Snoqualmie Valley Job Fair considered a success
August 28, 2008
By Ryan Piersol
Having just moved back to Washington after attending college on the east coast, Erik Aldaba was in need of a job.
Job seekers check out booths at the Snoqualmie Valley Job Fair at Mount Si High School last week. Photo by Ryan Piersol
So, when he heard about a job fair in Snoqualmie - especially when he read a list of companies that planned to attend - he made sure not to miss it.
“I came here looking for something where I can utilize my background in marketing,” the Bothell resident said. “I think there are a lot of options here.”
Aldaba was just one of an estimated 250 who attended the Snoqualmie Valley Job Fair at Mount Si High School last week. Karen Granger, who helped organize the event, said the participation from both employers and employment-seekers was better than expected.
“It was really fabulous. We had a lot of attendees and positive comments from the companies there,” the executive director for the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce said. “Everyone considered it a really big success.”
Aerotek, UPS, Salish Lodge, Luma Technologies, Snoqualmie Valley Hopsital and the Snoqualmie Valley School District were just some of the nearly 20 companies who set up booths at the fair. Worksource also had a table designated for career and job interview tips.
Snoqualmie Ridge resident Romy Perkins said she was mainly interested in the school district, Snoqualmie Casino and Bellevue Community College.
“All of those seemed to have opportunities,” she said. “Location is a big thing for me, so it’s nice to have these options.”
Granger said the only real negative to come out of the event was a lack of youthful participation. She said the average age of job seekers was about 50 years old.
Plans for another fair are in the works. Granger said they might try to coincide the next one with Career Day at Mount Si High School, so that more teenagers can get involved.
“We’ll definitely have another one,” she said. “We already have presenting sponsors for another one, just of the groups that came this time. And, in the space that we were in, we could have easily accommodated another 20.”
Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.
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