Hire Education Job Fairs A Great First Step To Finding Summer Work

Summer. Fun in the sun. Hanging with your friends. Working.

Yep, that’s right, working.

Most of us have reached the point where Mom and Dad are no longer willing to finance our various adventures. So where do we go to hook up with a good job that pays well?

Riverfront Park and Silverwood Theme Park, for starters.

Both sites held their annual job fairs on March 7, offering a variety of positions.

Our Generation hooked up with some of the students at the Riverfront Park job fair to find out what brought them there.

Obviously the need for mucho dinero topped the list of reasons why most teens want to get a job. But why is the money needed?

Alex Vallandry, a junior at Mead High, said he was looking to buy a car. So was Stephen Reed, a 15-year-old from Rogers.

Central Valley High senior Sean Barrett said he needs money because, “women are expensive.”

Some, like Katy Lebedinski, were looking for jobs to help their families. Several wanted to earn money for college.

Others were there for different reasons.

Jared Stolz, a 17-year-old from Jantsch, and Rebecca Stolz, a 16-year-old from Shadle Park, want to get out of the house for the summer and get away from their parents.

Amy Hendrickson, a Lakeside sophomore wants a job, “So I have something to do for the summer.” She likes the idea of working at Riverfront Park because lots of other teens work there.

About 400 jobs were available at the fair, including positions in Riverfront Park as well as other parks-related jobs throughout Spokane.

Kimbre Vega, personnel and training coordinator for Riverfront Park, said a little more than 200 people attended the job fair. Those who did received applications to fill out and additional information about the specific job they are interested in.

For Riverfront Park jobs, candidates must attend an orientation meeting, Dowd-Vega said. If you missed the first two orientations, there’s one more today from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the IMAX Theatre and another March 23 at the same time (bring pen and paper). At the orientation, potential employees hear about what is expected of them, and then if they’re still interested, they are scheduled for interviews, she said.

Most of the students had never been to the fair before but were finding positions that interested them.

Gonzaga Prep students Joe Rawly and Rajive Hatcher want jobs to gain experience and referrals as well as to save up for emergencies. They said they were encouraged by the different job possibilities available at the fair.

Fourteen-year-old Justin Roney wasn’t as upbeat when he discovered most of the jobs are for people at least 16 years old. But he said it was still worth going to the job fair to find out what he could do in a couple of years. His tip: “Maintenance jobs are great if you’re new at getting a job.”

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: IT’S NOT TOO LATE Missed the job fair? Don’t fret. There’s still a few more chances to get help in finding a job. Otherwise you’re on your own. Check out The Spokesman-Review’s Career Fair on March 31 from 10 a.m to 7 p.m. at the Spokane Convention Center. In addition to having the chance to talk with representatives from businesses such as Sears, Eagle Hardware and Dakotah Direct who are looking to hire teens, there will be two one-hour panel discussions specifically for teens about finding jobs and getting them. You can call the Riverfront Park job hotline at 625-6673 to hear what’s still available and how to apply. Call Silverwood Theme Park at (208) 683-3400 to see if there are any jobs that still need to be filled.