Last Thursday, Temple’s Human Resources hosted its Sixth Annual Neighborhood Job Fair in the Great Court in Mitten Hall. More than 1,200 community members were able to network with nearly 60 employers about potential employment opportunities.

For participant Natalie Jordan, the chance to talk with employers from local companies was more beneficial than completing online job applications.

“I could go online and put my application in and that’s it,” she said. By going to the job fair, Jordan was able to meet face to face with several potential employers, which she said was a better fit for her.

Michael Robinson, Temple’s director of Community Outreach and Hiring, reinforced Jordan’s thoughts about the advantages of getting people away from a job search engine and in front of actual employers.

“We really want to make a strong connection and commitment to the community to not only offer them opportunities for employment with companies that are hiring, but to build their social capital by making them network with these employers.”