Nearly 900 Attend GIA’s Jewellery Careers Fair and Open House
Hundreds connected with recruiters and received one-to-one coaching
CARLSBAD, Calif. – 24 October 2017 – GIA’s (Gemological Institute of America) Jewellery Careers Fair and Open House drew nearly 900 gem and jewellery professionals, jobseekers and members of the local community to the event’s 26th anniversary on 13 October 2017. This annual event at GIA’s Carlsbad World Headquarters was bustling with inspiring panel discussions, classroom demonstrations, one-to-one coaching, recruiting and the opening of a new exhibition of gemstone jewellery from India. Jobseekers were able to connect with 36 companies looking to fill hundreds of jobs, as well as talk individually with 26 coaches from all facets of the industry.
The event kicked off with the opening panel discussion “Job Success in Today’s Market”, moderated by GIA president and CEO, Susan M. Jacques. “You have to ask yourself, not what you know about coloured gemstones or diamonds if that’s your passion – but what don’t you know and how can you find that out,” said Douglas K. Hucker, chief executive officer of AGTA. “The beauty of GIA is that it gives you the confidence, tools and knowledge… it is your job now to figure out how to use those tools…,” said Ashwin Bhindi, manager of Bhindi Jewelers as he spoke about the retailer experience and social media. “There are always new chances, as long as we see where the changes are going and adapt…,” added Jennifer Susan Pusenkoff designer/president/CEO of Jennifer Pusenkoff Design, Inc. Jordan Tabach-Bank, CEO and owner of the Loan Companies, who has hired ten GIA graduates from past Jewellery Careers Fairs, shared his advice; “Concentrate not only on the money you can make a company but also the money you can save a company.”
Well-known global brands and local companies such as Tiffany & Co., Stuller, JTV, Leo Hamel, The RealReal and many more came from across the U.S. and from as far away as Germany for the opportunity to connect with the hundreds of jobseekers.
The “Creative Careers” panel was moderated by Victoria Gomelsky, editor-in-chief of JCK magazine and JCKonline.com. The industry experts on the panel included Arun Bohra, designer and CEO of Arunashi; Katey Brunini, owner/designer of K. Brunini Jewels; Lindsay Jane, jewellery designer and owner of Lindsay Jane Designs; Anil Maloo, president of Baggins Inc.; Maryanna Nagle, valuation manager of the RealReal; and Shelly Sergent, curator for Somewhere In The Rainbow Collection. This lively panel discussion covered many topics. Maryanna Nagle closed the session by saying, “Run towards your weakness… Take the time to learn it, that’s how you advance in any career.”
Open house guests visited “Centuries of Opulence, Jewels of India”, GIA’s newest exhibition, which opened in conjunction with the Jewellery Careers Fair and Open House. Featuring 50 historical jewellery pieces and objects from 17th to 20th century India, the exhibition will be on display until 1 March 2018. For more information and to see a full list of the many other exhibits on display visit https://www.gia.edu/gia-museum.
The success of GIA’s Jewellery Careers Fair is due to the generous participation of the recruiters, guidance of the career coaches and the expertise of the panellists. The next Jewellery Careers Fair will take place in New York. For more information, visit https://www.gia.edu/career-fair or email careerfair@gia.edu. Follow @GIANews #JewelryJobs for updates.
