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homerhorizon.com NEWS
the Homer Horizon | August 31, 2017 | 11
Windy City Wire, 22nd Century Media join forces to help people ‘Get Hired’
Laurie Fanelli
Freelance Reporter
Searching for employment
is a job in and of itself.
From filling out online
applications to handing out
resumes to attending networking
events, the process
can feel overwhelming and
endless.
Windy City Wire and 22nd
Century Media joined forces
Aug. 23 to make the job hunt
a little easier and create the
opportunity for prospective
employees to meet face-toface
with local businesses
during the inaugural Get
Hired Career Fair.
FedEx Ground, First Staff
Services, Tinley Court,
Transamerica Agency Network,
the Lockport Police
Department and many more
employers filled Georgios
Banquets to meet with jobseekers,
schedule interviews
and fill open positions.
The event’s sponsors,
22nd Century Media and
Windy City Wire, also were
both looking to add to their
staffs with a new inside sales
director and machine operators,
respectfully.
Heather Warthen, chief
events officer at 22nd Century
Media, said she thought
that the career fair would be
a natural fit for a community
newspaper company, as
it has the ability to connect
local people with area businesses.
“We’ve got a variety of
businesses onsite here today
— everything from Delta
Sonic to Harrah’s to Windy
City Wire and Village Realty
Shoppe,” Warthen said.
“There are nearly 30 employers
offering a variety of
positions for people to take.”
Representatives from
Harrah’s Joliet Casino &
Hotel were scheduling interviews
on site at the Get
Hired event.
“We’re hiring for the entire
facility, so we’re looking
Ray Palma (left) and John Wegner, both of Transamerica
Agency Network, chat at the career fair sponsored by 22nd
Century Media and Windy City Wire.
for entry-level to mid-level
positions,” said Ray Garcia,
human resources training
and recruiting supervisor. “A
lot of entry-level positions
are in our food and beverage
department, so we’re looking
for cashiers, bussers,
servers and cooks. We’re
actually offering a hiring
bonus for culinary positions
right now.”
On top of all that, Harrah’s
also is interested in adding a
few more dealers to its staff.
“We’re starting a dealer
school the day after Labor
Day, so even people with
no experience can come in,
learn the trade and take a
six-week course on how to
deal poker or blackjack,”
Garcia said. “There’s usually
job offers after that, if people
can pass the audition.”
If you are someone between
the ages of 21-35,
with a valid driver’s license,
good moral character, good
physical fitness, with no visible
tattoos or piercings, a
position as an officer with
the Lockport Police Department
may be perfect.
“We’re hiring for police
officers, and once you get
hired on — after a probation
period — you can apply for
specialty positions,” Officer
Adam Schreiner said. “It’s a
great job, and we hope that a
lot of people apply.”
Along with connecting
career seekers with employers,
Get Hired also offered
a variety of workshops to
help people prepare for all
the stages of the job search,
including how to dress for
success, interview, write a
resume and network.
“We decided to add in
some elements to help
people who may be a little
confused or not exactly sure
what to expect when going
for their first job or going for
a job after they’ve been laid
off,” Warthen said. “We put
together some workshops,
and we’ve had some great
sponsors — including Prudential,
Tinley Court, [Village
Realty Shoppe] and
Family Hyundai — which
has been wonderful.”
The workshops were a big
draw for Tinley Park resident
James Baiza — who is
interested in learning a trade
— in deciding to attend the
event.
“It’s great how they offer
a lot of different ways to
get you set up for a job and
ways to make yourself more
marketable to employers,”
he said.
Assistant Editor Amanda Stoll shares her resume writing tips in a session sponsored by
Village Realty Shoppe Aug. 23 at the Get Hired Career Fair at Georgios Banquets in Orland
Park. Photos by Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media
Job-seeker James Baiza (right), of Tinley Park, chats with Assistant Supervisor Ana Ruiz
about the employment opportunities at First Staff Services.