Congressman Garamendi talks to representatives of a health care
company at their booth at the Congressman’s job resources fair.

PLEASANT HILL, CA – More than 400 job seekers, resumes in hand, joined more than 50 area employers and organizations at a job resources fair held at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill on Saturday, an event organized by Congressman John Garamendi (D-Walnut Creek, CA). Hundreds of resumes were exchanged and many first-level interviews were conducted by a number of employers ready to hire new workers.

"Jobs, jobs, jobs. This is my biggest responsibility as a Congressman," said Congressman Garamendi. "Our job resources fair brought hundreds of area residents face-to-face with hiring employers and agencies ready to help."

Some of the Bay Area’s largest employers joined state, federal, and non-profit agencies for a four hour fair that included one-on-one resume review and interview training. Six workshops were also held on topics that included social media for the uncomfortable, accelerating career transition, introduction to networking, green jobs, tools for mature (55+) job seekers, and careers for the future. Job-seekers began lining up outside more than 30 minutes before the event began, and a steady crowd continued to trickle in through the end of the event.

"We are on the road again to a bright and prosperous economic future, but the current job market is still challenging. It’s often difficult to know where to look for a new job," Garamendi added. "People who attended our job resources fair had opportunities to hone their interview skills, have their resumes critiqued by experts, and attend a number of workshops to develop important job-seeking skills. In the weeks ahead, I look forward to hearing some of the success stories of people in my district now gainfully employed because of this event."

Congressman Garamendi’s job resources fair brought employers and organizations in construction, telecommunications, energy, health care, education, research, and many other fields, providing opportunities for career advancement for people of all backgrounds. Congressman Garamendi plans on hosting another job resources fair sometime later this year.