Something About Company

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 reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just try to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to offer, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the task fair on state employment, rather than work in different markets, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and employment the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state companies, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, employers from state companies were offered to respond to employing questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy shift services supervisor for employment 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 event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure chance to discover what type of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services manager for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional job 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 stated.

An elevator pitch is a “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

One of the task fair’s objectives was to help 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 fair, employment as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the offered 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 career.”

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and “developing 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 at some point,” he said, “but while you’re 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 outside world are looking for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and education – and finding out about their working with practices, Handoe said.

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

That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.

“You need to go into a hiring fair with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe stated.

He discussed that attendees ought to determine the they desire to talk with and employment research them ahead of time, to permit informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job fair and spoke to some recruiters. A senior details innovation professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.