Are you looking for a job? Indiana’s unemployment rate has hovered around 6 percent recently, some of its lowest numbers in years, but there are still tens of thousands of Hoosiers without jobs.
Now, here’s the good news.
There are employers hiring and you’ll meet more than 80 of them at one of the state’s largest, one-day job fairs – the WTHR Employment Opportunity Fair. It’s the 26th year for the job fair, hosted by Indiana Black Expo Inc., and we’ve been a proud sponsor for nearly two decades. The WTHR Employment Opportunity Fair takes place at the Indiana Convention Center, in the 500 Ballroom, on July 17, from noon to 5 p.m.
Janelle Henson, event coordinator at Indiana Black Expo, told me recently that, “This job fair is for everybody. It’s for people who are trying to advance in their career or people who are new to the job market. And, they’re going to see everyone there.”
She’s right about that. There are employers from hospitals, colleges, utilities companies, banks, police departments and many more areas. Duke Energy, this year’s presenting sponsor, will be on site with hopes of filling dozens of positions.
I interviewed Melody Birmingham-Byrd, the senior vice president of Midwest Delivery Operations for Duke Energy, on our WTHR Cares noon focus segment. She says, “What many people don’t realize is that there are lucrative opportunities within the utility industry and, with the attrition rates, we have a number of employees who are retiring this year, as well as next year. In Indiana alone, we will be hiring as many as 40 to 100 employees this year, and additional positions across the company and all six states where we are located.”
Now that’s just one employer and some will actually be conducting interviews on site. With that in mind, remember to dress for success! Indiana Black Expo advises you to dress professionally, just as you would for a job interview. Also, while you’re at the job fair, you can attend free workshops that are being conducted simultaneously. The workshop topics are: How to Maximize your Job Search in the New Age; How to Connect with the Person Who Will Hire You; Is What You’re Doing Costing You the Job?; A Successful Interview – Beginning to End; and Marketing Your Professional Assets.
You have to register to attend the free workshops, as well as the WTHR Employment Opportunity Fair. If you want to get a head start on making a good impression before you come to the job fair, WorkOne Indy offers free learning videos, online, that address how to make a positive impression during an interview, develop your resume and find a job, among many other instructional discussions.
And, the Indiana Black Expo shares some job tips to prepare you for the WTHR Employment Opportunity Fair, including questions you can ask employers. Remember, preparation increases your chances of success and you only get one chance to make a first impression. Who knows? You could be meeting your future employer.
You can connect to all of this information – registration for the job fair and workshops, job fair tips and WorkOneIndy – on WTHR.com. Hope to see you there!
