March 28, 2024 | When Lorain High School students walked into the gymnasium Wednesday afternoon to see dozens of employers ready to make introductions at a school-organized job fair, they were prepared.
To ensure graduating seniors had a leg up on the local job market, teachers and staff spent weeks helping students polish resumes and learn how to answer interview questions. While some staff helped students, others contacted employers, allowing students to maximize their time with multiple job prospects from the comfort of their school.
The result was a student-focused job fair that successfully paired juniors and seniors eager to work—sometimes at their first jobs—with employers willing to hire young workers.
Senior Emmersyn Nazario shared that finding time to look for a job has been challenging because she prioritizes cheerleading and her classes. However, as she eyes graduation in June, she is ready for her first summer job to bridge the months until she leaves for Kent State University. During the job fair, she met with representatives from Goodwill Industries and the city of Lorain and is now hoping to spend the summer working at Lorain City Hall.
“It is hard to know where to start, especially if it is your first job, so I appreciate getting help with my resume and questions to ask,” Emmersyn shared.
Fidelis Ngwa, also a senior, added that he liked how the job fair was organized for students.
“It was all in one room, so students could easily walk around to see and learn about different jobs,” Fidelis shared.
Fidelis, a 16-year-old early graduate, said he is looking for his first job and is interested in being a tech instructor with the TECH CORPS Program.
“I know we face a problem because of our age, but I think we are ready to start working,” he said.
Junior Jeremiah Witherspoon said teenagers face unique challenges when looking for jobs because they can be considered irresponsible. Having a job fair at school lessens some of the anxiety about overcoming those barriers.
“The job fair was organized, so everyone was approachable,” Jeremiah shared. “You didn’t feel like you couldn’t go up to anyone because if they saw you looking at them, they encouraged you to come to their table.”
As an event organizer and building leader, Assistant Principal Bryan Hilko touts the job fair as a success because it opened doors for students and made employment connections for community members.
“In education, we often talk about closing the achievement gap; today, we helped to close the opportunity gap,” he shared. “We not only helped our students, but we had many community members come out today to seek opportunities.”