There is good news for area residents seeking employment as the annual Nye Communities Coalition Job and Volunteer Fair returns today.
The event will be hosted at the coalition campus, located at 1020 East Wilson Road from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
Nye Communities Coalition Workforce Director Tammi Odegard urged anyone in search of employment to attend the job fair.
“We host this event every quarter,” she said. “It is a great opportunity for people who are looking for work to come out and speak with some of the local employers who are looking to fill positions, as well as agencies who are looking for volunteers. We will also have some trainers present for those who may be interested in transitioning to a new career. They will be able to talk to somebody in a different field that they are interested in.”
Odegard noted that representative from upward of 20 area businesses have signed on to participate.
“Some of those employers actually hire job seekers right here on the spot,” she said. “Generally, over the years we have seen as much as 10 people get hired right here at the event. During the last quarter, back in August, we had about 20 vendors, along with 180 job seekers for the day. I believe there were about 10 people who were actually hired.”
Additionally, Odegard spoke about the importance of making an unforgettable ‘first impression,’ with prospective employers.
“All job seekers, of course, want to be dressed appropriately in business attire and be prepared for an interview,” she said. “Actually, there will be some interviews that will take place on the spot, so the candidates will also want to bring several copies of their resume with all of the necessary information to help them fill out their job applications.
“Some employers actually want to have the candidate fill out the application here and sometimes that information is different from what appears on a resume,” Odegard said. “Of course, they want to bring their ID, Social Security card and other necessary information.”
For those who may not have the proper attire for a job interview, Odegard said the coalition is more than happy to assist.
She also said employers truly look forward to the annual job fair each quarter.
“We have what we refer to as the ‘Clothing Closet,’ which is open to the public,” she said. “Anyone can come by and select whatever they need out of the clothing closet at no cost. All of the employers who have participated over the years absolutely love this event because they get to meet and greet with a lot of people from within the community in one shot.”
Odegard strongly urged those who plan on attending the event to arrive early, as some of the employers will have to return to their respective work sites.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. Follow @sharrispvt on Twitter.