Compton Mayor Emma Sharif envisioned bringing three entities – Compton Unified School District, the City of Compton, and Compton College – together to have a job fair. And those three entities collaborated to make Sharif’s idea became a reality.
On March 2, a job fair was held at Compton College. Some 100 job seekers came out in the rain to find employment and to enjoy a free lunch.
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“I saw the job fair as a good way to help get people employed. It’s a misconception that people do not want to work. You must provide the individuals with an opportunity,” said Sharif.
“I have been mayor since July 2021and before becoming mayor, I served as a trustee on the Compton Unified School District Board of Directors for 14 years. I worked as a public-school teacher as well. I have lived in Compton for some 20 years,” Sharif added.
“I have been working closely with the president of Compton College, Keith Curry. We have been having meetings about addressing issues in the community,” she said.
Staff from the Compton Human Resources Department were present and assisted job seekers with information about jobs. Human Resource Analyst Taquan Jones participated by greeting job seekers.
“I oversee the recruits for the City of Compton, and we are currently trying to set up ways to help us advertise our jobs,” said Jones. “We are hoping we can do these job fairs twice a year.”
Available jobs at the City of Compton include chief deputy city attorney, fire protection specialists II, accounting clerk, and office assistant III. Some of the upcoming openings are community center supervisor, painter, and traffic signal technician.
The Compton College booth showcased such jobs as cosmetology teacher, nursing teacher, accountant, and student services advisor.
“These resources for the community are to let the public know that we are to help,” said Monica Dixon, human resource representative for Compton College.
According to Melissa Allen, senior director of Hiring and Recruitment with the Compton Unified School District, some classified jobs do not require credentials. Those positions include instructional assistant and health assistant. The job duties and qualifications can be found at the www.Compton.k12.ca.us.
Kelli Vrla, an author and keynote speaker, delivered an interactive lecture on resume writing and job interviewing skills.
“I have worked with Compton College for many years and have been teaching for 30 years,” Vrla said. She also answered questions from job seekers on how to fill in gaps in employment and how to make your resume stand out. “You need to make an impression on paper,” noted Vrla.
One of the job seekers, Maria Martinez, 37, from Compton explained why she came out to the job fair.
“I am employed; however, I am looking for something different. For the last five years I have worked in the food industry as a manager. I came out to see the opportunities available,” said Martinez.
According to Heather Parnock, director of Community Relations, the next job fair is set for 2025.
