The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
CAREER FAIR CONNECTS
More than 100 employers participated in the annual Career Fair at LCCC
Job seekers hoping to land a position in a variety of career fields gathered April 13 at the Lorain County Community College’s John A. Spitzer Conference Center for the 2017 Career Fair.
Marcia Jones, manager of career services at LCCC, said the Career Fair has taken place each spring for the last 20 years or more.
This year, 115 employers from a wide array of professions participated in the event that was made possible through a partnership with LCCC, Lorain County Joint Vocational School and OhioMeansJobs Lorain County.
“We don’t do this alone and we appreciate all of the support we get from the community.” — Marcia Jones, manager of career services at LCCC
“We don’t do this alone and we appreciate all of the support we get from the community,” Jones said.
Manufacturing, banking, allied health and nursing, retail and computer software were among the type of companies and organizations to set up a booth, answer questions and accept applications.
Attendees were encouraged to dress professionally and bring resumes as the goal was to make connections with potential employers.
In addition to seeking full and part-time employees, some employers were looking for interns.
“We are recognizing this is a really valuable way for students to get connected to jobs in their field,” Jones said.
On average, the annual gathering draws between 350 and 400 individuals seeking employment.
Students who went above and beyond to prepare for the event were recognized as members of the VIP Club, which meant they could wear a red ribbon on their name tag, meet with the employers 30 minutes before the public and have their resume added to a resume book given to all participating employers.
Those who are considered VIP members participated in mock interviews, completed a series of workshops about resume building and job search strategies and had their resume reviewed and approved by college staff.
“These are skills they will be able to take with them for a long time to come,” Jones said, noting this year’s VIP group was the largest yet with 66 members.
Michael Miller, of Lorain, was among the members of the VIP group.
Miller said he spent the last two years studying network communications technology and is preparing to graduate in May.
“I’ve been retraining for the last two years out here,” he said.
Prior to enrolling at LCCC, Miller worked for Republic Steel in Lorain for more than 20 years. He was laid off in 2015, which is when he began the process of developing a computer networking skill set.
“I’d say the hardest part was learning how to do homework again and time management,” Miller said. “I’m dedicated to see it to the end and I’m at the end.”
Miller said it wasn’t always easy, but the support of his wife, Debra Miller, his family and his friends kept him strong. He also gave credit to the LCCC staff who helped him learn a new profession.
While at the Career Fair, Miller learned of a number of potential opportunities and even has interviews lined up for the near future.
Miller said he’s hoping to obtain an entry-level position utilizing his newly acquired skills in computer networking.