Goodwill Job Connection Hosts Its First Virtual Career Fair

 6/18/2020

 

Goodwill Job Connection hosted its first Virtual Career Fair helping to connect 68 job seekers with employers.

The economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 crisis has left thousands throughout the Tulsa area unemployed.

“You would think people aren't hiring,” said Goodwill TulsaWORKS Career Coach Adam. “There are tons of jobs, and people are getting them all the time.”

Adam said it’s a matter of connecting employers with job seekers in a way that is safe for everyone. That’s why Goodwill created the Virtual Career Fair.

The fair worked like this: Employers picked specific times to call into a video conference from their own offices. Then, some job seekers connected to that video conference from their home devices. Other job seekers came to the Goodwill TulsaWORKS Career Academy to watch the video conference from classrooms.

The health of those who came to Goodwill’s physical location was a top priority, explains Goodwill Job Connection staffer Pilar. “As soon as they come in, I'll take their temperature, and they filled out one of our health screenings.” Those individuals then watched from classrooms where social distancing and masks were required. 

The video conference allowed those watching their own devices to ask questions directly to employers. Those in the classrooms were able to ask questions through Goodwill’s moderators. In some of those rooms, Goodwill was also able to provide Spanish translators for job seekers.

For many job seekers, the job application process began immediately after the fair. Some employers said that applicants could start working within a week.

 

“I think they're excited just to be out in the community again," said Goodwill Career Coach Kelsey. "They're getting these really cool opportunities at Goodwill."

The employers represented in this round of the virtual career fair included Walmart Distribution, Owl Nite Security, People Ready, AAON, Sherwood Construction, and Goodwill Industries of Tulsa.

Adam is confident that this process will evolve as Goodwill hosts more virtual job fairs. “It's a new thing that we're doing. And the next time we do it's going to be even better.”

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