Recently, Revision Resume had a chance to talk with Julia Pagano, Talent Strategy Manager for the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, about how the programs she manages can help job seekers in the Rochester, NY area. (Note that Ms. Pagano's answers have been edited and paraphrased for brevity.)
We first asked Ms. Pagano to give us an overview of the programs she works with. GreaterROCCareers, CampusROC, GreaterROC Remote and Veterans Connect fall under the talent team umbrella of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, aiming to recruit, retain and connect talent in our region. Their goals are to help employers find workers and assist job seekers in locating positions. The programs focus on both workers from within Rochester, NY, as well as attracting new talent to the region. Let's examine a few details of each:
GreaterROCCareers lists thousands of jobs on their website, all in the Greater Rochester area. In fact, 22,000 jobs have been posted on the site since the job board was launched, and over 33,000 job searches have been conducted. Advantages to applicants using this site include:
Thousands of posted jobs that are all available opportunities in the Rochester area
Ability to search for jobs by industry and/or specific keywords
Large range of positions listed including entry level, mid-level, leadership and C-Suite
Upon setting up a public profile, employers can search for keywords within job seekers' resumes, and reach out with openings that might be a good match
Ability to directly connect with someone at GreaterROCCareers, for more information or assistance
Additional information available to assist job seekers including:
Career Tips and Advice
Community Resources
Resume and Cover Letter Guidance
CampusROC advertises itself as a "one stop hub for Greater Rochester's college students and alumni," with the goal of helping students "discover why #GreaterROC is the best place to live, work, and play as a student and graduate." Ultimately, they aim to attract students to the Rochester region, provide them the opportunity to connect, and then retain them post-college. In order to achieve this, they provide engagement opportunities for students and graduates from 19 colleges in the area. Upcoming events include:
CollegeFest, featuring over 100 companies with 400+ job and internship opportunities. In addition, over 30 vendors will be providing a flavor of what graduates will enjoy if they choose to live, work and play in Rochester after college. This event will be held on September 17th from 11am-4pm. Additional information and a link to registration can be found here.
Tours of office complexes and other Rochester area locations, TBD.
Many future events that can be found here.
CampusROC goes beyond just helping students land jobs -- they also assist graduates with finding a place to live, figuring out transportation, and locating social events. The ultimate goal is a smooth transition from college to career. Support is provided throughout the college years and even after a graduate has started their professional career. It can be reassuring for new hires to have a resource, including an actual person to talk to and assist them, as they learn to navigate Rochester.
Additional Programs Through the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce
As a result of the pandemic, many employers are shifting from in-person to remote work. The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce would like to encourage employees who work 100% remotely to consider living here and have launched the Greater ROC Remote program, which provides remote workers an incentive to move to the Greater Rochester region. This incentive includes up to $10,000 toward relocation and up to $9,000 in additional homebuyer grants.
The program is in its pilot phase and is seeking to relocate 40 remote workers by the end of 2022. Over a period of three years, the program seeks to relocate 600 participants -- not counting the family members that may also relocate with the participant. To be considered, applicants have to meet the following criteria:
Currently hold a full-time remote position
Live at least 300 miles from the City of Rochester
Be over 18 years old
Be eligible to work in the U.S.
Must relocate to Greater Rochester within 6 months of acceptance into the program
The economic importance of this program is anticipated to include tens of millions of dollars in direct and spillover payroll impacts, in addition to local and state sales and income taxes. Additionally, the program aims to connect movers with one another as part of a cohort, and with local community organizations for volunteer opportunities.
Recognizing that Rochester's proximity to Fort Drum means that hundreds of veterans who leave active duty each month may be seeking employment where they can leverage their skills and competencies, the Greater Chamber of Commerce created Veterans Connect. The mission is to attract these military service members and their families to the Rochester, NY area by connecting them to employers and career opportunities that align with their skillset, qualifications and/or professional interest. In addition to helping locate employment, Veterans Connect also assists with finding housing and other services and resources that can help provide a smooth transition from activity duty to civilian life for veterans and their families as they join our community.
Why Rochester, New York?
Our interview then progressed to address some more specific questions about why people seek out Rochester, NY as a desirable place to live. Ms. Pagano stated that many people have been pulled to the area because of an uptick in hiring within the fields of healthcare, small and medium-sized tech companies and labor/manufacturing.
She also mentioned that Rochester, NY was recently rated the #1 place to live in the northeast post-COVID, and it is ranked #1 top metro in the US for future growth. Other notable statistics indicate that Rochester is:
2nd most neighborly city in the US
5th in the nation for volunteerism
17th in charitable giving per 100,000 residents
Within the top ten for business climate, including growth potential, talent pipeline and quality of life
We then asked Ms. Pagano why she personally feels that Rochester is a desirable place to live, work and play. Her response was that Rochester, NY provides an opportunity for everyone. When you accept a job in Rochester, you are able to follow your passion and grow here! Specifically, Rochester is:
An affordable city to live in with a low cost of living, yet offers competitive salaries. A high quality of life is possible in Rochester.
A small city that provides many big city opportunities, including diversity and culture, professional sports teams, museums, theaters, nightlife, specialty restaurants and countless opportunities to soak in the art and music Rochester, NY is renowned for.
A nature enthusiast's dream: the Finger Lakes and Letchworth State Park alone provide boundless hiking and boating opportunities. In addition, year-round outdoor activities are available for any interest, including kayaking, beaches, skiing, ice skating, curling and snowshoeing.
Within driving distance for those seeking top-tourist destinations, such as Niagara Falls and New York City.
Accessible. Although Rochester does not have a subway system, RTS provides on-demand and affordable busing options for those without a vehicle. For those that drive, Rochester boasts one of the fastest commutes in the nation -- "20 minutes in every direction."
We experience four seasons! Even though we get a lot of snow, our region is attractive to those who fear more severe weather emergencies in other parts of the country from wildfires to tornados. Sustainability and climate change is mentioned time and time again is something that is attracting people to Rochester.
Ms. Pagano also directed us to the GreaterROCCareers website, which provides the following image showcasing even more reasons Rochester is a desirable place to work:
Final Thoughts
We are grateful to Ms. Pagano for her time, and for showcasing the many reasons why Rochester, NY is a great place to live, work and play!
Revision Resume is proud to partner with the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and will be in attendance at CollegeFest, providing resume writing tips and at-a-glance resume critiques. Need help before September? Reach out and we will be happy to assist you! Email us at info@revisionresume.com or reach out through our contact form.
And, be sure to take advantage of the resources provided by CampusROC, GreaterROCCareers, Greater ROC Remote and Veterans Connect!
