June 18, 2009

Summer Job Fair: A snapshot of local job prospects

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The relative success or failure of Tuesday's Summer Showcase job fair at Safeco Field depends on whom you talked to at the event. For the few companies that were offering jobs, the fair was a great place to sign up eager new candidates. For those job seekers looking for more than entry-level work, the pickings were decidedly slim.

Scattered across the club-level section at "The Safe," with a nice view of the emerald, empty playing field, were about 20 company tables. Of those firms, by my count, only six or seven were actively hiring. The rest were either vocational schools or work-from-home business opportunities.

The event is part of the national Putting America Back to Work program that began in January with the goal of filling 10,000 jobs by the end of 2010, said Katherine McGee, Northwest district sales manager for event sponsor The Employment Guide. "So far we've connected 9,600 job seekers with employment," she said. "And it's only June."

At the last job fair sponsored by the Employment Guide, held May 20 at the Tacoma Convention Center, McGee says there were a total of 22 vendors that filled more than 300 positions following the event. On Tuesday, the turnout for the Seattle event was a bit lower than expected; McGee had predicted that 1,000 to 1,500 job seekers would arrive, but attendance was just shy of 900.

Some company reps said the mediocre turnout could have come from having the event held on the last day of classes for some school districts. Many of the vocational schools said they were pleased by the number of applicants seeking extra training, but one recruiter looked at the light late-morning traffic and remarked, "So, where are all the unemployed people?"

My guess at an answer is that the entry-level jobs that are offered are not enough of an incentive to attend for some job hunters. As Hire Ground reader "SDW" wrote recently, job fairs are a "waste of my time" and usually not worth the gas money to get there since most of the positions can be found on the companies' Web sites.

However, there were jobs available. One of the most popular firms at Tuesday's Summer Showcase fair was Puget Sound Energy, with about 30 positions open in their Bellevue headquarters. On the rare occasion when there wasn't a cluster of job seekers knotted in front of the PSE table, I chatted with recruiter Stephanie O'Farrell, who said this fair was much busier than the last one in Tacoma.

Another popular spot was the table for Menzies Aviation, which offers various ground-based airport jobs such as baggage handlers, ramp agents and customer service reps. Though much of the airline industry is reeling from the recession, Menzies is expecting an increase of around 20 positions due to the upcoming addition of regular Icelandair flights to SeaTac next month, said employment specialist Judi Nelson. By late Tuesday, more than 100 had filled out applications, she said.

The Internal Revenue Service table was also an oddly crowded spot. Normally, the IRS hires about 50 seasonal, entry-level workers each year to handle the fall-winter tax season, according to one of the reps. But by this October, demand is expected to double to help deal with the many questions taxpayers will have regarding the economic stimulus package.

For those who did attend the Showcase, McGee recommends that your efforts should not end with your brief meeting at the ballpark. "Show up at your desired place of employment and request to drop off a (possibly second) resume in person," she said. "You may well 'only' meet with a receptionist or an administrative assistant. Here's what you might not realize--that person is often the right hand of the hiring manager."

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

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1 Comments

Seattle Airport Transportation on July 5, 2012 1:27 AM | Reply

Another popular spot was the table for Menzies Aircraft, which offers various ground-based terminal tasks such as luggage handlers, slam providers and customer support associates.

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