The AWS (Amazon Web Services) Skilled Talent Job Fair: Powered by Computing for All was held on October 12, 2023 at the AWS Skills Center in Seattle. We had a great turnout of over 200 diverse learners who appreciated the opportunity to connect with employers seeking entry-level candidates for cloud-related roles.
AWS and Computing for All collaborated to organize this event targeted at underrepresented learners and career changers from Washington state community colleges, AWS re/Start, Saint Martin’s University VETS2TECH program, and other local training programs. Computing for All also hosted professional skills workshops, including Resume Review, Elevator Pitch and Mock Interview workshops to help learners prepare for meetings with employers.
Job fair attendees were able to spend three hours mingling and talking with employers from Aditi Consulting, AWS Early Talent, Brooksource, Tek Systems, and the Washington Bankers Association. The AWS Skills Center, which offers free training in cloud skills and interactive exhibits, provided a dynamic and high-tech environment for the job fair. Computing for All was onsite to meet with attendees and answer their questions on how to get career advice and support.
“So much of the advice I have received up to this point has been generic job search / resume construction advice; however, as a career Airmen transitioning from service into a new field (software development) after 20-years of service, Computing for All gave me the assistance I needed to understand what tech companies are looking for and helped me to “speak the language” so that I could translate the skills that I have, meld them with the skills that I am learning, and share them with the hiring managers in an impactful way.”
Daniel Peveto
Saint Martin’s Washington Vet 2 Tech Program
After participating in Computing for All workshops learners came to the Job Fair prepared to meet employers with their resumes and elevator pitches in top form. The Resume Review Workshop, held prior to the Job Fair on October 4, was led by Payal Tiwana from Amazon and provided learners with tips on how to highlight relevant experiences in their resumes. Industry volunteers from Amazon, the Kalles Group, Microsoft, and Scotiabank worked with small groups of learners to review their resumes and give individual feedback.
The Elevator Pitch Workshop, held a couple of days prior to the job fair on October 10, was led by Amit Kaistha, a TIE Seattle Charter Member. Amit gave excellent advice on how to build a strong presence and communicate the high points of your talent and experience in a manner that employers will understand and appreciate within just a minute of chatting. Volunteers from Brooksource, the Kalles Group, Madrona Venture Labs, Microsoft, and Scotiabank helped small groups of learners to develop and practice their elevator pitches.
The Mock Interview Workshop was held the week after the job fair on October 1. Computing for All’s Program Director Mandira Virmani led the workshop and talked to learners about how to best prepare for interviews. Mandira’s workshop was followed by volunteers from Amazon, Bank of America, and Microsoft who offered one-on-one sessions with learners to practice mock behavioral and technical interviews.
Thank you to all the volunteers who participated in the workshops:
Ali Salim, Amit Kaistha, Angel Ortiz, Janvi Wadhawan, Jenny Ren, Jessica Olson, Kathy Ahuja, Martin Kim, Michael Bailey, Naveen Palanisamy, Neelam Chowdhury, Neeraj Mandal, Payal Tiwana, Preston Nui, Sai Dhalli, Sam Dore, Stephen Yeager, Uday Manikya
And thank you to the AWS and Computing for All teams who worked to organize and run the job fair and workshops:
Amelia Dougherty, Craig von Collenberg, Jay Nappy, Maria Petrova, Alka Manchanda, Mandira Virmani, Michael Gan, Mimi Southwood, Shannon Ladymon
Computing for All is constantly working to provide opportunities for students and job seekers to connect with industry mentors, learn in-demand technical and professional skills, and get access to quality tech jobs where they can thrive. Keep an eye out for upcoming events, workshops, and job fairs on our Job Board!