500 People Attend Youth Job Center Fair

The Youth Job Center sponsored a job fair Thursday at the Evanston Public Library, which was open to all interested job seekers age 16 and older.  The fair featured 26 different employers, ranging from internships to more advanced positions requiring more experience.

Founded in 1983, the YJC is an organization that works with 14 to 25 year-old job seekers form all over the Chicagoland area and helps them to become job ready.  Employment Outreach Coordinator Jordan Burghardt explained that YJC is open to anyone seeking job advice.

“We have people interested in the YJC come in and complete a series of workshops that helps us determine where they are on the job readiness scale,” Burdghardt said.  “We’ll have them go through interview prep, building a resume, writing a cover letter, getting an idea of employer expectations are going on in this economy.  Then they meet one on one with career advisers and they help determine a career pathway and what type of job opportunities they could be qualified for.”

The YJC hosts job fairs twice a year: one in the fall to prepare for retail season and one in the spring to get ready for summer season positions.  Burghardt expected approximately 500 people to attend this year’s spring job fair.

“I work with all the employers,” she said. “It’s my job to meet with the employers, find out who’s hiring, what they’re looking for, and basically match the employer to the job seeker.  So we essentially play matchmaker. To our employer partners we offer pre-screened candidates free of charge.”

The employers at the job fair ranged from Old Navy seeking part-time sales associates age 16 and older to McTigue Financial Group (Northwestern Mutual Financial Network) searching for full-time financial representatives age 25 to 35.  Because of this wide range of employment opportunities, job seekers ranged from high school students to college graduates to previously employed adults seeking full-time job opportunities.  

Jetaime Nuñez was one of the many job seekers looking for a better opportunity.  “My motivation is that I’m in the Department of Children and Family Services so I’m a ward of the state. And at 21 I’m emancipated by the state.  I’m nervous to be emancipated and not have anything to fall back on,” Nuñez said.

Though people attended for all different reasons, the fair was a success.  “I really like this event because it helps you interact with employers,” Trevor Schwartz, College of Lake County freshman, said.  “After attending the fair, I now have a better idea about what positions the businesses are offering and now know where to apply."

To learn more about the YJC visit their website.