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Tulsa World Career Fair at UMAC March 22
Originally posted March 22, 2012
Employers ready to look for workers at career fair
BY KYLE ARNOLD Tulsa World Staff Writer
(Reprinted with Permission. This is not an endorsement.)
Nearly 2,000 job seekers are expected at the Tulsa World Career Fair on Thursday, hoping to take advantage of modest gains in the employment market.
Some 70 employers such as Bank of Oklahoma, McElroy Manufacturing, U.S. Cellular, Alorica and others are seeking to fill positions at the event.
Tulsa ended 2011 with a 6.6 percent unemployment rate, adding more than 10,000 positions from a year before, according to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
Many job gains were in sectors that were hit hardest during the recession years, such as manufacturing, which added nearly 6,000 jobs in 2011.
Carla Hight, manager of Workforce Oklahoma's Tulsa Eastgate Workforce Center, said manufacturers have been hiring robustly, especially for skilled positions such as welders and CNC operators, and in related industries such as aerospace.
"And it's not necessarily just for skilled positions," Hight said. "Manufacturers are willing to train in positions for people who are mechanically inclined and have good math skills."
Many of the employers at the job fair are in the medical and health care fields, which has maintained high worker demand despite a sluggish economy. The field added 1,800 jobs locally in 2011.
Hillcrest Hospitals is one of the event's major sponsors. Other hospitals and health groups, such as the Oklahoma State University Medical Center, Tulsa-Med Pros and Oklahoma Methodist Manor, will have recruiters at the event.
Hight said many careers in the medical field require vocational training but can be worth the investment because demand continues to be strong.
"Medical is always huge, and medical jobs (are available) at any stage of the game," Hight said.
Bank of Oklahoma recruiter Kristen McDonald said the Tulsa-based financial services company will be looking for new employees at the fair, especially for positions such as retail tellers and administrative professionals.
"Really we are looking for career-minded and goal-oriented individuals anywhere from IT to tellers and administrative assistants," McDonald said. "The openings we have are pretty spread across the board."
She said for positions such as retail tellers, the company often looks for people who have sales experience and people who work well with customers.
Generally, she said Bank of Oklahoma looks for job-seekers with stable job experience, even if they have had a period of long unemployment.
"We want someone that has been stable, not someone that is a job hopper," she said.
Organizers of the event encourage job seekers to bring resumes and dress professionally. The event will also include workshops for job seekers, such as resume help and social media training.
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Tulsa World Career Fair
When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday
Where: Union Multipurpose Activities Center 6836 S. Mingo Road
Seminar schedule
10:30-11:15: Veteran's benefits
11:30-12:15: Get hired quicker - consider other occupations
12:30-1:15: Library resources for job seekers
1:30-2:15: The power of LinkedIn for career transition
Original Print Headline: Employers ready to look for workers at career fair
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