Bemidji Career Academies’ Hiring Fair Gives Students Chance to Jump-Start Careers

In partnership with the Boy Scouts of America and the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce, Bemidji Career Academies hosted its second and now annual Hiring Fair at Bemidji High School on Thursday, providing juniors and seniors opportunities to find potential careers once they graduate.

Earlier in the year, the Bemidji Career Academies hosted its annual Job Fair at the high school to give students an opportunity to explore possible career paths after they graduate. With Thursday’s event, students had the opportunity to not only explore more potential careers, but to also apply for those jobs and take part in on-the-spot interviews.

“We started doing the hiring fair, which is focused on having our partners come in who have open positions and are looking to fill in the spring and summer and beyond for our graduates,” explained Jenny Fraley, Bemidji Career Academies Coordinator. “They get a chance to come in and talk to our juniors and seniors and offer applications, you know, conversations, resume help, that kind of stuff. They really enjoy coming in and interacting with the students.”

15 different business and organizations decided to take part in the event, in hopes of recruiting students who are excited to enter the workforce.

“They range from business to construction to manufacturing, health care, the trades, we’ve got First National Bank, so there’s a whole gambit of positions that are available,” said Fraley.

“So I’m looking for folks who maybe college didn’t quite fit for them, but they’re still looking for an education, they still want a degree and to better themselves,” said Air Force Recruiter Staff Sgt. Pierce Coppa.

“We look for bubbly, fun people that just want to have a good time at work and then also have that professional attribute to themselves,” added Chelsea Bennett, First National Bank Bemidji’s Chief of Staff. “We’re willing to put the work into individuals if they’re willing to put the work into our financial organization.”

A lot of businesses that were at the Hiring Fair were jobs that would keep the students local in Bemidji, which seemed to be part of the idea.

“That’s one of the goals, obviously, for students. We want them to find the pathway that’s right for them,” said Fraley. “Our vision is that every student has a career pathway that helps them feel successful and be successful. But we also want them to know that that can be here if they choose to. I think sometimes there’s this misunderstanding that I have to go there or go there to have the job that I want, but they exist here. We just want to kind of lift the veil, so to speak, and show students, hey, what you want to do might be right here in your own backyard.”

And if the students like one of the jobs they see and want to apply, but aren’t so sure how to put a resume together, they could head over to the Resume Corner to get some help.

“So they might come up and say, ‘You know, what is a resume?’ Some students don’t know what a resume is,” explained Jennifer Voge, Bemidji High School Counselor. “They don’t know what aspects they should put on their resume. Maybe how to word some of their skills. So we just give support and offer suggestions and encouragement to students who are looking for employment.”

The Bemidji Career Academies program provides resources for those who want to explore career paths, as well as guidance for those who need help with college applications on the Resources page of their website.