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WILKES-BARRE — Pennsylvania CareerLink is putting human connection back in the job searching process.
The organization’s Health Care Industry Event takes place from 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 14 at the CareerLink building, 32 East Union St., linking 13 employers and three schools with potential employees from learning institutions and the general public in a job fair environment that also includes free flu shots and blood pressure checks.
Business services supervisor for Luzerne County CareerLink Tracy Kleban said industry events are important to potential employees who aren’t aware of the wide range of jobs that exist within a particular industry.
“In the medical field, the first two professions people think of are nurse and doctor, but there are so many jobs encompassed under the healthcare umbrella,” Kleban said. “Everything from home health to repairing health care equipment is available.”
Kleban said in her profession she always hears that there are no jobs available in Northeastern Pennsylvania, which, she pointed out, is “simply not the case.”
“A powerhouse like Geisinger has everything from maintenance to being a doctor,” she said.
The industry specific event, Kleban said, is also advantageous to employers.
“We’re bringing in individuals who know they want to get into health care,” Kleban said.
In turn, Kleban noted, individuals can understand what criteria employers are looking for in making hires.
“We might have a participant who was a maintenance mechanic for 15 years and got injured and now wants to get into a new field but doesn’t know how,” Kleban said. “We have employers who talk about what you need, bare minimum, to get into the health care field.”
Lotoya Henry, manager of talent management for Geisinger, said industry events are beneficial to Geisinger because they allow the healthcare organization to understand what the community is looking for and what kind of information members of the community need to be successful.
“We offer information on interviewing, how to write a cover letter and how to build a resume among other things,” Henry said.
Henry said Geisinger is a large community offering employment in all facets of the industry in order to make its community run successfully.
“Our opportunities are ever growing here,” Henry said. “We’re over 30,000 employees at six hospitals. There are also a bunch of outpatient facilities.”
Heather Contardi, director of career services at the Fortis institute, said CareerLink plays a vital role in assisting educational institution and its graduates.
“They come across job leads and employers that we haven’t been able to identify,” Contardi said. “It’s a networking opportunity, an opportunity to hand in a resume, have a mini interview.”
Contardi said for graduates having an interview on the spot is critical.
“Having job fairs gives you that face to face opportunity,” Contardi said. “Having our students walk up to that employer, make that eye contact and shake that hand is important. I’m a big fan of job fairs because it bring that personal touch back to job searching.”