Less than an hour after opening, a job fair hosted by Goodwill Industries of Northern Arizona had welcomed over 30 job seekers Aug. 9 at the Cottonwood Public Library.
Milissa Koel, a career adviser with Goodwill Industries of Northern Arizona’s Employer and Community Program, praised the turnout, as well as the enthusiasm of the nine employers that came seeking applicants.
“We tried to find a nice mixture [of employers],” she said.
The following area employers were in attendance at the fair:
- Austin House Assisted Living, Cottonwood n Caring Hearts of Sedona
- Child and Family Support Services, Cottonwood n City of Cottonwood
- Cliff Castle Casino and Hotel, Camp Verde
- Diamond Resorts International, Sedona
- Courtyard by Marriott, Sedona n Sedona Rouge Hotel and Spa, Sedona
- The Service Companies, a housekeeping contractor for Hyatt Residence Club, Piñon Pointe, Sedona
Theresa Weber, founder and owner of Caring Hearts of Sedona, generally employs fewer than 50 people but said she often seeks in-home caregivers — “anyone with a big heart who is able to work in-home.”
According to Weber, such positions often turn into long-term employment. Diana Trujillo of Austin House Assisted Living likewise sought caregivers, as well as housekeepers and a director of nursing.
According to Daniel Almieda of The Service Companies, a nationwide housekeeping contractor that has recently hired administration and carpet cleaning personnel at Hyatt Piñon Pointe in Sedona, the company is often seeking housekeepers.
Sedona Rouge director of human resources Mary Luttrell said many people come seeking office jobs that are in short supply, but that Sedona Rouge is actively hiring “for just about every department.”
She said the reopening of the Yavapai College Sedona Center, recently renovated to accommodate new culinary and hospitality management programs, would have an enormous positive impact on employment in tourism-related industries.
“We are very excited,” she said. “There’s a distinct need …. I hope we can pull out some good people [from the programs].”
The city of Cottonwood is hiring for three positions: A full-time police officer, a full-time communications specialist/emergency dispatcher and a part-time recreation aid.
“We’re trying to get into more [job fairs] now,” said Jamie Hausaman, director of human resources for the city. “Lately, we’ve been doing them a lot.”
According to Koel, the job fair coincided with a recent push by Goodwill to expand its career advisory services in Cottonwood and Sedona. In May, the nonprofit opened a career center in Cottonwood at 1500 E. Mingus Ave.
In April, Goodwill opened a second career center in Sedona at 166 Coffee Pot Drive. Every Thursday at both locations, Goodwill hosts a free recruiting event with an area employer. Each weekday, job seekers are offered nocost resume development and review assistance, job connections to employers, interview technique advisement and career guidance, as well as access to computers and fax machines.
For more information on Goodwill’s area career assistance, visit the Cottonwood location Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or call 634-0184, and the Sedona location Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., or call 282-0838. Employers seeking applicants or looking to arrange an on-site hiring event at either of Goodwill’s career centers are asked to email employer.experience@goodwillaz.org.
