Dozens of women dressed in business attire with résumés in hand flooded the Early Morning Seminar by Tory Johnson — founder of Women for Hire — in the Independence Room at the Sheraton Boston yesterday, with a career expo featuring 49 companies, including Verizon Wireless, Tiffany ‘ Co., Aflac, Simmons College, Best Buy and Shaw’s Market.
The expo also included opportunities for women to have their résumés critiqued by professionals and have them sent to companies participating in other Women for Hire fairs.
Tory Johnson, workplace contributor for ABC’s Good Morning America, founded Women for Hire in New York City in 1999. It is the “first and only company devoted to a comprehensive array of recruitment services for women,” according to its website.
Many women said they attended because they dislike their current jobs, want to change career fields or were let go from other jobs. Others are recent college graduates who said they do not know what they are looking for on the job market.
The seminar, described as “an inspiring session that offers useful tips on advancing your career” by the company’s website, began as Johnson held up a $50 bill and asked who wanted it. When every woman in the room raised her hand, she encouraged them to come and get it. One woman walked up and took the bill out of Johnson’s hand.
“That 50 dollars represents all of our dreams and goals,” Johnson said. “People say they want a job but they don’t act. You have to get up and make it happen for yourself.”
Johnson reflected upon her own experiences helping New Orleans residents find jobs in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and holding a job fair for people in New York in the weeks following the events of September 11. She added that former President Bill Clinton congratulated her for her efforts to restore faith among the victims of the post-attack economic stagnation in the city.
Johnson, who has also done public relations work for ABC, NBC and Nickelodeon, encouraged women to recognize and seize opportunities, step out of their comfort zones and be willing to challenge themselves in their careers. The key to success, she said, is to sidestep a fear of failure and accept praise without downplaying personal accomplishments.
“We can either sit back and wait and hope and pray that something will come along, and maybe we’ll be lucky; or we can get up and do something about what we want,” Johnson said. “You make your own luck.”