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Salish Kootenai College hosts its first Career Fair

by Marianne Addison

On April 30, workshops for students and members of the community took place at the Late Louis Caye Building to prepare people on topics like career planning, what to expect at a career fair, interviewing with confidence, and networking.

The information presented during the workshops began with presenter Darlene Samson's PowerPoint presentation about career planning.

High school classes, such as Jobs for Montana's Graduates (JMG) can get you thinking about a career and learning what careers you want to pursue. Try not to limit yourself to one career, as you may want to do many things, learn new skills, and gain knowledge in a number of subjects and jobs.

Swanson's presentation got you thinking about a lot of things. She talked about an important skill and ability all people possess: to make decisions. When it comes down to it, life is about making decisions. The decisions made every single moment of every day create the person we wish to become.

It was hard to sit through that PowerPoint presentation as thoughts about life and what kind of growth was needed in order to learn to discover what path, career-wise, to embark upon. The bottom line is that the presentation got your brain whirring with all sorts of cognitive activity and that is what is needed when deciding what kind of career is right for you.

Career fairs are an important resource for people that don't have a job, aren't satisfied with their current job, want to see what jobs are available, want to gain experience in interviewing, or who want to meet and connect with possible employers. Sadly, there were maybe five to eight students who attended the workshops. Most were required in some way to be there. Some students were advised to go there by a teacher. One student was looking for seasonal employment but was there because her friend invited her. She spoke about certain obstacles preventing her in the search for employment like a lack of transportation and hiring preferences. One student wanted to benefit from the workshops, but wasn't planning on attending the career fair because she was moving back to her home after the end of the quarter. Another student was finishing his degree and looking for a career.

The students that did attend the career workshops benefited in some way, because I know I did.

There are a few things people should know when talking to potential employers, such as don't act like a weirdo by dressing all crazy, talking a certain way, and having no respect. However, there are hidden, secret things to do during these meetings as well to land a job. It's hard to discover these hints unless you attend these types of workshops.

According to the presenters, there are three steps to take when attending a career fair. The first step is to PREPARE for the career fair. Make a resume' and have copies available. Put the resume' on paper that is different from regular white paper. Nothing too frilly or shiny, maybe a thicker quality paper will make a difference.

Part of the preparation step is to pick out some "career casual" clothes, because, according to the first presenter, Darlene Samson, "There is no second chance to make a first impression." For one thing, don't wear those faded blue jeans. Wear slacks or at least some khakis. Some people like to wear Dickies every day of the week and clean Dickies would be okay. No T-shirts either if you can help it! Also, try to wear a shirt that has no pictures of a guy drinking beer out of a beer bong. The way a person dresses and carries their self says a lot to others. If you come strolling up to a career fair, pimp limp and all, saying, "Are you hiring for reals?" Ask yourself, would you want to hire you for a job? Part of preparing for a career fair is that you have to do like Too $hort says when he raps in the song "'Gettin' It." "What you need to do is set yourself some goals; think positive, everything else is old. Work hard, never stop hustling."

Ask yourself what kind of employers do you want to meet. What do you want to gain from the experience? Why are you going to a career fair? What are you going to accomplish by going? If everybody's life is determined by the choices he or she makes understanding that the people we associate with and things we do become a part of us, deciding on a career path requires that people know these things about themselves.

The process of preparing also means researching newspapers and websites to know at least something about the company you want to possibly interview. Not only will these employers be impressed, a positive lasting impression is imprinted on the mind of a person who may need an employee just like you to fill a job that may be right for you. Don't think of the employers interviewing you to see if you are right for the job, think of it as you interviewing the employers to see if the job is right for you.

The second step when attending a career fair is to COMMUNICATE in a way that conveys the message to employers that they need you to work for them. Presenters showed a video that explained the importance of thinking of it like a "one minute commercial" in which you are trying to sell your skills, abilities, and knowledge to an employer.

The commercial begins with an introduction of who you are and a little bit about yourself. However, don't tell anything too personal. Only tell things about yourself that relate to the job. Make sure that a handshake is present during this part of the contact. Another thing is to ask questions and possibly have some knowledge about the company you are talking to, (but don't mention any lawsuits or bad press). Show the employers you know a little something about their company but ask questions so that you give the impression that you want to build upon that knowledge by possibly working for them because the job interests you. During this one minute commercial, present your resume'. The most important thing is to be respectful of others' time. A huge thing about communication is that nonverbal cues comprise 60-70 percent of the messages that we convey to others. Even printing your resume' on a better quality of paper is a nonverbal cue that reveals a lot about yourself to others. Posture, the way you dress, how you talk, and body language is key during this step of the process.

