Job Fair 2009 by Herald & Review

Wednesday Sept 16, 2009 DECATUR CIVIC CENTER 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. A Suppliment of the

JOB FAIR Sunday, September 13, 2009 | Herald & Review | www. herald-review.com

JOB FAIR 2009 Face A Product of The Central Illinois News Group Herald & Review 601 E. William St. Decatur, Illinois 62523 Phone: 217.421.6983 Fax: 217.421.7965 PUBLISHER Todd Nelson EDITOR Gary Sawyer SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Ralf Pansch ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Joel Fletcher

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By STEPHANIE LANE For the Herald & Review DECATUR – With the changing economic tides, many people are finding themselves back on the job front searching for a new career path. The Job Fair offers prospective employees the chance to get to know local Central Illinois businesses and get vital faceto-face time with prospective employers. Prospective employees aren’t the only ones that benefit from Job Fairs, though. Many local companies use the fair as a great resource to find quality, dependable employees. Decatur Public Schools have had great success in matching-up open positions and employees from the booth at the Job Fair. “The Job Fair has always been very successful. Last Spring we saw an increased number of applicants stop at the booth. We had so many people stop by we barely had time to grab lunch,” Dr. Prisilla Palmer, director of human resources of Decatur Public Schools said. Decatur Public Schools uses the job fair as a way to seek out qualified teachers, substitute teachers and teaching assistants. In the three years of participating in the Job Fair, applications have increased tremendously. “Not only are we seeing a lot more applicants, but due to the economy, we’re

What

Parking

This is the ultimate hook-up for job seekers and employers. With more than 25 employers on site the Herald & Review’s Job Fair 2009 is central Illinois’ best one-stop-shop for employment. Whether you’re looking for a new career or a better paying job, it’ll be worth your time to visit Job Fair 2009.

FREE in the Civic Center parking lot

Wednesday, September 16, 2009 1 to 5:30 p.m.

Decatur Civic Center Arena

Cost

Sponsor Herald & Review

Apply Online A booth will be available for job seekers to input their resumes on Yahoo! Hot Jobs and apply directly to employers. (Resumes need to be in electronic form.)

Extra Resume Printing

Where

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Job Fair brings job seekers and employers together

Job Fair Overview

When

Herald & Review | www. herald-review.com | Sunday, September 13, 2009

Michael Brettl, of Capitol Business Systems, will be on hand to provide free copier service to those who need extra resumes.

FREE

For More Information Call 421-6961

seeing a different type of applicant. More people with degrees are applying, and those that have been laid off are looking for a career change,” Palmer said of the increase in the applicant pool. Palmer offered some tips for prospective employees to come to the Job Fair prepared with a resume on hand and to dress appropriately as if the applicant is already on a job interview. Given the number of applicants, she also noted to not expect to spend more than five minutes with each employer. Employers meet a lot of prospective employees and don’t have a lot of face time to spend. It’s important to know beforehand what to say and be prepared. StarTek, a telecommunications customer service business, knows the importance of making a presence at Job Fairs also. Participating in the Job Fair for six years, many of the employees hired are referrals from the Job Fair. “The job fair is really about getting our name out there, getting a feel for the person and how we can help them with their career,” Anastasia Lingle, recruiting manager for StarTek, said of the importance of the Job Fair and meeting new applicants. StarTek looks for applicants with a strong desire to work in customer service with the ability to be on the phone and handle

customer service related issues. With more than 110 applicants last year, StarTek was able to hire-on about 40 employees from the Job Fair referrals. Terri Chance, district sales manager for Avon Products, has had similar success with the Job Fair. Having been with Avon for more than 13 years, Chance knows what to look for in prospective employees. This is the fifth year for Avon to recruit new sales representatives. “Our main goal is to recruit individuals to become Avon Independent Sales Representatives and to communicate to them and assist them to build a successful direct sales business. In these tough economic times, with unemployment so high, Avon is offering a wonderful opportunity to earn, without worry of being laid-off or losing your job. The Job Fair offers us the opportunity to reach out to those looking for work in a professional environment that allows us to showcase Avon and the resources that we have available for them,” Chance said of her success with using the Job Fair. Whether looking for a career change or getting back into the working world, area businesses and people have found a winning match with the Job Fair. hrprojects@herald-review.com

