Recently, JFCS Career Development Center hosted our second post-pandemic in-person job fair in Carnegie, with over 20 companies for participants to network with and learn about. Those who attended had the opportunity to speak face-to-face with employers throughout the county with jobs ranging from banking to marketing to business.
Employers that were hiring at the career fair included Alcosan, Allied Universal, Allegheny County, Amazon, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Deep Local, Dollar Bank, Duquesne Light, Education Staffing Solution, First Commonwealth Bank, First National Bank, Giant Eagle, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh, Macy’s, Robert Half, McConway & Torley LLC, Omni William Penn Hotel, Quest Diagnostics, and University of Pittsburgh. Dress for Success was also there to help women with professional clothing and other personal items.
National reports have shown that unemployment has been on a steady decline since the height of the pandemic. While unemployment in Allegheny County has declined since May 2021, many individuals who left the workforce in 2020 have still not returned to full-time work! Many industries struggle with a large number of unfilled positions, making career fairs a great opportunity to connect with potential candidates and help people understand the available jobs and workplace cultures.
“It’s so great to see people come out and be able to meet with employers,” said Becky Johnson, Director of JFCS Career Development Center. “We had a great variety of employers across industries represented at the fair and wonderful opportunities for all job seekers, whether they’re unemployed, wanting a job upgrade, or looking to make a career switch.”
Although virtual career fairs that took off during the pandemic are likely here to stay due to their ease of accessibility, in-person career fairs provide participants with an opportunity to meet and interact with employers in person–a meaningful experience that can’t be replicated in a virtual space.