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Around Town: Looking for work? Don’t miss our career fair

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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Mike Murray, publisher of Times Leader Media Group, said now is the time to look for employment and the Times Leader will host the perfect event to help those looking to find that job.
				On Oct. 21, the Times Leader will host the NEPA Virtual Career Expo to allow job seekers to access job openings from the comfort of their home or office. No in-person contact is needed. The platform offers a wide range of capabilities, but is simple enough to navigate for those who will be first-time users. The Times Leader team will provide guidance through full set-up.
				&ldquo;With over 30 area employers ready and waiting, there is no better time to be job hunting,&rdquo; Murray said . &ldquo;Our virtual career expo on Oct. 21 is where you want to be if you&rsquo;re looking for employment or starting to think about a change. It&rsquo;s so easy to apply and you do it all from the comfort of your home. We are extremely pleased to be able to bring together this outstanding group of employers and all of those people who are looking for employment opportunities through this one of a kind expo.&rdquo;
				The Times Leader&rsquo;s expo will match interviewers with qualified candidates, allow for appointments and offer &ldquo;drop-in&rdquo; rooms so attendees and recruiters can connect informally during this daylong event. And, applicants can make their own schedule.
				Kerry O&rsquo;Neil Miscavage, Times Leader Media Group vice president of sales and marketing, said as we all navigate these unprecedented times, the Times Leader has taken the lead in developing a virtual career expo for Northeastern Pennsylvania taking place Wednesday, Oct. 21. We know staffing continues to be a need for businesses throughout our community.
				Miscavage and Murray said this is a dynamic opportunity for those looking to hire and those seeking new careers.
				&ldquo;Now is the time to start looking for a job if you have been furloughed, cut hours or have experienced job elimination due to COVID-19,&rdquo; Miscavage said. &ldquo;We have over 30 local employers waiting to interview you on Oct. 21. All you have to do is visit timesleader.com/register and sign in with a few pieces of information. You&rsquo;ll be automatically entered in a contest to win an iPad Mini or a $100 gift card.
				&ldquo;Ball Corporation is joining us for the virtual career expo, and they have production technician jobs for that will offer over $25 per hour. The interview times will go fast on this one.&rdquo;
				As a media property, the Times Leader will promote the expo through a variety of organic and paid media outlets within the market.
				Miscavage and Murray also noted that job seekers do have privacy throughout this experience &mdash; their data will only be shared with the employer they are interested in, not to other job seekers or employers.
				John Augustine, president/CEO at Penn&rsquo;s Northeast, explained why now is the best time to look for a job.
				&ldquo;Employers are looking to hire and government subsidies for unemployment are running out,&rdquo; Augustine said. &ldquo;Prior to COVID, our region had reached a record low in unemployment,&rdquo; Augustine said. &ldquo;Companies had to cut back. And displaced workers were given money to not work. We now need incentives to get people to want to re-enter the workforce.&rdquo;
				Augustine said unemployment benefits only serve as a band-aid between losing a job and finding a new one.
				&ldquo;Now is the perfect time to apply for a job,&rdquo; Augustine said. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re smart and want to work to help your family, jobs are out there right now. Companies are hiring, so don&rsquo;t delay.&rdquo;
				Augustine said with the holidays fast approaching, many e-commerce companies are ramping up to increase staff to handle the increased business. He said the companies are also taking all appropriate measures to guard against coronavirus in the workplace.
				&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t wait until it&rsquo;s too late to apply for that job,&rdquo; Augustine said. &ldquo;Many employers also need to provide advanced training for employees who will work at facilities yet to open.
				&ldquo;As the pandemic subsides, we will see hiring like we&rsquo;ve never seen before,&rdquo; Augustine said. &ldquo;The Times Leader Virtual Expo provides the opportunity to see what&rsquo;s out there for job seekers and also allow employers to see the pool of prospective new hires.&rdquo;
				Augustine said depending on a person&rsquo;s skill set, there are numerous opportunities available at family-sustaining salaries.
				&ldquo;We have many amazing companies in the area,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And more are knocking on our door. Don&rsquo;t be the last in line &mdash; be first.&rdquo;
				Virtual Expo Benefits
				&#8226; Recruit from the comfort of home or office.
				&#8226; Utilize either web or mobile interfaces.
				&#8226; Ability to share interviewing with other team members.
				&#8226; Offers time to work between interview sets.
				&#8226; Promote your business with video introduction to welcome candidates and present company highlights.
				&#8226; Utilize Drop-In room for informal chat with job seekers that have not made an appointment.
				&#8226; Choose from chat, audio or video interview options.
				Recruiters in the Expo
				Ball Corporation
				Fabri-kal
				Sandvik
				Step By Step
				Price Chopper
				Berry Global
				Jack Williams Tire
				Advanced Metals Machining LLC
				Fastenal
				Navient
				Keystone Human Services
				Schiff&rsquo;s Marketplace
				Commonwealth Health/ Wilkes-Barre General Hospital
				Timber Ridge Health Care Center
				Tobyhanna Army Depot
				Genesis Abington Manor
				Friedman Properties
				Walmart
				Alexandria Moulding
				Banyan Treatment Center
				Shoprite
				Cornell Cookson
				Pulverman Manufacturing
				Earth Conservancy
				Benco Dental

Time is right for job seekers to find work