Something so many people and families are struggling with, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, is finding a good job or a new job that is the right fit. To aid the community, Project Ezrah will be hosting its first-ever Project Ezrah Job Fair, geared towards anyone searching for an opportunity to find a new job, where they can meet employers from different companies and network with others in person. Anyone from recent college graduates to more experienced workers will have the opportunity to market themselves in an effort to find the perfect occupation.
The job fair will be held at the Young Israel of Teaneck on Tuesday, July 20, at 7 p.m., and can serve as a jumpstart for both currently employed and unemployed people looking for new jobs, as Director of Employment Jeff Mendelson explained. Project Ezrah generally holds various educational seminars and job-search programs throughout the year, but this job fair will provide a much-needed extra push many people are looking for, especially during this period of unprecedented job displacement caused by the global pandemic.
Mendelson said that Rachel Krich, Project Ezrah’s executive director since October 2020, has brought enthusiasm and vibrancy to Project Ezrah. “She has brought a lot of energy and drive to the organization,” which led the board to be more “creative in serving and engaging with the community,” Mendelson said.
Krich told The Jewish Link that the fair grew out of a funny coincidence: Both she and Mendelson were individually thinking of putting together a fair such as this for some time. When she mentioned her idea to Mendelson, he showed her a Post-it note where he had coincidentally written a similar idea. With both Krich and Mendelson on board, the fair seemed a perfect idea ready for launch.
Applicants interested in participating in the fair can sign up for it on ezrah.org. If they sign up early, by Monday July 12, they will be able to have a professional review their resume and/or LinkedIn profile. Due to COVID and space restrictions, walk-ins are allowed; however, space is limited, so early registration is encouraged. Unvaccinated people will be asked to wear a mask while at the fair.
The job fair will aid employees for both entry and mid-level positions and people at all stages of their careers. Those interested should come ready to meet employers, and network amongst themselves. There will be a wide variety of employers and companies represented, including employers from the finance and health care and service industries.
Over the years, Project Ezrah has built strong relationships with countless companies who are now participating in this fair to find new employees. It will be a “huge opportunity for people who are unemployed and looking for a job, or people who are employed but looking for their next job,” Krich explained. She expressed that this fair will help not only the employees, but the employers as well. “Hiring an employee is incredibly time consuming. This fair will save a ton of time for them.” She added that this fair will give employees the unique ability to personally meet with employers and get their names and faces out in the open.
Krich described the overall fair as a way to make “job shidduchim” and solidify relationships between people looking for jobs and people looking for workers. She hopes that this fair will be an annual event that can grow over the years.
Ayelet Glaser is an intern at The Jewish Link and an upcoming sophomore at Barnard College.
