15th annual job fair planned for April 6
By Dan Thomas
IV Leader Staff
Over 600 people from the college and community are expected
to attend the annual Job Fair planned for Thursday, April 6 in the gymnasium.
Organizers have sent out invitations to 380 employers and it
is expected that at least 60 of those will be present for the fair. The
employers will come from wide range of different industries include child care,
education, health care, government services, hospitalization, retail and law
enforcement.
Sharon Barthelemy is the coordinator of Career Services at
Illinois Valley Community College and has been involved with the job fair for
the last three years. Barthelemy believes that the fair is beneficial to
students, even if they aren’t seeking a job right now.
“It is great practice for students; after all, at some stage
everyone will need to get a job,” Barthelemy said.
“It will actually save students a lot of work. At the fair
there will be 60 different employers all in one room.”
IVCC has been running workshops on the last Wednesday of
every month to help students prepare for the job fair. The workshops cover areas
such as letter writing, interviewing techniques, how to dress and how to behave
in a professional atmosphere.
“Appearance and cleanliness are very important to employers,”
admits Barthelemy.
“Most employers have a mental picture of an ideal candidate
and are tray to match it with you.”
Employers are required to meet specific criteria in order to
be part of the job fair. “They have to mirror programs offered by IVCC and
reflect the employment needs of the students,” said Barthelemy.
There will be salaried positions offered, full time, part
time and seasonal, as well as internships.
Barthelemy expects some employers to draw a lot of hopeful
job seekers. “A lot of job seekers are very interested in PetSmart,” she said.
“Verizon Wireless, Home Depot and Caterpillar are all companies that are
expanding in the area as well.”
Those attending the fair should come prepared for on-the-spot
interviews, with at least 10 copies of their resume on hand.
Candidates are required to have a high school diploma or equivalent with basic
skills in reading and math. Many of the industries will require further
education and training.