career opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is an essential benefit of going to a job reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they're "not ready to make that dive yet," or they have seen the readily available chances and choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering finances, including credit reports, budgets and "developing a savings so you have something to deal with when it's time to get out," Handoe said.

"Everybody's going to get out of the Army someday," 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 outdoors world are looking for - including certifications, accreditations and education - and discovering their employing practices, Handoe said.

"You should be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later down the road," he stated.

That preparation work consists of getting ready for job fairs.

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

He described that participants should identify the companies they wish to speak to and research them ahead of time, to enable informed discussions with employers.

Nolan delighted in the Jan. 30 task fair and spoke with some recruiters. A senior infotech specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she desires to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.