Students in search of job opportunities and volunteer experience gained the chance to get connected to employers and volunteer organizations at this year’s Teen Expo. The Expo is sponsored by the City of Encinitas Parks and Recreation and SDA. The event brought food vendors and different types of entertainment, such as a ten year old dancer and a hula-hoop contest. One vendor, Noodles and Company, handed out free food to students.
Junior Kat Wildermuth was among the many students attending the Expo. “I was looking for decent jobs to get a head start,” said Wildermuth.
While searching, Wildermuth was able to find opportunities at SeaWorld and the Zoo, jobs she plans on pursing in the future. Although Wildermuth had not attended past Teen Expos at SDA, she found this one to be very helpful and “awesome.”
Other juniors went to look for different opportunities, but didn’t find what they were hoping for. Junior Julie Lai Fatt was searching for a volunteering position, but found that the one she wanted to pursue didn’t have any openings at that time.
Regardless, Lai Fatt liked the event: “[It was good] seeing what’s in the community to be a part of.”
Booths lined the front of the gym filled with information and pamphlets for students to look through. Sponsors from each location sat behind the booths ready to talk to perspective volunteers and employees.
One Teen Expo (veteran?) is Tim Walkeskey from the Legoland’s Human Relations department , The event has helped bring in a lot of perspective employees in the past. Legoland hires a lot of high school students, and being on campus I can even see past and current employees, said Walkeskey.
Walkeskey said he was looking for students that like to be around families and kids.
Among the jobs looking to employ students was the YMCA Magdalena branch. Cory Howell, camp and teen coordinator, had been to the event in the past but found that generally he only finds prospective workers, a small percentage of whom make it to the interview process.
Despite the small amount of perspective employees the YMCA receives at these types of events, Howell knows exactly what he is looking for in a student. “I’m looking for people that are outgoing,” said Howell. The type of students that are looking me in the eye, asking questions, the ones that know they want this job, said Howell.