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Business & Tech

About 200 Attend Kendall Job Fair

Event included employer booths, workshops for Kendall County job seekers.

Teri Cullen, manager of career services at Waubonsee Community College, remembers a cellular phone ringing about 5 minutes into a mock job interview.

It didn't impress her.

"I told him you can leave now, because you're not going to get the job," Cullen said.

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She parsed that advice and more Friday during a workshop at the Kendall County Job Resources Fair at Waubonsee's Plano Campus. The event was organized by the college and several area economic development corporations, including Yorkville’s, Montgomery’s and Kendall County’s. The Village of Oswego also collaborated in the event.

Organizers estimated that about 200 people attended.

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The event featured booths with local employers (from the Menards Distribution Center to to the , as well as workshops on topics such as “Surviving Tough Times” and “Networking for Everyone.”

Kendall County board member Dan Koukol, who chairs the county’s Economic Development Committee, was surprised at the wide age range of people who walked into the job fair Friday morning. He said he had been expecting mostly younger workers, but he also saw several people with a lot of experience under their belts. One man, Koukol said, had recently been laid off after 30 years at his job.

In Cullen’s workshop, “Make the Most of Your Search,” she encouraged a handful of participants to do enough research on a company that they could write targeted cover letters and resumes and ask relevant questions at a job interview. She gave them some basic advice: arrive early for the interview, dress well, and bring a nice pen and nice writing pad.

She also told them – despite the bad economy – not to take a job they’ll immediately regret taking. She encouraged them to seek help from Waubonsee’s Career Services about three months into their job search. Career Services offers resume screening and other help for anyone who lives within the community college’s district.

"Just put the time in," Cullen said. "It's the best I can tell you."

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Click here for information on Waubonsee Community College's Career Services. Click here for information on upcoming resume review clinics.

Click here for information on the Brighter Futures Scholarship, which provides up to $500 for workforce development courses.

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