Sanders Hosts South Jamaica Career Fair - SEQ Resident Hired on the Spot

Some 70 community members who were eager to find work and interested in learning about the variety of careers available to them, sought employment at a South Jamaica Career Fair hosted by State Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Rochdale Village) on Wednesday, January 20th at Praise Tabernacle Church in Jamaica. 

There was an instant success story as Monifa Booker, a resident of Southeast Queens, was hired on the spot for a position in sales and network marketing with Soul Group, a company that manufactures health drinks and dietary supplements. Booker recently moved to Senator Sanders' District from Virginia and had been out of work for a month when she drove passed Praise Tabernacle Church and saw a banner advertising Senator Sanders' Career Fair.

"I decided to take a chance and go inside," Booker said. "I didn't think anything would happen, but you never know." 

This is not the first time an area resident has found instant employment at one of Senator Sanders' job fairs. In October, Tychera Caldwell was hired by TJ Max and started work the very next day. 

Job opportunities were presented in a variety of fields ranging from security and law enforcement to sales positions and work in the aviation industry. Assistance with resume writing and interview skills was also available. One of the most popular featured guests was 16 Things Kids Could Do, a non-profit organization that provides career advisement and information regarding financial empowerment among other services. 
 
The South Jamaica Career Fair was the fourth in a series of job fairs held by Senator Sanders in the last four months. A veterans job fair was held on October 15, 2015, one for the general public was held on October 20, 2015, and a youth job fair was held on November 18, 2015. 

"We have talented, hardworking people in this district, who would be an asset to any company if given the opportunity," Sanders said. "Today, we have continued our efforts to bring jobs directly to the people, outreach that will continue in the coming months."

Featured guests at the event included: NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services, FDNY, Council For Airport Opportunities, National Hook-Up of Black Women Inc, NYC Human Resources Administration, 16 Things Kids Can Do, NYPD, NYC Department of Finance, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Local Union No. 3), Regional Nursing Agency, Veterans-In-Command, South Richmond Hill Army Recruitment Center, Dress for Success and the New York State Unified Court System.
 
We would like to thank Starbucks for their donation of coffee, tea and croissants for our event, the National Hook-Up of Black Women Inc., which also donated assorted snacks, the Richie Rich Palace for providing tables and Praise Tabernacle Church for the use of their space to host the event.