Editor's Note: The date for the job fair is Tuesday, March 11.
Organizers from Powell River’s job centre are organizing an event that will interest anyone who is looking for a job or thinking about finding something better.
Career Link employment counsellor Rob Hughes is helping to organize the event and said there will be “a dynamic range of industries and sectors” represented.
Hughes said that while the list of employers has not yet been finalized, there will be booths from the City of Powell River, Tempco Heating and Cooling, Coex Heating and Sheet Metal, Inclusion Powell River Society, and a wide range of retail and food services employers.
He estimates that there will be upwards of 25 to 30 employers at the fair.
“The idea is it’s a job fair as opposed to a career fair,” said Hughes. “At a career fair, you’re exploring and looking for ideas, but this is a job fair and will hopefully be a match up between job seekers who are work-ready and employers who have vacancies to fill.”
He added there may be employers at the fair who are looking at hiring in the near future or seasonally.
This is Career Link’s first job fair, he said, and it will be hosted at its Marine Avenue location on Tuesday, March 11. There are two time slots: one from 10 am to noon and the other from 1 to 3 pm.
Like speed dating, the fair can give job seekers, who may not look good on paper, the opportunity to make a good first impression face to face.
Hughes recommends job seekers attend both sessions to catch both groups of employers.
“This will give employers a way to screen potential applicants,” he said, adding there will be more private rooms set up if a good match is made and employers want to start a more formal interview on site.
An employment counsellor will be giving a presentation on breaking into the oil and gas industry in Northern Alberta and other camps. “It really is challenging to access jobs up there,” said Hughes.
He described the talk as “a really balanced perspective” and explained that it’s a common misconception that the oil patch is a land of milk and honey and anyone who wants big money can just fly up there.
A pre-event coaching and resumé review session takes place on Wednesday, March 5.
For more information about the fair, readers can call 604.485.7958.
