Building A DREAM Pre-Employment Fair

Nearly 100 job seekers with disabilities attended the Building a DREAM Pre-Employment Fair at Gateway Community College in Phoenix on March 21st. The DREAM Pre-Employment Fair is an opportunity for job seekers to prepare for the main Building a DREAM Job Fair this week by meeting employers to conduct resume reviews and mock interviews. 

Tyler practices his soft skills through a mock interview at the Building a DREAM Pre-Employment Fair.

Event co-organizer and Administrator for Employment and Vocational Programs for United Healthcare, Bill Manson, explained, “The reason we do this event is to prepare the person for the DREAM Job Fair so that they will be at their best to be able to present themselves professionally as well as have courage and just be very confident in front of the employer.” 

Job seekers at the event spent time meeting with local employers who volunteered their time to help attendees prepare for employment. “What brings me out to this event is to not only work on my soft skills as far as mock interviews, but also to find resources regarding finding a position in information technology,” said job seeker Tyler Vaughan. 

Jennifer McCran was also at the event in search of part-time work in the customer service field. She says she’s hopeful about her chances of finding a job at the Building a DREAM Job Fair. “I’ve gotten a couple of leads and I’m looking forward to them,” said Jennifer.

As for her favorite part of the event, she said interacting with people and learning about mock interviews has been a real blessing to her.

“I would encourage everyone to attend [a pre-employment fair] because you learn so much about yourself when you grow.”

The Building a DREAM Job Fair takes place on March 28th, from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. There will be 44 employers hiring for hundreds of jobs. Visit the Building a DREAM Job Fair website to learn more and register to attend.- Walk-ins are welcome! Can’t make it tomorrow? There will be another Building a DREAM Job Fair on April 18th! To learn more about employment services for individuals with disabilities, visit des.az.gov//RSA.