JFCS Career Development Center (CDC), along with its Refugee and Immigrant Services Department will hold a career fair on Thursday, May 2, 2019, tailored to refugee and immigrant jobseekers. The career fair will take place on the lower level of the Department of Human Services (DHS) offices, located at One Smithfield Street, Downtown. The fair will run from 9 am to 12 pm.
The career fair is tailored to refugee and immigrant jobseekers. It is appropriate for those with legal status to work in the U.S. who have a minimum of conversational English through those with advanced English, professional skills and higher education.
“This career fair is a great way for our region’s employers to learn about the value refugees and immigrants can bring to organizations, and a wonderful opportunity for refugee and immigrant jobseekers who are ready for a step up in their careers to find higher-level employment opportunities,” said Leslie Aizenman, director of Refugee and Immigrant Services at JFCS.
At the career fair, immigrant jobseekers will receive assistance from on-site staff to help them understand how job fairs work in the U.S., as well as coaching them on how to present to prospective employers.
For those wishing to attend, they can expect to meet one-on-one with recruiters for brief in-person interviews. Some of the region’s top employers will be represented, including UPMC, Giant Eagle, Allegheny Health Network, PNC Bank and more. Nearly 20 employers from a variety of industries, including healthcare, hospitality, financial services, manufacturing and technology, have committed to the event.
“While mainstream job fairs are open to immigrants and refugees, many are hesitant to attend. This job fair will hopefully build their confidence as well as build the comfort level of employers in hiring people with accents and from different cultures,” Aizenman said.
Attendees are encouraged to dress professionally, bring multiple copies of their resume and research employers and available positions beforehand.
At JFCS, our refugee and immigrant department staff provides a wide range of resettlement, social, legal and employment services to thousands of refugees and immigrants throughout the region. JF&CS refugee services staff work to resettle refugees directly from overseas, providing for their basic needs and integration into our community and workforce, as well as providing support to refugees coming to Pittsburgh who had been resettled originally in other U.S. cities. Our staff ensures that families receive the most basic needs of food and shelter, and then continue to offer essential assistance through case management, cultural orientation, employment, legal immigration and additional areas of support.
JFCS has helped thousands of refugees, including most recently Bhutanese, Burmese, Congolese and Iraqis, successfully resettle in communities throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area, as well as providing additional services including career services, social and human services and support.
For more information about JFCS’s services for refugees and immigrants, visit www.jfcspgh.org. For more information about the Career Development Center and services for jobseekers and employers, visit www.careerdevelopmentcenter.org.