ParkTalk Podcast: Preparing for the Community Job Fair

Friday, November 8, 2024

Episode Description:

The annual Community Job Fair is set for January 4, 2025. To prepare potential job seekers in the area, Naperville Park District Director of Human Resources Katie Sepe, along with KidsMatter CEO and Executive Director Nina Menis, and KidsMatter Director of Programs Sherilyn Hebel, discuss the background of the job fair, the importance of the event to both organizations and how job seekers should prepare for the upcoming fair.

Quotes from the Episode:

What makes our job fair stand out to potential job seekers attending?

We have a whole area called our “Career Center”. We offer services like resume writing, mock interviews, financial literacy and career conversations with experts in different areas. We have this value add that is this whole other area at our job fair and it brings a lot of great things to attendees. – Sherilyn Hebel

Why is this event important to KidsMatter and their organizational mission?

A search institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota have 40 developmental assets that have been researched and proven over the last 20 years that the more assets young people have, the more likely they are to be successful in life. The job fair provides so many of those assets to a young person. Having that first job is really important. – Nina Menis

How should job seekers attending prepare for the event?

First and foremost, make sure you have enough time. This isn’t an event you can just pop in on. We have anywhere from 35-40 different businesses there, so definitely give yourself enough time. If there’s a specific type of job or employer you’re looking for, have a set of questions to ask the individuals that are there from that organization. – Katie Sepe

Bring that resume. There are a number of organizations that will say “Do you have a resume?” It does seem a little antiquated to have a printed out, physical resume, but there are still organizations that will ask to see what you have. – Sherilyn Hebel