Job Connections
Open for self-directed services MTWF 8-5 & TH 10-5
*Students or community members needing assistance can
meet with the following individuals on the days when they
are available at the campus indicated
MTWF 8-11am for walk-ins or afternoons by
appointment. Thursday’s offices open at 10am and
are by appointment only.
Fort Steilacoom Job Connections
Located on the 3rd floor of the Cascade building in the
Welcome Center
Danny Marshall, Worker Retraining/Job Connections
Manager
253-912-3641
*Available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Sue Sharer, WorkSource Specialist, ESD Co-lo
253-365-4416
Job Connections Newsletter
Spring Edition 1 - 2014
Employment and Education Fairs
Wednesday, May 7 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Pierce College Fort Steilacoom
Cascade Building 3rd floor
Wednesday, May 14 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Pierce College Puyallup
College Center Building upper hallway
*Available Wednesday and Friday
Ryan Kernan, Educational Opportunity Center Co-lo
253-964-6682
*Available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
.
Jenn Liptrap, Basic Food Employment &Training Manager
253-912-3740
*Available Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Josh Shulkind, Education to Employment Navigator Co-lo
253-720-5318 (work cell)
253-964-3611
*Available Monday and Tuesday
Puyallup Job Connections
Located in the Student Success Center, Admin building,
A106
Denise Green, Workforce Coordinator
253-864-3385
*Available Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
Sue Sharer, WorkSource Specialist, ESD Co-lo
253-365-4416
*Available Tuesday
Ryan Kernan, Educational Opportunity Center Co-lo
253-864-3385
*Available Wednesday
Jenn Liptrap, Basic Food Employment &Training Manager
253-864-3385
*Available Monday
Josh Shulkind, Education to Employment Navigator Co-lo
253-720-5318 (work cell)
253-964-3611
*Please call Josh directly for appointment availability at Puyallup
PC-JobConnect: Online Jobs and internships
Students register at:
www.myinterfase.com/pierce_ctc/student
Employers register at:
www.myinterfase.com/pierce_ctc/employer
PC-JobConnect/MyInterfase questions? Contact:
Job Connections, 253-964-6798
Facebook
www.facebook.com/PierceCollegeJobConnections
Start Taking Employment Planning Seriously!
Pick up your S.T.E.P.S. handout today!
We all need strategies to help us be successful at a job fair!
Taking the steps now to prepare strategies for the upcoming
Pierce College Employment and Education Fair can help you
find success in your job search. Stop by Job Connections at the
Fort Steilacoom campus in the Welcome Center or at the
Puyallup campus in the Student Success Center to pick up a
copy of the S.T.E.P.S. handout!
In the S.T.E.P.S. handout you will find information and links
on preparing for the Employment and Education Fairs
including handshake etiquette, social media pointers, what to
wear, and feature articles like “10 Questions to Ask at a Job
Fair.” Feel confident in talking with Employers at the Fair by
learning how to identify your accomplishments and present
them using the C.A.R. (Challenge, Action, and Result)
method. Come prepared and increase your steps to success at
the Employment and Education Fair for 2014.
Need help with what not to do at a Job Fair?
Check out Pierce College’s Job Connections Facebook
www.facebook.com/PierceCollegeJobConnections
-- see the talking shoes, and make sure you prepare to
attend the upcoming Employment and Education Fairs.
Wearing my wheels
wasn’t the best idea
for the
Employment and
Education Fair.
I came to
the job fair!
Now what
do I do?
I’m glad I picked up my
S.T.E.P.S handout from Job
Connections and watched the
talking shoe videos before
coming to the Employment
and Education Fair!
S. tart
T. aking
E. mployment
P. lanning
S. eriously
Pierce
and
Fair 2014
College
Employment
Education
Have you found job hunting on the internet to be a step into a big black hole? Many job seekers can’t
find a way out of a process that amounts to hitting the submit button and sending emails that seem to end
up nowhere.
Attend the Pierce College Employment and Education May 7th (Fort Steilacoom campus) and 14th
(Puyallup campus) to step out of the black hole and make progress in moving towards the career
you want.
What’s in it for you?
