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С��è��ý’s Cascade Job Fair adds new service – photography

Photos and story by James Hill

The Cascade Campus Job Fair, which attracts more than 1,000 job seekers from around the Portland metro area, makes its annual return on Tuesday, April 30.

An assortment of area employers will be on hand at the 16th Annual Cascade Job Fair – set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Physical Education Building, Cascade Campus, 705 N. Killingsworth St. Among the employers represented at this year’s fair will be AAA Oregon/Idaho, Colonial Life, Hoffman Construction Company, Kaiser Permanente, KGW Media Group, New Seasons Market, OnPoint Community Credit Union, Portland Fire & Rescue, Portland General Electric, Safeway, Self Enhancement Inc., and Xerox, to name a few. Attendees are encouraged to dress as if they are going to a job interview and to show up early.

“It’s no secret that it’s a competitive job market at the moment,” said Cascade Career Services Director Becky Washington. “People should try to give themselves every advantage they can. The job fair places job seekers face-to-face with employers from a wide range of industries in both the public and private sectors where they can learn about available openings, pay scales and benefits, and the amount of education needed to obtain a given position.”

The job fair, sponsored by Brooks Staffing and OregonLive.com, will feature free workshops in Cascade’s Moriarty Arts and Humanities Building. They include: “Résumé writing” with corporate recruiter Kristina Turney of Crowd Compass (11:30 a.m., Room 215), “Job Searching with Social Media For Dummies” (12:30 p.m., Auditorium), “Contracts & Copyrights: What Makers Need to Know” (1:30 p.m., Room 215), “Interviewing tips from Toastmasters” (2 p.m., Auditorium) and “Work for Yourself or Work for Someone Else: Small Business Tips” (2:30 p.m., Room 215).

It will be the second year for Waldman, who is not only an author, but a trainer specializing in helping people re-gain control of their careers in today’s economic and technology climate.

“We’re so excited to have a free seminar this year by the author of ‘Social Media Job Search for Dummies,’” continued Washington. “Looking for work has certainly changed in the last few years, and it will be great to have this kind of expertise right at our fingertips.”

Waldman was laid off two times in six months in 2008 and it was then he decided it was time to really understand the modern job search. He said by applying his knowledge of social media to proven job search strategies, he found that he was winding up in the interview chair in a fraction of the time it took his peers. After that success, Waldman decided he would help other people who were looking for work by starting Career Enlightenment in 2009.

Through research, interviews and case studies, he managed to figure out some of the most important key principles that work in today’s job search. Waldman’s advice has been published on Forbes, International Business Times and Mashable. Plus, he blogs, speaks and trains other job seekers and career professionals around the country.

“We go way beyond the basics of what social media is and explore strategies, frameworks and new tools to show you how to stand apart from the crowd,” he said on his blog.

New to this year’s event will be a free headshot photography service for attendees. A professional photographer will be on hand to take a close-up photo for use in online networking and more.

“As more and more of the job-search process moves online, having a high-quality photo of yourself can really help your prospects,” added Washington.

For more information, call (971) 722-5613, or visit www.pcc.edu/cascadejobfair.