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 preparing for employment the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she attended a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession opportunities at JBLM's Hawk Career Center.

"I just attempt to benefit from all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center needs to offer, just to ensure I'm as prepared as possible," she said.

The focus of the job fair on state employment, instead of employment in various markets, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it started with a panel of veterans from state firms, who shared their experiences and responded to concerns. Following the panel, from state companies were offered to respond to working with concerns, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services supervisor employment for the TAP.

Informational tables represented organizations 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 job fair is "a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what type of chances exist here outside your back door," stated Christopher Gentz, transition 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 get ready for employment them, "gown for success," bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a "quick intro 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.

Among the task fair's objectives was to help people discover career opportunities and how their skills line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a crucial advantage of attending a job reasonable, 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 readily available opportunities and choose to continue serving, Gentz stated.

"We see that basically every year," he said. "We want them to make an educated decision about their career."

Part of the education piece is discovering financial resources, including credit reports, budget plans and "building a nest egg so you have something to work with when it's time to get out," Handoe said.

"Everybody's going to get out of the Army sooner or later," he stated, "however while you're in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to go out?"

Job fairs likewise exist to help individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are searching for - including certifications, accreditations and education - and learning about their employing practices, Handoe said.

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

That preparation work includes preparing for task fairs.

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

He described that attendees ought to pinpoint the business they want to speak with and research study them ahead of time, to allow for informed discussions with employers.

Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job reasonable and spoke to some recruiters. A senior infotech professional with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.