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 getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 job hunters, she attended an employing reasonable Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career opportunities at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.
“I simply try to benefit from 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, instead of employment in various markets, 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 firms, who shared their experiences and responded to questions. Following the panel, recruiters from state agencies were offered to address employing questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy shift services manager for the TAP.
Informational tables represented organizations 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 task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back entrance,” said Christopher Gentz, transition services supervisor 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 prepare 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 aiming to do,” Handoe said, mentioning that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.
Among the objectives was to help people learn more about profession chances and how their abilities align with them, Gentz stated.
Education is an essential advantage of going to a task reasonable, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not all set to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the readily available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.
“We see that generally every year,” he stated. “We desire them to make an informed choice about their career.”
Part of the education piece is discovering finances, including credit reports, budget plans and “constructing a nest egg so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe said.
“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army someday,” he said, “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 individuals in the outside world are trying to find – including certifications, accreditations and education – and finding out about their working with practices, Handoe said.
“You must be doing prep work now for what it is you wish to do later on down the roadway,” he said.
That prep work consists of preparing for referall.us job fairs.
“You need to go into an employing reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.
He described that participants need to pinpoint the companies they wish to talk to and research them ahead of time, to permit informed discussions with employers.
Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 task fair and consulted with some employers. A senior info technology expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has found she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.