2010 Tulare County Career Fair

There are clearly a lot of motivated people in Tulare County looking for work.

The Tulare County Career Fair, an annual networking event linking jobseekers with employers, is a strong collaboration between the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County, the California Employment Development Department (EDD), Community Service Employment Training (CSET), Tulare County Department of Child Support Services, Tulare County Office of Education, and other partners.

 This year’s Career Fair was held April 21, and while there wasn’t a significant increase in attendance like had been forecasted, more than 1,300 jobseekers attended this year.  A line was forming to enter the event a full two hours before the doors were scheduled to open. By the time doors opened, the line stretched nearly two full city blocks. 

Observations from this year’s Career Fair indicated that there was a slight demographic shift in the participants.  In previous years, attendees often were younger and more ethnically diverse.  This year’s attendees represented a much broader economic spectrum, further indication that many of the job cuts in the last two years have affected all levels of jobs, including mid- and upper-level management.

Nearly 100 businesses, non-profits, vocational schools, and public sector employers rented booths at the Career Fair, indicating that even in a recessed economy, there are still job opportunities in the region.   In this case, however, the competition for those jobs has increased substantially, making it important for jobseekers to know not only how to do a job and perform well in their chosen careers, but now just as important is to know to get a job.

Career coaching is one of the services provided to job seekers at the four Employment Connection offices located in Tulare County.  Those services include a wide variety of workshops in the areas of resume writing, interviewing techniques, personal financial management, dealing with a layoff, job search strategies, and many other important job search skills.  Additionally, WIB clients (jobseekers) start to receive immediate, one-on-one career coaching on their first visit.

Participating in the Career Fair, whether as an organizer, employer, jobseeker, or casual observer, is a good exercise in reminding oneself that unemployment figures, and all economic numbers, really, have a human face, too.  For every one percentage point change in the unemployment rate in Tulare County, that represents about 2,000 individuals – a single mom trying to pay rent and hoping she can keep the kids in soccer this year, a recent retiree realizing Social Security won’t pay all the bills, a soon-to-be college graduate hoping the job market turns around before the student loans become due, or a husband and father wrestling with the distress of wanting but unable to provide for his family.

The Career Fair occurs every April, and as long as the needs exist and the resources are available, the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County and the Employment Connection will continue trying to match businesses with jobseekers who are trained, prepared, and ready to work.