JOB FAIR

Sunday, September 13, 2009 | Herald & Review | www. herald-review.com

Herald & Review | www. herald-review.com | Sunday, September 13, 2009

Programs for Success

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Richland Community College offers classes for adults returning to school By STEPHANIE LANE For the Herald & Review DECATUR – With the abundance of layoffs and changes in the economy, many adults are refocusing their career goals with a fresh start in education. Richland Community College has been a cornerstone for the Central Illinois community in providing affordable and quality education to further students’ careers and educational goals. Especially in tough economic times, community colleges are an asset to students and their pocketbooks. One of the programs focusing on helping students get back on track in the workforce is the Adult Education Program. Richland’s Adult Education Program includes General Education Diploma preparation, English as a Second Language and Basic Skills. These courses are offered to not only develop a student’s skills, but also to help give a boost to his or her career path. Classes are available both on and off campus at various dates and times for convenience, and an online GED program is also available. Dr. Gayle Saunders, President of Richland Community College, explains the importance

of the Adult Education Programs when facing a difficult economy, “The economy influences attendance of all programs in Richland’s district. When jobs are not available, adults will seek opportunities to advance their skills so they can re-enter the workforce at a future date. The state funding for adult education has deteriorated over the last several years and classes have been less available. However, we have seen an increase in attendance this summer over a year ago.” Richland’s Adult Education Program helps give students a leg up in developing important job skills and focusing on primary work skills needed once he or she enters the workforce. Students have the opportunities to learn skills from everything from dental hygienists to electricians to firefighters. In order to enroll in Richland’s Adult Education Program, a student must be at least 16 years old and not enrolled or required to enroll in secondary school under state law. Other criteria for admission to the Adult Education Programs include a lack of sufficient mastery of basic educational skills to enable the individual to function effectively in society, lack of a secondary school diploma or the inability to speak, read or write the

English language. Success of the program is measured through retention of students, number of GED credentials, citizenship attainment, obtaining employment, transitioning to postsecondary education and an improvement in assessment levels. “We also support our students by assisting them in transitioning to other opportunities after program completion through job attainment or advancement, as well as through enrollment at community college. Adult education programs work – we have a proven track record of success with our students. We are also one of the few such programs that can provide a return on investment to the state’s economy through the creation of tax payers and reduction of publicaid dependence,” Dr. Saunders said of the success of adult education programs.

While any transition is difficult, Richland offers some tips for students returning to the educational environment: • Make a heartfelt commitment to complete the course before enrolling. • Allow space in your busy life to study for

the course. Practice good discipline in exercising time management. • Don’t be afraid to contact course instructors if there are any questions about the course objectives, expectations or assignments. It’s okay to request feedback on your performance. While returning to school may seem like a daunting task, Richland is available to help ease students into the transition. Education programs like the ones provided by Richland are there to help build and strengthen students in whatever career path he or she decides to embark upon. hrprojects@herald-review.com

For more information: Contact Richland Community College’s Adult Education Program, call 875-7211, ext. 355. Registration sessions are held on Wednesday at 2 p.m. and Thursday at 3 p.m.

6 JOB FAIR Sunday, September 13, 2009 | Herald & Review | www. herald-review.com

JOB FAIR 2009

Herald & Review | www. herald-review.com | Sunday, September 13, 2009

Decatur Civic Center Arena

BOOTH LOCATIONS 1

Free Copier Service

Apply Online

Herald & Review

Memorial Health System

Comcast

Jenner Sales

Von Maur

Aramark

Illinois WorkNet Center

10 Workforce Investment Solutions 11 Star Tek 12 Marvin Keller Trucking Inc. 13 Decatur Public Schools 14 U.S. Army 15 Aspen Ridge/McKinley Court 16 St. Mary’s Hospital 17 Barton Manufacturing 18 NECA-IBEW

Union Electrical Apprentice

19 Prudential 20 Avon 21 ADM 22 Veolia ES Solid Waste 23 Volt Workforce Solutions 24 Peerless Cleaners, Inc. 25 Liberty Village of Clinton 26 Conklin

5 4 3 2 1

Tables and Chairs

BOOTH MAP

Wednesday Sept 16, 2009 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Interviewing Area

10 9 8 7 6

Interviewing Area

15 14 13 12 11

Tables and Chairs

20 19 18 17 16

27 Community Health Improvement 28 Richland Community College

Entrance

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Information

25 24 23 22 21

Tables and Chairs

28 27 26

JOB FAIR Sunday, September 13, 2009 | Herald & Review | www. herald-review.com

Herald & Review | www. herald-review.com | Sunday, September 13, 2009

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JOB FAIR Sunday, September 13, 2009 | Herald & Review | www. herald-review.com

Herald & Review | www. herald-review.com | Sunday, September 13, 2009

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