The conference center was packed with employers tabling for their companies and eager students willing to network and ask career-defining questions. The bustling Job Fair took place on Tuesday, April 29th, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The career event was spearheaded by Bill Bankhead, the workforce and economic development manager at LMC, and Cynthia Perez Nicholes, the Program Coordinator for Transfer and Career Services. They also worked with Fresh and Natural for the catering services.
They started planning the event early in the year and reached out to employers around March. They invited 100 employers, and 55 registered for the event at the time.
“I really hope that students will first, and foremost, come away with job leads, connections with employers who are actively hiring so students can submit those applications and get phenomenal jobs in their field of study, or start earning that living wage that they’re looking for,” said Bankhead.
Many different employers came to table at the event. The jobs ranged from senior care to law enforcement.
Most employers are seeking individuals who are focused and mission-oriented.
Gabriel Ching, an HR Business Partner and Talent Acquisition Manager at KQED, came in and discussed various internship opportunities. They aim to teach the next generation new skills that will help them in their journalism careers.
“We want to teach our interns how to be proactive. Want to teach them how to learn. Want to teach them what it’s like to be in public media from there, too,” said Ching. “A lot of our positions, we try to prepare you for when you get your first position out of college.”
Some employers, however, are looking for more than just a steady work ethic and proactive attitude. Leti Onstead, the staffing coordinator at Home Life Senior Care, is looking for soft-hearted individuals to help seniors in living their day-to-day lives.
“What we’re looking for is heart, compassionate, reliable candidates that truly have a heart for our seniors. We would love experience, but that’s something that we can always train and educate our caregivers on. It’s hard to teach somebody how to be compassionate, so we’re really looking for those that have a heart for our seniors,” said Onstead.
Throughout the Job Fair, many students took this opportunity to collect business cards, distribute resumes, and ask engaging and thoughtful questions of the employers in hopes of learning what it takes to secure a job.
The Job Fair helped alleviate the stress and pressure of the job application process for many students during a time when finding a job is difficult. Many students left this event with a job opportunity and gained insight into the skills required for hiring.
Adriana Posadas, a Criminal Major student at LMC, benefited from the Job Fair.
“I actually got this from experience, from going to one a few years ago, and it worked last time, so I’m hoping it’ll work again. I ended up working in the front office at LMC for about a year or so,” said Posadas.
She discusses how difficult it is to find a job. “But most jobs aren’t hiring right now. They say they are. So it’s kind of more difficult in 2025 to get a job, so you just gotta keep pushing forward and keep looking.”
The turnout for the Job Fair was extensive. The fair was a successful networking event and will occur annually at Los Medanos Community College.