The third step is to FOLLOW-UP. Get business cards and contact names. Determine the appropriate follow-up by asking whom to talk with about possible employment and a good time to reach that person. Ask what is the best way to reach the person, like is it better to call or email? Keeping a log of whomever you talked to and when shows some evidence of your interest in employment for the company or business. You never want to hear the dreaded, "We'll call you."

Linda Posivio from the Lake County Job Service doled out advice on "Interviewing With Confidence." The process is basically the same as going to a Career Fair and talking to a possible employer. The difference is that when you are being interviewed, it is because they have picked you out of a crowd and want to learn more about you. Instead of you asking the questions to determine if the job is right for you, the employees are asking you questions to see if you are right for the job. The secret is to take control of the interview and to think of it as you interviewing the employers to see if the job is right for you.

In the end, it is your life and happiness. You are the only one in control of those two things and nobody else. It is your choice to take the job or not. It is your choice to go into the interview feeling as though you are in power and that it isn't the employers who have the power to make your life good and happy by giving you a job or the power to make you feel worthless if you aren't offered the job.

A networking workshop presented by Patty Stevens, who is affectionately referred to as "Patty Kay," a Mary Kay consultant, as well as financial collections officer for Salish Kootenai Housing Authority, and member of SKC's Board of Directors. Networking, on a deeper level, is connecting with others in a way that is beneficial for everyone involved. Meeting people from all over the community, country, and the world can provide many opportunities to obtain jobs and possibly give an idea of what type of job would benefit you to meet your needs. The work that Patty does requires that she networks positively and maintains positive relationships for the better of all involved, no matter if she is selling make-up or collecting payments.

Booths from several places of employment from the reservation, Missoula, and even as far away as Bethel, Alaska were set up ranging from Kicking Horse Job Corps, Early Childhood Services, hospitals, insurance companies, Costco, Wal-Mart, and several others. It was like seeing opportunities available in a tangible form. Instead of thinking about the possibilities of careers, you could see them with your own eyes.

These jobs are the beginnings or the seeds of a career path. It's definitely a start to a path through life. Every experience in life can have something positive or negative to offer.

If those opportunities are like seeds, then how you plant them and take care of them will produce a creation that is entirely yours. It mostly depends on attitude and imagination. If you believe that you are worth something and deserving of a job, then others will believe the same thing about you too.

In talking with a representative from Costco, she was asked about what she thought of the career fair. She thought it was very successful, worth the time, and she got to meet a lot of nice people.

One table that peaked some interest was the AFLAC representative. Some may have seen the commercials for AFLAC with the white duck that says, "AFLAC," all of the time. She said that the ducks do a lot for her company. She works mostly in the western Montana region and travels to many career fairs. She explained that her job was very flexible in terms of if she wanted to work close to home, travel, relocate, or work hours that were convenient for her. She was previously employed as a high school teacher. Instead of trying to get me to work for her, she was more interested in helping me figure out possible alternatives as she asked me questions about my intended majors and education.

She was impressed with how well it turned out and definitely benefited as an employer/employee from the experience. She hoped that for next year's career fair that more people are prepared; know how to communicate, and follow-up. It would have been really great if people at least brought resumes to hand to employers. Basically, next year more people should make an effort at utilizing the resources and people available in order to gain some important knowledge and make the experience valuable.

The woman from AFLAC remarked that some people walked up to the table and just stared. Obviously, there was some interest, but the people who stared obviously weren't prepared enough to know what to do. As employers, they want to know why you are interested. Basically, ask questions that relate to the job or company.

Rosie Hugs from the Youth Empowerment Project at SKC was also there. She currently works with a group of 12 year-old girls. Mentors and volunteers are needed to fill positions with the YEP to chaperone the group on trips; plan cultural, academic, and physical activities that are fun; build meaningful relationships with the kids; and make a difference in their lives. She talked about how important that age group is because of the tremendous growth of the prefrontal cortex of the brain at that stage in life. In a Developmental Psychology class offered at SKC, the beginning of adolescence is a window of opportunity for young people to begin to develop into young men and young women or to turn into juvenile delinquents.

The First Annual Career Fair was a success and beneficial for all the participants. Hopefully, a resource like this will continue to grow and become a positive experience for everyone to enjoy. Hopefully everyone will take advantage of such an event to benefit in ways that will affect themselves and others.