Fair provides opportunity for job seekers
CRANBERRY TWP — At the end of the month, job seekers will have a chance to meet and network with some of the region's employers at the 2015 Pittsburgh North Regional Career Fair.
The fair will run from 2 to 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 910 Sheraton Drive. There also will be a networking business reception at 6:30 p.m.
The event, which is free, is sponsored by the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber.
In the past the fair was in the morning, according to Megan Julius, director of marketing and events.
The reason for changing the times was to get some of the underemployed people and those who are seeking a job change a chance to attend the fair, Julius said.
This way, she said, people will not have to take a day off from work to attend and can come at the end of their work day to check out the employers at the fair.
“From some of the feedback we have gotten from people who have not been able to attend in the past, we thought this might be a nice change to get an additional crowd to the career fair,” she said.
Julius said the chamber hopes for a 20 percent increase in attendance from the time changes.
The goal is to have about 75 employers this year, Julius said.
Jim Boltz, chamber executive director, said the businesses are growing at a steady pace in the region.“There seems to be a lot of job opportunities and we feel one of our responsibilities is to connect the diversified work force that we have with our regions best employers,” he said.Boltz said attendees will be able to apply for jobs at the fair with some companies. Other companies will have more information about employment opportunities, he said.Julius said attendees are encouraged to bring multiple copies of their resumes.“Employers will be looking to collect resumes and some will have applications ready to be filled out right there,” she said.Julius recommends that job seekers come dressed professionally and come with a positive attitude.“Also have a clear understanding of what you are looking for,” Boltz added.In past years there were break out sessions during the fair, but this year the chamber has done away with them. Julius said that occurred to give attendees enough time to spend with the employers.“If everybody is out in the breakout sessions, then they are not interacting with the employers because networking is such a strong part of getting a job.”Boltz said this is a way for job seekers to take advantage of numerous opportunities in the area.“Because things are so strong in our area, there are a lot of employment opportunities,” Boltz said.
