The cannabis industry came together in a unique event on Sunday at the Juana Career Fair, held at the Red Lion in Belleview, Washington. This one-of-a-kind event was hosted by Viridian Staffing, a leader in cannabis industry recruiting. Cannabis businesses — including processors, labs, growers, consulting firms, retailers, and non-profits — all came to meet their next applicant, and the diverse group of attendees showed up dressed to impress and ready to find their dream job in North America’s fastest-growing industry.
The four-hour event started promptly at 12:00 p.m., and the exhibition hall filled up quickly with the clatter of eager conversation. The atmosphere was friendly and open.
At 1:00 p.m., cannabis consultant and industry expert Shango Los conducted the first break-out session. The informative talk gave helpful tips on “harnessing your passion to find your career in the cannabis industry.” The 45-minute talk was packed with ideas about how to get your resume into the right hands, and how to hit just the right note in your cover letter.
“Each company has a visionary. Write your cover letter just for that person. Take a minute to do some research and find out what makes that person passionate about their business. Don’t be afraid to let your passion for cannabis show when you write your cover letter. Then, be persistent in getting your information in those people’s hands. Use email and mail, and finally show up and hand deliver your package,” Los advised.
The next session was a panel discussion, moderated by Los, about what cannabis employers look for when hiring new employees. Themes of professionalism, passion and persistence were echoed by the four industry leaders, with the words “dress to impress” coming up more than once.
This discussion was followed by a Cannabis Career Readiness workshop by Viridian Staffing’s chief talent officer, Kara Bradford. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at someone’s resume who listed no cannabis experience, and once they get to the interview they tell me they’ve been growing for 30 years. The industry right now is really looking for people who are experienced in cannabis, so be sure to put that, no matter how small it is, on your resume under “other skills and experience,” she counseled. The day came to a close at 4:00 p.m., but the vibe was still lively.
After the workshop, I spoke with Bradford about the event:
“We have been asked many times to put one of these on, but we wanted to wait for just the right time. Now is the time, and it was great today to see the event come together to give employers and potential hires an opportunity to connect face to face. Based on the initial feedback, I can tell it’s been a really positive experience for everyone involved.”
Several attendees said they had a great experience and felt they could take what they learned and apply it to getting a job in the cannabis industry.
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