GIA’s latest Jewelry Career Fair held on July 25th in New York drew an unprecedented 600 people to it. Participants included leading members of the gem and jewellery industry, recruiters, jewellery enthusiasts and aspirants – including GIA students -- wishing to join the industry. 

The annual event, sponsored by JA New York, was held at the Javits Center. “Job seekers had the opportunity to meet with 42 companies looking to fill hundreds of open positions and 24 career coaches with specialised expertise,” GIA said in a press note.   

The event also marked the 25th anniversary of GIA’s Jewelry Career Fair, which was founded in 1991 in Santa Monica, California. Since then, GIA said, the event has connected companies with thousands of future employees at more than 60 events in California, India, Las Vegas and New York.

The one-day event was kicked off by a panel discussion. The first speaker was Rahul Kadakia, himself a GIA graduate and the international head of jewellery for Christie’s. Interestingly, he got his start with the auction house at a GIA Career Fair in 1994. He spoke on the  panel “Job Success in Today’s Market” and also showed video footage of the record-setting US$ 57.6 million sale of the Oppenheimer Blue diamond, at which he served as auctioneer. “People are realising more and more the rarity of rare jewels and gems,” he told the rapt audience. Kadakia went on to urge job seekers to stay on top of market trends and know where their customers are.

Yancy Weinrich, senior vice president of Reed Jewelry Group, took the stage next, and echoed the importance of understanding revenue and where the sales come from. “Learn the business. Understand the broader business,” she advised.

Trust holds this industry together,” stressed Steven Lagos, founder and chief creative director for LAGOS.  “Being bright-eyed is important… Passion is important in this business,” he added.

Recent GIA graduate and merchandising assistant for Jewelry Television was the next participant to speak.  “The best opportunities are the ones that come from outside your comfort zone,” she urged, referring to her pursuit of a career that would take her around the world. Tjaden has gone from working at the source in Brazil to being an on-camera expert at JTV since completing her Graduate Gemologist diploma.

“Martin Rapaport, chairman of the Rapaport Group, rounded out the panel with lively and sage advice for job seekers based on his decades of experience in the industry,” GIA concluded.

Following a question and answer session, job seekers next had the opportunity to meet with the recruiting companies to interact with one of 24 career coaches specialising in various fields of interest.

GIA has announced that the next event will take place in Carlsbad on Friday, October 7, 2016.

Pic Cap: Yancy Weinrich, senior vice president of Reed Jewelry Group speaking at the event