Monday, December 29, 2008
Editorial: Wanted: job seekers
Roanoke is on the job in helping people land employment.
From the RoundTable blog
Read the latest entries
Need a new job? There might be one waiting with your name on it, and Roanoke aims to help you land it.
Finding a job during a recession requires more than sending out a few résumés. It takes getting out there, networking, making contacts, finding out which employers are hiring and for what positions.
It's a tough job for the growing ranks of the unemployed to get a foot in the door. But what if the door were flung wide open and a warm invitation were extended to job seekers by area employers?
Just such a gathering will occur Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Roanoke Civic Center as the city coordinates the Roanoke Holiday Career and Lifestyle Fair.
The fair was launched a few years ago as a way of showing young professionals, home for the holidays, that they could find gainful employment in their hometown. It takes on new meaning this year as many already making Roanoke their home have either lost their jobs or fear they soon will.
In a recession, it's far too easy to slip into despondency, assuming that jobs just aren't there to be had. This isn't so locally. Virginia Western President Robert Sandel recently told the editorial board that many jobs are going unfilled because employers can't find workers with appropriate skills. The college can help make the matches and help prospective employees gain the skills local companies want.
The fair and the community college are just two leads that any job-seeker should place on his to-do list.
But there are more opportunities:
n The city's economic development office is holding group sessions every Monday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Human Resources experts are on hand to offer suggestions and encouragement.
n The city also is planning another Entrepreneurship Express Workshop on Feb. 5 to assist those who want to try self employment by starting a business.
It is in the city's financial interest to help lower the unemployment rate, support existing businesses and encourage new ventures. Job seekers would do well to seek out the programs that are available and make the most of the networking opportunities they offer.
