Skip the Resume Black Hole and Boost Your Pay
Hear how attending a live OKC job fair can help job seekers bypass the online resume black hole and connect directly with hiring managers for entry-level roles starting at $17.50 to $19.25 an hour with immediate benefits.
The episode also highlights Metro Tech’s EMPOWER Program, offering eligible working adults 100% funded tuition support, training navigation, and short-term certifications that can boost pay to nearly $25 an hour.
Show Notes
- Events Calendar - Oklahoma.gov: https://oklahoma.gov/oesc/events-calendar.html
- EMPOWER - Metro Tech: https://www.metrotech.edu/programs-classes/empower
Chapter 1
Skip the Resume Black Hole at the September 14 OKC Job Fair
Claire Brooks
So, about seventy percent... think about that number for a second, seventy percent of resumes uploaded to digital job boards literally never get read by a human being.
Miles
Oh, I believe it. It's, it's just a black hole. You hit submit, and it goes into the ether.
Claire Brooks
It really is an algorithm void. But on Monday, September 14, 2026, there is a direct way around that screen. The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, or OESC, is hosting their OKC Job Fair from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Miles
Wait, so actual live human hiring managers in a room?
Claire Brooks
Actual recruiters with hiring authority standing right there. If you check out an upcoming hiring event or career fair near you, you get to skip the digital queue entirely and talk face to face.
Miles
Man, that, that brings me back to my early radio days. Um, before I got my first morning show gig, I was, I was firing off dozens of applications online every single day. Just, you know, staring at a screen, waiting for an email that never came. And then I finally just walked into a station, shook hands with the program director, talked for ten minutes, and walked out with a job on the spot.
Claire Brooks
That personal connection makes all the difference, especially right now. These are direct hire employers looking for people in entry level facility, distribution, and logistics roles.
Miles
What are those paying starting out?
Claire Brooks
They are starting between $17.50 and $19.25 per hour. And these are guaranteed forty hour weekly shifts with immediate healthcare benefits attached.
Miles
$19.25 an hour with full hours and health insurance right out of the gate? That is, that's real stability.
Claire Brooks
It is real money. And if you think about the cost of waiting around for an algorithm to reply, every month spent sitting in application limbo costs the average Oklahoma City renter over $600 in missed earning potential compared to getting a confirmed offer on event day.
Miles
Six hundred bucks a month lost just waiting for a rejection email that might not even arrive. That is serious cash left on the table.
Claire Brooks
Exactly. So instead of refreshing your inbox, you show up at the OESC job fair on September 14 between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM, bring your printed resumes, and talk directly to the people making decisions.
Chapter 2
Fast Tracking from 17 to 25 Dollars an Hour with Metro Tech EMPOWER
Miles
Okay, so getting that initial job at $17.50 or $19 an hour stops the financial bleed, which is huge. But what happens when you want to push past that baseline and really move your income up?
Claire Brooks
That is where Metro Tech's EMPOWER Program comes in. Metro Tech's EMPOWER Program is designed to help individuals access career training opportunities by providing essential resources and personalized assistance.
Miles
Where are they located?
Claire Brooks
They are over at the Springlake Campus, located at 1900 Springlake Drive right here in Oklahoma City. And for eligible working adults who are currently receiving SNAP or TANF benefits through Oklahoma Human Services, this program offers 100 percent funded tuition assistance.
Miles
Wait, 100 percent funded? Like zero out of pocket cost for tuition?
Claire Brooks
Zero out of pocket for tuition, plus textbook support and dedicated personal Training Navigators who guide you through the entire process from enrollment to landing a position.
Miles
That is, um, that's massive. Because usually the biggest barrier to going back to school when you're working full time is, well, how do I pay for books and classes while keeping food on the table?
Claire Brooks
Right, exactly. And these are short term certification programs in high demand technical fields, things like medical office administration, electrical maintenance, or precision machining.
Miles
And what does that do to the wage ladder?
Claire Brooks
When you finish one of those short term certifications, you can move your hourly pay from that starting rate of around $17.50 up to $24.80 an hour.
Miles
Let me, let me do the math on that real quick... going from $17.50 to almost $25 an hour... that's over $1,150 in extra take home pay every single month.
Claire Brooks
Over eleven hundred dollars every month injected straight into your family budget. That changes what your rent looks like, what your groceries look like, everything.
Miles
So how does someone actually take the first step with EMPOWER?
Claire Brooks
You can call Metro Tech's EMPOWER intake team directly at 405 424 8324. Call them before 5:00 PM today for a quick fifteen minute eligibility check.
Miles
405 424 8324. Got it.
Claire Brooks
And while you are doing that career upgrade, you can also pair it with utility assistance and financial buffer support through the Community Action Agency of Oklahoma City, or CAAOKC, so you have full support while you train.
Miles
Man, between showing up in person on September 14 and making that fifteen minute phone call to Metro Tech today, you can completely redefine your income trajectory before the end of the year.
Claire Brooks
No algorithms required.
Miles
No algorithms required at all. Alright, good chatting with you.