Job hunters attended a job fair to meet with recruiters. Talking to a recruiter is a great first step; next is going to the company online.
"We are looking for individuals who love to wake up in the morning and come to work and make another person's day," said Ayana Stevenson from Umpqua Bank.
The lines are still long, but the opportunities are few. Unemployment in Contra Costa County is nearly 11 percent. Companies are offering jobs, but not as many as they once did.
"It's brutal because all the different companies are looking... they know they have the upper hand, so to speak," said job seeker Catrin Tiscareno..
Tiscareno has been out of a job for four months. The man standing in line in front of her has been looking for six months for a banking job, which has made his personal finances challenging.
At the job fair networking is important. Patience and a great resume are required.
"We try to determine why it may not be working for them. Then we try to give them pointers on how to strengthen the resume," said Linda Hamilton from Hamilton Resume Services.
State figures show there have been seasonal job gains, but it's still a tough market.
"The employers are coming out of a brutal recession. So they're slowly starting to hire more, but once again we would like to see more jobs out there," says Kathy Caricato from the Jobs Journal.
Next Job Fair
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Hotel Whitcomb
1231 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
1-888-THE-JOBS
