STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — It's been a rough year for jobs in Ohio, but there's good news. Ohio's unemployment rate is slowly shrinking: down to 5.3 percent in January, versus its high of 16.4 percent last May.
Now, we're starting to hear of more available jobs. One Ohio-based company is looking to fill more than 100 positions in all different sectors this week, with a virtual job fair.
The mortgage business may not be the sexiest career, but Union Home Mortgage is not your typical finance company. Headquartered in Strongsville, it continues to be ranked as a nationwide top workplace because of its culture and commitment to its employees, which it calls "partners." The company's CEO, Ohio native Bill Cosgrove, was recently named entrepreneur of the year.
Cosgrove calls UHM's culture, "unlike anything else in the mortgage business."
And now, you can get in on the action. As part of a major expansion, which includes hiring 450 employees, this week the company is holding Opportunity Knocks, a virtual career expo with openings in more than 15 different sectors. And they're looking for people with all kinds of experience.
"If you have an opportunity to accept a job that you don't feel completely qualified for yet, take the opportunity and figure it out," said Susan Stewart, Chairwoman of the Mortgage Bankers Association. "You absolutely can do it. And you can always ask for help along the way."
The expo starts Wednesday, March 24, going from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and continues Thursday, March 25 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
UHM is also looking to cultivate young talent, partnering with Baldwin Wallace University. It's become somewhat of a feeder school for the company, which has more than 100 paid interns at a given time.
Beth Ehrbar, Associate Director of BW's Career Services says the partnership's mentors are what set their students up for success.
"I think all of their interns and early career hires are working with a mentor," she says. "They have access to senior leadership to kind of work and grow in their career."
Union Home Mortgage is even helping BW open a career studio to prep students for all types of jobs, work with them on writing resumes and cover letters, and even help them present themselves at interviews, through their career closet.
"Students can go and they can pick outa professional outfit for whatever kind of professional need they have such as interviews, networking events, professional development," said Kate Ganczarz, a peer career advisor with Baldwin Wallace Career Services.
While the rest of us might not get as much prep help, UHM still wants to meet. Their virtual job expo will feature live webinars to help connect you to leadership in many different sectors. And the company is passionate about filling those positions with Ohioans, according Union Home Mortgage Foundation Executive Director Christina Fagan.
"We've always been very passionate through the company and also through our foundations really build that talent pipeline in Northeast Ohio," she said.
Opportunity Knocks, Union Home Mortgage's virtual career expo runs Wednesday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Thursday March 25 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. You can register at uhmexpo.com/#register and search all of the company's open positions at uhm.com/careers.
Editors Note: The video in the player below originally aired on Jan. 20, 2021.