The Truckee Meadows Community College Spring 2016 Job Fair featured a record number of 72 employers.
Three straightforward steps will help you stand out and advance your career, said Kelley Wong, Student Professional Development Coordinator at Truckee Meadows Community College.
The three ways to shine at the Fall Job Fair are: do your research on a company you’re interested in; have a polished resume ready to go; and dress the part of a seriously potential staff member. More information on these factors follows, below.
“There’s a ton of employers who are hiring right now, it’s definitely an increase,” Wong said. “It started picking up in the summer and we’re hoping to continue the momentum.”
The TMCC Career Center presents the Fall Job Fair and Networking Breakfast in October. The events are open to all students and alumni. Business casual style dress is required for the Networking Breakfast.
- Date: Wednesday, Oct. 12
- Breakfast: 9–10 a.m., Red Mountain Building, room 115
- Job Fair: 10 a.m.–1 p.m., V. James Eardley Student Center
“Alumni are invited—we’re always excited when alumni can participate,” Wong said. “If students or graduates need help preparing for the Job Fair or with networking, they are invited to come to one of our free workshops.”
More than 70 companies have registered to table at the TMCC Fall Job Fair. New businesses and organizations to the event include but are not limited to the following:
- Boreal Mountain Resort
- BrightStar Care Reno
- California Department of Transportation
- Consolidated Aviation Services
- Elite Spice
- Imperial Supplies LLC
- Lassen National Forest
- Pacific Dental Services
- Panasonic Corporation
- PPG Architectural Coatings
- Reno Vulcanizing Auto Care and Tires
- Tahoe Forest Health System
- Trinity Services, Inc.
- Urban Roots
Other registered employers represent many widespread industries including the following:
- Retail
- State and county government
- Government contractors
- Education
- Nonprofit agencies
- Health care, dental care, senior and home care, massage therapy
- Uniform services
- Staffing companies
- Banking and finance
- Logistics and shipping
- Transportation and automotive
- Manufacturing and manufacturing tools, supplies
- Computing and power equipment
- Gaming and hospitality, ski resorts
- Contractors, housing and construction
- Security services and technology
- Electronics
A white board in the Student Center at “Door Two,” closest to the walkway leading to Elizabeth Sturm Library, has a listing of all participating organizations, and Wong updates the board daily.
Research, Resume and Dress
“Look at the list of employers, figure out a few that you’re interested in and do some research about the companies,” Wong said.
The TMCC Career Center can also advise students for what types of positions the employers are looking.
“Then, based on what you’ve found out, come up with three talking points; a topic about the company, something about the position and one about yourself,” she added.
Having a polished and error-free resume is important. There are typically key words associated with a job position or description and these key words should be found in several places on a resume.
“Employers have said that they put stars on resumes they want to remember for people they’d like to call in for an interview,” Wong said.
A drop-in clinic for resume help is available in Job Lab, open five days a week at the Dandini Campus and one day a week at three other TMCC sites. A full Job Lab schedule is posted on the TMCC Career Center website along with CareerLink, the College’s online job board.
Business dress is another factor with impact on career-seekers. Employers know they are seeing students in their college environment, but if they dress professionally, company representatives can picture the student contributing in the business’s environment and with its company culture.
Wong added that a number of local companies have recently hired TMCC students and graduates, including the following:
- City of Reno
- FedEx®
- NV Energy
“Best Buy is also hiring seasonal employees and the store is sensitive to students’ schedules,” she said.
Even if a student is not currently looking for a job, he or she can learn a great deal, and practice the most crucial career skill of all—networking.
“You can gain a lot of helpful and useful information for the future, such as which companies most like to talk to and hire TMCC graduates,” she said.
Networking is also a learned skill and the more practice students have, the more comfortable they will feel during their upcoming job search. Practice helps ease jitters when it is important to stay calm and centered during an interview.
For the most recent Job Fair list of companies, email Kelley Wong, and for more information about resume, networking or LinkedIn workshops, contact the Career Center at 775-674-7645.