JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Staff Sergeant Danika Nolan’s military exit date is a few weeks away, and she’s preparing for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As part of a group of about 30 job seekers, she attended a hiring fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State career 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, just to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she said.
The focus of the job fair on state employment, rather than employment in various industries, made it different than others on the installation. 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 agencies were available to answer hiring questions, said Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager 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 event, the job fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to find out what kind of opportunities exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, transition 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 prepare for them, “dress 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, mentioning that the skill is taught as part of the TAP.
One of the job fair’s goals was to help people learn about career opportunities and how their skills align with them, Gentz said.
Education is a key benefit of attending a job fair, as about 40% of those who start with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz said.
“We see that basically every year,” he said. “We want them to make an informed decision about their career.”
Part of the education piece is learning about finances, including credit reports, budgets 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 someday,” he said, “but while you’re in, are you doing everything you can to prepare to get out?”
Job fairs also exist to help people with networking, seeing what people in the outside world are looking for – including certifications, accreditations and schooling – and learning about their hiring practices, Handoe said.
“You should be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do later on down the road,” he said.
That prep work includes preparing for job fairs.
“You need to go into a hiring fair with a plan of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.
He explained that attendees should pinpoint the companies they want to speak with and research them ahead of time, to allow for educated conversations with recruiters.
Nolan enjoyed the Jan. 30 job fair and spoke with some recruiters. A senior information technology specialist with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has discovered she wants to serve those who serve in her upcoming civilian role.
“I realized I want to be in a position to where I can actually educate people and help service members, their spouses, their families, and even veterans, being able to connect them with all these resources and services that we have here,” she said.
To learn more about the JBLM TAP, please visit: https://home.army.mil/lewis-mcchord/my-Joint-Base-Lewis-Mcchord/all-services/TAP
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