Job Hopefuls Flock to Career Fair

Woodbridge, Va. –– These days, people are willing to take any job they can get.

Raymond Elkins owns a AAA towing shop in Springfield, and last week came to a job fair at Stratford University at Potomac Mills.

He’s looking for 10 people who can not only change a battery and help stranded motorists, but also for someone who can deliver customer service with a smile.

Lately, he’s gotten some unexpected applicants.

“I’ve had lawyers come up to me and say ‘I’ll drive a truck… I do anything it takes to get into your line of work if it means having a job,’” said Elkins. Thankfully for the out of work lawyers, Elkins says he’s willing to give anyone a chance if they are willing to be trained.

At the university’s job fair last week, there seemed to be just as many people cramming the elevator to reach the potential employers on the school’s third floor as there were cars parked in overflow lots outside the campus.

Potential employers ranged from the U.S. Department of Corrections, cell phone companies, insurance agencies, even a men’s tailoring business. Applicants say it’s better to come here and speak with a real person rather than just applying online.

Unlike many who have been unemployed for longer, Kyndra Settle, 34, of Stafford, has been looking for a job for about a month. She got sick three months ago and by the time she recovered her then employer’s contract with the U.S. Department of Education ran out.

She’s hoping her experience as a property manager will help land her a new job.

“It can be tough out here, but coming to these job fairs allows me to show someone who I am. That’s better than getting the simple ‘apply online’ response that some companies give,” said Settle.

While the national unemployment levels continue to rise, now over 9 percent, the Potomac Communities continue to buck the national unemployment trend.

As for April, Arlington County has the lowest unemployment rate at 3.4 percent. Prince William and Stafford counties show a 4.9 percent rate, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics.

Statewide, Virginia’s 6 percent unemployment rate is below Maryland’s 6.8 percent and Washington, D.C.’s 9.8 percent rating.