By Samantha Bambino
The Times
“I know what it’s like to not have a job.”
Jennifer Schultz, president and CEO of locally focused recruitment company RecruitmentQueen, is hosting her 15th career fair on April 26 in the Sears Court of the Neshaminy Mall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Schultz began her mission of helping job seekers in January 2014. Her initial focus, which continues today, was to help more local people find jobs. Schultz saw locals endlessly sending resumes through engines like Indeed and Monster, struggling to get results. She wanted to create an opportunity for qualified applicants to have a better chance of standing out with a face-to-face interaction, and not be another name on a sheet of paper.
The spring career fair will host between 40 to 50 employers, and there will be over 1,000 job opportunities. Schultz says that all companies in attendance hire at least one new employee, while some take on between 30 to 40. She says the most important thing is “getting people to come out.” The CEO explains there are 6,500 to 7,000 unemployed in Bucks County, but only 400 to 600 come out to the fair.
“There are a lot more people to help,” Schultz says.
The career fair will be a general event, with no focus on just one industry. There will be employers from many fields, including sales, medical practices, call centers and manufacturing. Attendees can meet with various local Bucks County companies, including Univest, Welcome Wagon, Quad/Graphics and Comcast.
Schultz has some words of advice for those interested — “plan on showing up.” Many people register but never end up attending, which is a missed opportunity. The career fair will allow job seekers to have a different conversation with potential employers. It is an open and laid-back atmosphere, much different than a professional interview.
Though the fair is more relaxed and is held in a mall, Schultz encourages people to still dress the part of a professional interviewee. It is easy to stumble upon the event by chance while shopping in sweatpants with the family, but would you take your kids and newly purchased items on an interview? Probably not.
It is never a bad idea to research the employers that will be present. There is only a short period of time to impress them, so it helps to show off knowledge of the company’s recent accomplishments and missions. Job seekers should plan on bringing at least 10 to 15 recently updated resumes. While they might not speak with every employer present, with over 40 to choose from, two to three copies just aren’t enough.
Schultz also recommends practicing an “elevator pitch” with family or friends beforehand. Job seekers will be more at ease introducing themselves professionally and discussing their experience on the big day. She describes the event and these conversations as being “like a party,” where attendees get to talk about themselves and learn about potential employers.
In additional to hosting seasonal career fairs, RecruitmentQueen has a job board on its website, RecruitmentQueen.com, on which employers post positions specifically for local candidates in Bucks County, Montgomery County and the Philadelphia region. Interested job seekers can register for the career fair at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bucks-county-spring-job-fair-job-seeker-registration-tickets-32435134360?aff=es2 and employers can register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bucks-county-spring-job-fair-employer-registration-tickets-32359631529.••
Samantha Bambino can be reached at [email protected]
