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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 getting ready for the shift at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job applicants, she attended an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in numerous industries, made it various than others on the setup. 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 answered questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state firms were offered to address employing concerns, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services 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 event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what type of opportunities exist here outdoors your back door,” stated Christopher Gentz, referall.us 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 stated.

An elevator pitch is a “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re wanting to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s objectives was to help people learn more about career chances and how their skills line up with them, Gentz stated.

Education is a crucial advantage of participating in a job fair, 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 available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

“We see that generally every year,” he said. “We desire them to make an informed choice about their career.”

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, consisting of credit reports, budget plans and “developing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

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

Job fairs also exist to assist people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are looking for – including accreditations, accreditations and education – and learning more about their employing practices, Handoe said.

“You should be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do in the future down the road,” he said.

That preparation work consists of getting ready for task fairs.

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

He discussed that participants need to determine the business they wish to consult with and research them ahead of time, to permit informed conversations with employers.

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