Job seekers crowded into the Evanston Public Library on Thursday afternoon, donning business attire and touting resumes at the Youth Job Center’sFall Job Fair.
The event was open to the general public and marked the second time a fall fair attracted more than 500 attendees, said Jordan Burghardt, the Youth Job Center’s employment outreach coordinator.
From 1 to 4 p.m., attendees signed in with the center and were given the opportunity to market themselves to potential employers whose booths were stationed around the library’s community meeting room.
“I came in at 11 this morning and found out there were people that had been waiting outside since 9 a.m.,” Burghardt said.
Businesses’ booths featured signs specifying their required hiring age, with some beginning at 16 years old. Employers offered positions ranging from managerial opportunities to entry-level jobs.
Employers recruiting at the fair included food service and retail companies like Starbucks, JCPenney, Lowe’s and Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Other companies participating included North Shore Community Bank & Trust, Amtrak, Aerotek and Hyatt Hotels.
According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the unemployment rate for Illinois rose to 9.9 percent in August, above the current national average of 9.1 percent.
The Youth Job Center, founded in 1983, provides job training and employment services to about 1,400 Chicago- and Evanston-area at-risk youth, according to the organization’s website. It also aids them in job search and placement, resume and interview support, computer skills and employment retention.
The center’s services cater to job seekers 14 to 25 years old, but public events such as the job fair are open to all ages. Burghardt said these types of open events used to have a younger, less experienced demographic, but now attract adults competing with youth for entry-level jobs due to the poor economic climate.
“Competition is high now, and it really puts younger job seekers at a disadvantage,” Burghardt said. “In this market, skills matter.”
Goen Klink, who recruited potential employees for employment agency Aerotek, said he could tell which job seekers had undergone YJC job training.
“The people from YJC always have a resume and are just more prepared,” Klink said.
Interested in a job in sales or retail was Evanston resident Maurissa Mosley, 23, who said she was satisfied with her experience at the fair after touring the booths.
“I have a lot of experience in those areas,” Mosley said. “I think it was pretty helpful. They’ve got a lot of opportunities in there.”
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign graduate Christina Jong, 22, was a biology major in college and perused the job fair for opportunities in the medical or health care industries. She said she plans to attend medical school in the future.
“I figured I should get on (the job search), to gain some experience,” Jong said. “Today is actually the first job search day.”
Burghardt said the Youth Job Center’s goal for their clients for this fiscal year is 625 hires.
“A lot of job seekers can’t get their foot in the door, or they don’t have the resources,” Burghardt said. “It really just takes having good access and a service that understands employers’ and workers’ needs.”
