On November 10, more than 40 job seekers gathered at Duck Foot Brewing to meet San Diego employers looking to hire highly-skilled Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) professionals. The ICT Industry Expo offered a relaxed, non-traditional setting for job seekers to network with each other and employers looking to hire all across the ICT industry for positions like software and hardware engineers, IT/help desk workers, program management, HR and finance professionals, administrative support, drivers and more.
“Most experienced professionals do not want to attend a traditional job fair,” says Kelley Ring, SDWP Business and Research Analyst. “We wanted to have a fun atmosphere where job seekers and employers could get to know one another before they even set foot in the door for an interview.”
Additionally, SDWP often receives feedback from employers that what they need most is experienced, well-qualified professionals to walk through their door. The ICT Industry Expo was an opportunity to facilitate that experience for the employers, especially with a number of large layoffs in the ICT field in recent months leaving many of these well-qualified professionals seeking work.
“The ICT event I attended was a great way to meet with potential candidates in an informal environment,” said Molly Wood, HP Business Partner at TriTech Software Systems. “One person I talked to told me that he felt much more comfortable talking about his work experience than in a traditional interview. It was a fun event and a great way to meet quality candidates.”
That casual, “not a job fair” feel was exactly what the SDWP’s Business Services Team had in mind. “It’s exciting to see this idea come to fruition,” says Katrina Meredith, SDWP Business Services Representative. We created an event that paired the job seeker not only with potential employers but also with other job seekers, allowing them to network for positions and companies that they wanted to be a part of.”