Several teens and young adults across Chatham-Kent could be employed in time for summer.
A Youth Job Fair will take place in Chatham on June 20. Over a dozen local employers are looking to hire over 200 people.
Project manager Kristy Jacobs with the Chatham-Kent Workforce Planning Board, says the event acts as a great opportunity for students to fill their resumes with experience.
"We've been hearing from employers who are looking at college and university graduates," says Jacobs. "They say 'let looks at your past work history' and the resumes are blank because they haven't done anything.
"[It's about] getting them working in general," she adds. "Those are those first jobs that we need to have to help us figure out how to work in -- I always say, in a grown-up job."
Some of the local employers looking to hire include the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Environmental Services Inc., South Kent Corn Crew and Presteve Foods Limited.
Youth members looking to attend the job fair are asked to have a resume ready. For those who need help in making their resume look polished, the Employment Resource Centres in Chatham and Wallaceburg can help. In addition to a good resume, applicants are asked to dress professionally.
"When you're handing in a resume or talking to employers, look like you want the job," says Jacobs. "That doesn't mean you have to go out in a three-piece suit but it also means you probably shouldn't go out in cargo shorts and flip-flops."
The Youth Job Fair will run from 2pm-6pm at the Chatham Cultural Centre in Studio One.
For those who can't make it to the event but are on the hunt for a job, Jacobs says the best advice she can give is to make cold calls.
"Get on the phone and talk to the employer before you go in," she says. "The resume will get you in front of the employer but it's what you do and what you shine with in front of the employer that will get you the opportunity."
This is the second annual Youth Job Fair to happen in the community, hosted by the Chatham-Kent Employment Resource Centre and the Chatham-Kent Workforce Planning Board.