THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 25, 1995 TAG: 9505230104
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
LOOKING SHARP in a conservative, checked suit, Cornelius Williams arrived at the Omni International Hotel dressed for success.
Equipped with resumes and all the knowledge he had gleaned from school vocational courses, this 17-year-old Norview High senior hoped to impress the more than 60 employers at a Job-A-Rama, sponsored by the Norfolk and Virginia Beach school systems, last week.
Williams, who plans to study business administration at a community college in the fall, said he wanted to land a job ``that can lead me into the field I want to study in college.''
He figured his attention to dress might give him an edge over the rest of the estimated 1,000 seniors who attended the fair, all of them trying to market skills learned in high school vocational classes.
``It makes me feel like I have a better chance, rather than just wearing jeans and a shirt,'' Williams said. ``When you go on an interview, appearance also counts. If you dress nicely, they'll think you are a nice person.''
Williams' vocational teachers would be proud. While the odds of getting a job offer were slim, the event, in its 16th year, helps students make the transition from school to the world of work.
``A lot of students don't know what kind of training employers are looking for,'' said Daniel R. Smith, program leader for the youth apprenticeship program with Norfolk schools. ``Teachers can talk until they're blue in the face about what they'll need. So this is a reality check.''
Students learn how to present themselves to prospective employers: A firm handshake is important, for instance, and so is eye contact and proper dress. And please, teachers enjoin, no gum.
``It's a big step when you talk about a high school student with a resume,'' Smith said. ``A lot of these kids don't have the contacts or know what jobs are out there. But probably the biggest benefit is the preparation.''
John Walker, 19, a Maury High senior, said he ``didn't have the faintest idea'' how to write a resume until he began preparing for the job fair. Walker said the fair gave him a chance to explore his options, including the possibility of joining the military to fly helicopters.
``This gave me a foothold to start taking a look,'' Walker said.
Some of the businesses came to recruit new hires. Others viewed it as a chance to offer a service and build community relations.
``It's a good ice breaker to give students a chance to talk with employers on a professional level,'' said Eileen Hagen, who operated a booth for Virginia Natural Gas. ``It's been an excellent opportunity for us to identify some of the skills they may need to obtain to make themselves more marketable.''
``We're here looking for people interested in our trades who want to apply,'' said Patricia L. Stephenson, a representative of the Joint Apprenticeship Committee of the Plumbing, Heating and Air-Conditioning Industry. Students hired, Stephenson said, serve three- to five-year apprenticeships and get on-the-job training while attending night school.
``This is very effective,'' she said of the fair. ``It helps us to know how many guys are interested in us.''
Many of the students said they planned to attend college. But they wanted part-time jobs to help pay for schooling or prepare them for careers.
``That's like an opportunity knocking,'' Granby senior Natasha D. Lynch, 18, said after visiting a booth of the Virginia National Guard, which provides students who enlist in the reserves with $7,000 a year to pay for college tuition and expenses.
The job fair also has created opportunities for teachers. Frances Mahon, human resources manager for Leggett Department Stores, said the company has placed business and marketing teachers in part-time jobs during the summer and Christmas breaks.
``It gives them a better idea on what to teach the children,'' Mahon said, ``because they know what it's really like out there.'' by CNB