With summer approaching, students are looking for ways to productively occupy their time and earn wages. To provide this opportunity, over two dozen local businesses gathered at the Dublin Senior Center for the annual Tri-Valley Job & Career Fair.

 “We invite teens and young adults to come and check out what organizations are hiring in the Tri-Valley from Danville all the way to Livermore. The goal of today was to build community through helping our corporations, businesses and employers find employees, and also helping our teens and young adults find employment,” said Pleasanton Library and Recreation Coordinator Julian Mireles. 

Teens from middle school to high school flooded the senior center’s main hall exploring the various information booths put on by the Tri-Valley’s organizations. Their intention was to provide a window into the jobs each program was offering.

“I think we’ve gotten a lot more people interested in jobs than I thought there would be, which is good to see. To people trying to get a job, just put yourself out there and try not to take everything too seriously as it’s not going to be the end of the world if you make a mistake,” said Gingerbread preschool teacher Sarah Green (’20). 

Presentations meant to sharpen life skills were provided such as those covering interview skills, resume building and an introduction to Las Positas College. In a room packed with attendees, career coach Gene Nokes gave information about how to use individual strengths to perfect one’s performance within a job interview. 

“I’ve been a career coach for 25 years and presenting in front of the younger people is great. I really like that because they’re novices who really don’t yet know what to do or how to even get started. Having a full room makes the experience really fun because it shows that people are really interested,” said Nokes.

Students were also tested on their real world knowledge in a one-on-one mock interview process. After meeting with an interviewer, they would receive immediate feedback applicable for future job interviews. 

“Some of these students don’t know what they want, but I tell them that’s okay. That’s not as important as being out and looking for possibilities to try something new. Regarding interviews, my biggest advice is to be forceful, don’t be timid and act like you belong,” said third time volunteer interviewer Steve Chiapetto.

Looking through all of the services available at the exhibit, teens searching for various opportunities were met with job applications and skills applicable for the workforce. 

“Practicing my interview skills and talking to all of these different businesses and programs has helped me learn about all of the different opportunities within the Tri-Valley. I think everyone who can come to the fair should do so because this is a very valuable experience,” said student attendee Ajay Reyes (’24).

As for the overall student and organization participation of the event, Mireles was skeptical as to how the numbers would compare to those prior to the pandemic.  

“The expectations of today were unknown as we didn’t know if the communities or vendors would feel comfortable coming. The typical turnout prior to the pandemic is near 300, and I think we had around 400 kids show up,” said Mireles.

The outcome of this event proved to be successful, and planning for the next annual Teen Job & Career Fair has already begun. 

 “The location of the event changes each year from Dublin to San Ramon and finally Pleasanton. The last event was at San Ramon, and this one at Dublin. You can expect to come to the city of Pleasanton’s Senior Center for next year’s Job Fair,” said Mireles.