Shelter Network Career Fair Draws Big Corporations

An estimated 100 people gathered at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation for first ever career fair Thursday. The Burlingame-based nonprofit hosted representatives from more than a dozen corporations who spoke to attendees about their companies and job searching skills, some conducting brief interviews.

Companies present ranged from Target to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Kaiser Hospital.

“People forget the primary cause of poverty, and the primary cause of poverty is not having a job,” said Brian Greenberg, Shelter Network’s Vice President of Programs and Services. “Our goal is to transition tax takers to tax payers.”

Homeless individuals, about a third of which are veterans, came from various family and individual adult shelters for the fair. Shelter Network program alumni also attended.

One such participant, Krystal Kuehne, recently finished her studies in human resources and was working two jobs until recently laid off. She would ideally like to work at a nonprofit.

“What I saw, what the people were doing at Shelter Network I wanted to do,” she said.

Kuehne has been living on her own for a year and is looking to secure another job.

Julie Seoganda, a mother of four, was thrilled to speak with SFO representatives. She said speaking with someone is likely to propel a job search much farther than simply filling out a generic application and being lumped in with countless others.

“Just that contact, that five minutes…was invaluable,” she said. “We’re almost skipping ahead of the line.”

Employers were additionally excited to have the opportunity to find new candidates for job openings. Shelter Network held two job clinics in the previous week preparing people for the fair by discussing resumes, interviewing and helping them find appropriate clothing.

Shelter Network provides housing and homeless services to families and individuals in San Mateo County.

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