The Latin American Association’s 29th Annual Career Expo offered new career-building workshops to the 300 candidates who attended the event in search of job opportunities.
The Latin American Association, a leader in providing services to Latin Americans in the Atlanta metropolitan area, held a job fair on February 23 to bring employers in Atlanta and potential employees from the Latino community together. The fair took place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the association’s headquarters on Buford Highway.
This year the association held three career-building workshops for candidates for the first time. The workshops were entitled “Ace the Interview,” “Job Hunting Strategies Using Social Media” and “Power Networking.” Candidates were required to register in advance on the association’s website and the workshops cost $25. “We are trying to give them more skills, more opportunities and better ideas,” said the managing director of the association’s resource development division, Myrna Clemmons.
Ms. Clemmons described the event as a chance for companies to fill employment opportunities intended for Spanish-speaking individuals that would be for local or international positions. At the fair, companies are able to meet with a select group of candidates that are screened by the association to ensure that they are bilingual in Spanish and English, are eligible for work and hold all necessary documentation.
By the same token, and in the interest of the candidates, the association selects companies that ensure they have actual job opportunities available. “They may be looking for talent for future positions, but people are looking for work now,” Ms. Clemmons told GlobalAtlanta.
This year “there are new companies and a greater diversity of industries represented,” said Ms. Clemmons. The addition of media groups such as Turner Broadcasting System Inc., banks such as SunTrust Banks Inc. and companies in the health care field, such as Emory Healthcare Inc. to this year’s list of sponsors and exhibitors was also noted.
The fair, as with all other events organized by the association, is funded through donations and corporate sponsorship. It also receives the help of volunteers, of which there were 30 this year.
All of the candidates are registered in a database through which they can receive job offers throughout the year. When a company hires an expo participant, the association is notified so that they can follow up with the employee. “We try to keep all the progress and all the activities taking place moving,” Ms. Clemmons explained. The companies seem happy with the fair since they return year after year. With this event and a host of other activities and services, the association provides support to 50,000 Latin Americans living in Atlanta.
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