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 task applicants, employment she went to an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career chances at JBLM's Hawk Career Center.

"I simply try to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to use, simply to make sure I'm as prepared as possible," she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment 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 agencies, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were readily available to respond to working with concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies 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 occasion, the task fair is "a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what type of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance," stated Christopher Gentz, transition services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job fairs like the Jan. 30 event will be held May 8, July 10 and employment Sept. 11.

To prepare for them, "gown for success," bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz stated.

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

One of the task fair's objectives was to assist people discover profession chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key benefit of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they're "not prepared to make that dive yet," or they have actually seen the offered chances and employment choose to continue serving, Gentz said.

"We see that generally every year," he said. "We want them to make an educated choice about their profession."

Part of the education piece is finding out about finances, including credit reports, spending plans and "constructing a nest egg so you have something to deal with when it's time to get out," Handoe stated.

"Everybody's going to get out of the Army one day," he stated, "however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?"

Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are trying to find - consisting of certifications, employment accreditations and schooling - and finding out about their hiring practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work includes getting ready for job fairs.

"You need to go into a hiring reasonable with a strategy of what you're going to do and not simply meander around," Handoe stated.

He discussed that attendees should pinpoint the business they wish to talk to and research study them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with recruiters.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task reasonable and spoke with some employers. A senior details technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her role.