Employers at the event represented many workforces including health care, education, manufacturing, transportation and public service.
There are currently 3,000 job openings in Blair County, according to career advisor Joe Razo.
“It’s a job seekers’ market,” he said. “It’s a matter of people coming out and finding those opportunities because they’re here.”
Exploring new opportunities
On Wednesday, job seekers were encouraged to bring resumes, wear professional clothes and be prepared for on-the-spot interviews.
Ben Asti, 33, said he was looking for a “better-suited job” at the job fair, stating that his current occupation is “tough on the back.”
Having multiple jobs beforehand, he said he is willing to move around for a new opportunity.
With her dog-sitting business on the side, Tipton resident Lynn D’Angelo, 54, said she would rather remain in the local area.
The number one quality D’Angelo was looking for in a job was flexibility, she said, so she was mainly interested in part-time work.
“I need a little bit of income to fill in the spots,” she said.
Curtis Brenneman, 25, said he was looking for a “stepstone” job since he is also looking to get his teaching certificate.
His mother, Robin Brenneman, 51, joined in on the job hunt Wednesday, while his niece, Ani Brenneman, 3, enjoyed the candy selection available at employers’ tables.
“It’s like trick-or-treating,” Ani said.
Robin Brenneman said she was interested in part-time office administration work.
“Recently, I feel like spending time is more important than anything, so it is affecting my job search in that I can’t work everyday,” she said, adding that she frequently watches her granddaughter.
Altoona resident Israa Ali, 42, was looking for a medical assistant position at various medical organizations at the job fair.
Ali has been on the job hunt for two weeks for positions in Altoona or Blair County.
As for Keith Diehl, 44, he said he wanted a “change” because he enjoys doing “different things.”
“I like to learn something new every day,” he said.
He said he has “hands-on” experience in running different types of equipment, including bulldozers and tractors.
He wanted to keep his options open when considering a job offer “because if you don’t, you might miss out on something.”
Help wanted
Not only were people looking for employers, but employers were also looking for people.
Lauren McCrum, human resources and youth development director for the Blair County YMCA, said her organization was looking for all types of candidates to fill childcare and wellness center positions.
McCrum said their childcare center employees require a state license, while giving scholarships to those who want to pursue early childhood degrees.
When approaching their table, McCrum said they are looking for candidates who are “willing to talk,” adding that personality is a huge deciding factor.
At the Leonard S. Fiore table, internal recruiter Jacob Adams said job seekers should present what they can contribute to the company as “opposed to what they can get.”
“It’s a better way to market themselves to the employers, and it’s a good way to start the conversation and shows that they take the initiative opposed to hoping to get something out of the employer,” he said.
The company was looking for skill, finish and trim carpenters Wednesday, Adams said. They prefer candidates with experience in the field, but they also offer an apprenticeship program to “teach them the ropes.”
Student Transportation of America recruitment manager Christine Griffin also said her company provides paid training to those who need driving requirements.
When looking for workers, Griffin said they want individuals who are open-minded and work well with others.
“Everybody has transferable skills that you might not think you’d be good at, but they might work for another position,” she said. “Somebody may have been a server in a restaurant, and they served others. Basically, our drivers are serving the students.”
Because STA is a big company, Griffin said there is “always an opportunity” for those wanting to move up in the company.
UPMC also gives employees a chance to move up in the company, recruiter Clayton Nelen said at the hospital group’s table.
Because the company is a union hospital, he said workers are eligible to transfer to a qualifying department after their first year of employment.
UPMC was looking for “strong, hard workers,” encouraging candidates to get their foot in the door and stay in the company, he said.
Having a resume on hand makes a job seeker stand out from the crowd, Nelen said.
Searching made easy
For attendees, a job fair provides people with face-to-face interactions, Diehl said.
“How do you really know someone over the internet?” he asked rhetorically.
PA CareerLink Blair and Bedford County site administrator Gwen Fisher said the group’s goal is to “make opportunity accessible.”
“These job fairs connect people with real employers, right here at home,” she said.
Everything is all in one place at a fair, Ali said, allowing easier outreach for job seekers.
D’Angelo also said job fairs show people what types of businesses are available in the area.
“It broadens (people’s) perspectives on what they can get,” she said.
For introverted job seekers, Asti said job fairs are “the perfect kind of thing.”
“There’s different personalities here,” he said. “And (employers) are trying to break the ice, make you more comfortable and explain to you what they do.
“Things like this open doors for people.”
Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.