Urban League Holds Career Connections Fair

For local job-seekers, it’s time to dust off that resume and put on your best interview clothes for the 22^nd Annual Career Connections Job Fair. The event is free and open to the public.

The Urban League of Portland, in partnership with IHeartMedia, JAM'N 107.5 and Comcast, is hosting the event on April 22, in the Double Tree Hotel near Lloyd Center.

The yearly job fair brings together employers from the Portland area that are looking to recruit skilled, diverse job candidates. Employers come from many different economic sectors including; retail, health care, construction, corporate and government.

Debra Lindsay, director of Workforce Development at the Urban League of Portland said the employers who attend the job fair have open job positions right now and are looking to hire.

“Employers look to the Urban League to recruit qualified candidates,” Lindsay said. “This is an opportunity to match employers with community members that are looking for employment.”

Employers such as PGE, Legacy Health Systems, Janus Youth Programs and Portland State University will be on hand to meet job seekers. Many of these employers are also Urban League partners who work with the organization throughout the year and list jobs with them.

“They don't just come to the career fair, they're folks who avidly seek folks that we recruit and help train,” Lindsay said. “They avidly see the urban league as a good resource for recruitment.”

Over 70 employers will attend the event. To see a list of other organizations, click here.

Lindsay said the job fair is steadily growing and now is one of the largest and most diverse job fairs in the Portland area.

“We have seen that opportunities have opened up widely and we have a couple of hundred employers who list positions with us,” Lindsay said. “We have just seen an influx over the last couple of years.”

Employers are looking for a wide variety of applicants, ranging from entry-level work, skilled trades, professional, management and executive positions.

High school and college students are encouraged to attend as well because there will be companies present that have internship opportunities.

Lindsay said the most important tip for job-seekers coming to the event is to be prepared and ready to be interviewed. Some employers will be ready to interview on site, others may set up an interview at a later date. But in either case, the job seeker is likely to meet the very people who would be interviewing them.

“They should come dressed to impress, they should bring their resumes, bring their A-game, and be prepared to meet employers who have immediate opportunities with their companies,” Lindsay said.

Job seekers are also encouraged to visit the Urban League of Portland's Employment Services to update their resume or brush up on their interview skills if they feel like they need that help.

The Urban League is also offering free professional profile photos, taken at the event by Photography by Reba. These photos can be used for professional and employment-related social networks such as LinkedIn.

Job seekers are not required to pre-register before the event.

Click here for more information about the 22^nd Annual Career Connections Job Fair.