October 10, 2018 • Amanda Pullman
Upcoming Networking Opportunity: the RVA Career Expo
Will you be at the RVA Career Expo on October 19? Smart Resources will be joining a host of other companies to get face-to-face with local top talent at Virginia’s premier professional career fair. The event will take place from 9 AM – 2 PM at the beautiful Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center and will host more than 100 companies searching for Richmond-area professionals. Smart Resources attends the event bi-annually and is anticipating that it will to be a rewarding experience for both candidates and recruiters.
The Richmond Chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association is organizing the event with the Career Prospectors and Job Assistance Ministry (JAM) networking groups. Career Prospectors serves the greater Richmond area, focusing on helping professionals find job opportunities by hosting networking events. Their weekly meetings serve as support groups for struggling job-seekers to connect with like-minded individuals and discuss the emotions that come with the job search process, as well as to share leads and potential job prospects.
JAM offers numerous free services to job-seekers including, resume assistance, one-on-one mentoring, and career counseling, along with special skill workshops and professional roundtables. The groups provide volunteers to run the event – often individuals who have benefitted from previous expos and are hoping to help others.
Smart Resources continues to attend the RVA Career Expo for a multitude of reasons. Each year, expo turnout has steadily increased. Today, organizations of all sizes are in attendance, from Fortune 500 companies down to small businesses, allowing for a variety of industries to be represented, including IT, Finance, Communications, and more. The event also raises money for scholarships at Virginia Tech. In 2017, attendees raised $10,000 for Richmond-area students.
Our past experiences at the RVA Career Expo have taught us quite a bit. Here are some preparation tips for candidates hoping to network at the expo and land their next job:
- Come Prepared: Update your resume beforehand and bring multiple copies to hand out throughout the event. Consider how you’ll introduce yourself to different organizations as well.
- Do Your Homework: Brush up on basic knowledge about companies before you meet them in person. When you talk to them, say why you’re interested in working with them. Giving a specific reason will help you stand out.
- Stay Positive & Professional: Instead of focusing on the downsides of the job hunt, explain how excited you are to move forward with a recruiter. Also, you could be meeting your future employer or supervisor, so keep things professional.
This year, the Smart Resources team will be located at Booth #22 in the Cardinal Ballroom. For more information about attending the RVA Career Expo or to learn more about Smart Resource’s participation in the event, don’t hesitate to reach out. We look forward to seeing you there!
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