School districts across the DMV are opening up their doors for federal workers in need of a career change.
Amid so much uncertainty within the federal workforce, federal workers like Monique Mason are searching for new opportunities.
“Divine Alignment,” she said. “Everything happens for a reason.”
Mason is currently on administrative leave from her job at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
“So I’m just the type of person that, if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be, if it’s not, it’s not,” she said.
Mason is among the many probationary employees terminated by the Trump administration recently.
Saturday, she attended a recruitment fair put on by Prince George’s County Public Schools at Fairmont Heights High School.
“We’re just constantly looking to grow the pool, so the more the merrier,” said Senior Recruitment Advisor Tiffany Doster.
School districts host these job fairs every year — this year, many of them invited former federal workers searching for jobs. Earlier this month – Arlington County Public Schools held a similar event.
About 500 people signed up for the PGCPS fair. There were on the spot interviews and virtual interviews. Some candidates received an offer the same day.
“Depending on your background and your career, with all the different programs that we offer, there’s something for everyone,” Doster said. “And I know that someone’s experience could definitely be critical and useful to helping our students grow.”
Mason actually used to teach for PGCPS a few years ago and is ready to return to the classroom. She encourages other federal employees to consider making the switch.
“It’s a lot open for you, and they allow you to get the training to even become certified,” she said. “So I just tell everybody, just keep the faith and know that it’s not the end of the road.”
PGCPS is currently hiring special education teachers, classroom teachers, long-term substitutes and bus drivers and is holding another fair in Upper Marlboro on April 26.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
