Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area Participates in Local Career Expo to Help Youth Find Summer Jobs

To help local youth find summer jobs, Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area recently partnered with local workforce organizations to host a virtual youth career expo. Special Projects Manager Jessica Ramirez Olmos said, “This fair was a collaboration with another local workforce organization to target the youth population in our area to allow them to find summer jobs, internships, or full-time opportunities. We also put a lot of effort into educating attendees on different training programs, career lattices, and job search tips they could use during these digital times.”

In preparation for the main event, there were pre-fair workshops that registrants could attend. Topics discussed included resume building, interview tips, and navigating a virtual job fair.

Over 395 people registered for the event and employers from 40 different businesses were in attendance to provide information about job opportunities. The Vocational Rehab and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) booths had an excellent visitation rate. Project Director Mike Crane said, “Some of the booths had eight concurrent chats with candidates going on continuously for most of the day, which is pretty incredible!”

When asked about the advice she would give to youth job seekers during the pandemic, Jessica said, “Not all employers have ceased hiring efforts. Therefore it is important to research the opportunities that are out there. The key is not to get discouraged about not landing your dream job right away. The main focus needs to be on nailing the virtual interview by ensuring that you bring the human touch into the virtual space and project your personality and energy through your computer. Utilize LinkedIn to connect with hiring managers, attend virtual Job Fairs, and use job boards to get job search efforts going. Land the job, build your skills, and establish a good work ethic to secure opportunities to move up within the organization.”

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