Have resume, will travel

Those looking for work and those looking for workers will come together today in attempt to find each other during the annual Kenai Peninsula Career and Job Fair.

This year’s fair -- sponsored by the Peninsula Job Center, Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Soldotna Chamber of Commerce and Peninsula Clarion -- is at the Soldotna Sports Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“It’s a broad employment field this year,” Melinda Gates, an employment security specialist, said in regard to the more than 48 employers ranging from colleges and vocational schools to branches of the armed forces, medical and psychological professionals to seafood processors, retailers to nonprofits, and oil field service companies.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for people looking for work, looking for a career or looking to change a career,” she said.

Gates added that every year several people leave the fair with a new job. Knowing this, job seekers should come prepared, she said.

“The people doing the hiring will probably be the people sitting in the booths, so it would be wise to make a good impression from the first meeting,” she said.

Rather than rolling in with no paper work and wearing baseball caps, sports jerseys and baggy jeans, Gates said job seekers should bring several copies of their resume, be well dressed, and men should be clean shaven.

“Basically, people should have their professional manner on,” she said.

Gates said following the Job Fair, the Kenai Job Center will host at their facility a workshop for businesses looking to set up internship programs from 9 to 11 a.m. on Friday.

“I would stress the apprenticeship workshop is only for employers, and we’ve got 10 signed up so far,” she said.

Gates said their are many advantages for businesses that use the apprenticeship system, including increased productivity by cultivating a highly skilled workforce, decreased employee turnover and enhanced employee relations by developing a collaborative commitment to achievement.

“When we think of apprenticeships, we tend to think of plumbing and electrical apprenticeships, but there are several different apprenticeships out there in the medical industry, health care, theater, construction, and many others,” she said.

Gates said Lymus Capehart of the U.S. Department of Labor will be conducting the apprenticeship workshop, and he will be available at the U.S. Department of Labor booth during the job fair to answer employer questions about the apprenticeship system.

For other questions about the job fair, call Kenai Job Center at 283-2901 or 283-2905.