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 candidates, she attended a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I simply try to take advantage of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to provide, simply to make certain I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in different industries, made it different 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 companies, referall.us who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, employers from state firms were offered to address hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager 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 occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover out what type of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, July 10 and 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 intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re aiming to do,” Handoe stated, pointing out that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.

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

Education is a key benefit of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP discover they’re “not prepared to make that dive yet,” or they have seen the available chances and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.

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

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, spending plans and “constructing a savings so you have something to deal with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.

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

Job fairs likewise exist to help people with networking, seeing what individuals in the outside world are searching for – consisting of certifications, accreditations and schooling – and discovering their employing practices, Handoe said.

“You need to be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later down the road,” he said.

That prep work consists of preparing for task fairs.

“You require to go into a working with reasonable with a plan of what you’re going to do and not simply meander around,” Handoe said.

He explained that attendees must identify the business they desire to speak with and research them ahead of time, to permit educated conversations with recruiters.

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