Darrick McDaniel, recruitment and development manager for the city, talks to someone about job openings with the City of Cleveland during a job fair. McDaniel and a man are standing near a recruitment table while a third person uses a laptop on the table.
Darrick McDaniel, recruitment and development manager for the city, shares information about open positions with the City of Cleveland at a job fair on Friday, Jan.26, 2024, at East Cleveland City Schools Chambers Community Empowerment Center. Credit: City of Cleveland

Clevelanders interested in working a summer job for the city can learn about and apply to open positions at a series of upcoming hiring events. They may even walk out with a job offer. 

The city is hosting four job fairs at recreation centers throughout the city in February and March. The first one is this Saturday. 

Some of the open positions include managers of recreation, cooks, play directors, recreation instructors and lifeguards. The lifeguard positions are open to teens as young as 15. The other positions are for people 18 and over. 

People attending a job fair should be prepared to spend a while at the event. There, they can apply and meet and interview with human resources staff, said Darrick McDaniel, recruitment and development manager for the city. Some staff might hire people on the spot, McDaniel said. 

McDaniel said people interested in jobs should dress up ready for an interview, but they shouldn’t be too nervous about the process.

“Remember that it’s just a conversation,” McDaniel said. “Don’t overthink the fact that you’re interviewing.” 

Summer jobs benefit youth

Research shows there are several benefits to summer employment for teens and young adults. A study from May 2022 found summer jobs for 14- to 24-year-olds are especially helpful for youth from low-income households. They also help Black and Latine youth, groups that tend to face barriers to getting jobs. 

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab – North America published the report, titled, “The Promises of Summer Youth Employment Programs: Lessons from Randomized Evaluations.” The findings come from 13 academic papers evaluating programs in Boston, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia. 

Youth summer jobs also reduce arrests, arraignments, convictions and incarcerations for people working in the programs, according to the report. Participants are less likely to be involved in the criminal legal system during the summer and after the job ends. 

McDaniel said the positions teach youth job skills and financial responsibility and keep them occupied. Filling the positions also helps keep recreation center programs running so younger kids have something to do during the summer, he said. 

“So if their time is occupied, they won’t be home all day playing the game,” McDaniel said. “Or they won’t be in the streets all day.” 

Making Cleveland jobs accessible

McDaniels, who has worked for the city since November, said he’s tasked with making applying for jobs with the City of Cleveland accessible. He said anyone interested in working for the city can go to the career center at City Hall at 601 Lakeside Ave. between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

There, McDaniel said he can help people build a resume or make changes to an existing one, apply for jobs at the computer lab, and upload documents necessary for an application. He can also coach people through mock interviews or tell them more about certain positions. 

“Whatever it takes for you to be successful to be employed with the City of Cleveland,” he said. “That’s what I’m here to do.” 

The upcoming job fairs will be held from noon to 3 p.m. at these locations:

  • Feb. 3: Collinwood Rec Center, 16300 Lakeshore Blvd.
  • Feb. 24: Frederick Douglass Rec Center, 15401 Miles Ave. 
  • March 2: Thurgood Marshall Rec Center, 8611 Hough Ave.
  • March 16: Michael Zone Rec Center, 6301 Lorain Ave.

A freelance reporter based in Arizona, Stephanie was the inaugural criminal justice reporter with Signal Cleveland until October 2024. She wrote about the criminal legal system, explaining the complexities and shedding light on injustices/inequities in the system and centering the experiences of justice-involved individuals, both victims and people who go through the criminal legal system and their families.