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Cascade Job Fair returns April 29 for 17th year

Photos and story by Abe Proctor

The 17th Annual Cascade Campus Job Fair, one of the foremost resources for job seekers in the Portland metro area, makes its annual return on Tuesday, April 29. An assortment of more than 50 area employers will be on hand at the event, which is set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Cascade Campus Gym, 705 N. Killingsworth St.

New to this years’ job fair will be representation from Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown’s office.

“Whether you are interested in business, government, or the nonprofit sector, there is something for you,” said Cascade Career Services Director Becky Washington, coordinator of the job fair.

Returning to the job fair this year will be the popular free “head shot” service for attendees. A professional photographer will be on hand to take a close-up photo for use in online networking and more.

“I’m so excited that we will again be able to offer free photos for social media profiles,” Washington said. “Last years’ attendees raved about the great quality of their pictures.  We  will serve the first 100 people on a first-come, first-served basis.”

Also returning to the job fair this year – and continuing the fair’s emphasis on online job searching – will be a free seminar from Josh Waldman, author of “Job Searching With Social Media for Dummies.” Waldman is an expert at helping people to incorporate social media sites – like Facebook and LinkedIn – to broaden a job searcher’s reach and enhance his or her chances of success.

“The job fair places job-seekers face-to-face with employers from a wide range of industries in both the public and private sectors,” Washington said, “where they can learn about available openings, pay scales and benefits, and the amount of education needed to obtain a given position.”

Among the employers represented at this year’s fair will be Hoffman Construction, KGW-TV,  the Portland Police Bureau, and Bridgetown Natural Foods, to name just a few.

The 2014 Job Fair is sponsored by Brooks Staffing.

“This is the best job fair in the city of Portland, for a number of reasons,” said Mark Curnell of Oregon/Idaho AAA Human Resources. “The support staff is outstanding, there is a high applicant flow … and it is well advertised – in fact, the promotion of the event is superb.”

Would-be employees are encouraged to “dress like you’re going to an interview,” Washington said. “We attract lots of job-seekers, so it’s also a good idea to show up early.”

“It’s no secret that the job market is hotter right now than it’s been in a long time,” Washington added. “People should try to give themselves every advantage they can.”

Free workshops at the fair include:

• 11:30 a.m.: Résumé, Kristina Turney.
• 12:30 a.m.: Social Media, Joshua Waldman.
• 1:30 p.m.: Career Coach, Barbara Barde.
• 2:00 p.m.: Interview Tips with Toastmasters.
• 2:30 p.m.: Networking Whisperer, Cleon Cox.

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