Opportunity! This is your chance to…
 Talk directly to employers, learn valuable career information, connect and start the process of
getting hired.
 Find out how your resume received-what are employers looking for and do they see it on your
resume. This is your chance to hand your resume out in person and talk about your potential as
their next great hire.
 Work on your first impression. Have you made it to a past interview only to be passed over?
Analyze, develop and try out your interpersonal skills at the fair.
Step up/ Come prepared
Stop by Pierce College Job Connections for a ***handshake assessment***. You won’t know what you
are doing wrong without asking. We are here to help you be successful.
Handshake how to Make eye contact
 Aim for palm to palm connection (no limp fish fingers or choke holds)
 Up and down once
 Exchange pleasantries (Good morning, hello, nice to meet you)
Have your resume ready Carry a profession folder that has multiple copies of your resume
 Your resume represents you. Print fresh ones for the fair-no creases or wear. Think of your
resume as a paper interview that answers the question “Why should we hire you?”
Take charge of your social media presence before you go Google your name- know what information will turn up if an employer searches you out. If you
have information that you don’t want to share with a future employer take steps now to fix it.

http://lifehacker.com/5963864/how-to-clean-up-your-online-presence-and-make-a-great-firstimpression
Set up or bring your Linkedin page up to date. A Linkedin profile will rise to the top of a google
search and is a great way to market yourself. http://linkedin.com/
What to wear Dress according to your employment goals. Some will want to dress more formally with suit and
tie if you are a man, or for a woman, a jacket, skirt or slacks combination. Generally, “business
casual” is a safe bet for a job fair. If you don’t feel confident in your understanding of the termgood examples can be found with a quick “google images” search.
https://www.google.com/search?q=business+casual&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=
X&ei=svBhUerOAamajAL1vIHwDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQ&biw=1745&bih=860
Take preparation to the next level
Act- don’t react. A well thought out plan will let a prospective employer know that you are serious
and make you more memorable. Take time to read this article- “10 Questions to Ask at a Job Fair”
by Dave Roos.
http://money.howstuffworks.com/business/getting-a-job/10-questions-to-ask-at-jobfair.htm/printable
Step forward-Arrive and start connecting
How is that initial impression formed? Research has shown the break down goes like this:
7% - What we say
38% - Voice quality, grammar and confidence
55% - How we appear, dress and body language
http://visual.ly/mastering-art-career-fair
Now take a deep breath and relax:
Do your best not to speak quickly-talk to as many employers as you can and you’ll find it gets easier to
shake off your nerves.
Allow a comfortable distance between yourself and the employer
Don’t let your first impression be a smell- skip the perfume or cologne.
Eye contact:
Too little is a sign of disinterest
Too much can make your conversation partner uncomfortable.
Your head:
Smile but don’t grin
A gentle nod can indicate you like what you hear (avoid being a head bobber-too much is not better)
Hands and arms:
What to do with your hands…
No, crossing your arms doesn’t solve the problem. Studies have found crossed arms are perceived as
defensive- not the strong superman pose you think you are conveying.
Let your arms gently hang to you sides. Better yet, carry a professional folder in your left hand (with
copies of your resume inside, of course) so that your right hand is available for a handshake at the
beginning and end of your conversation.
http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-746-Getting-Hired-The-Interview-Body-Language-Dos-andDonts/
Step up-
Does the request-“Tell me about yourself” cause you anxiety? Employers come to the Employment Fair to
talk to you. Remember that black hole you want to step out of? This is your chance!
The easy partExtend your hand to the person at the table
Greet them and state your name- it can be as short and sweet as you like.
“Good morning I’m Sue Smith it’s nice to meet you.”
State your education and whether it’s completed or when you will complete it.
If appropriate relate what interests you about their business.
“The course work I enjoyed the most and did the best in was related to business.”
Explain what in your background relates to this work (if it does) but don’t move on to the next table yet.
What skills do you have? These can be job specific skills such as customer service experience and running
a cash register. You might talk about soft skills such as active listening, good communication or attention
to detail.
Now become memorableMake a connection and an impression. It’s not enough to tell someone your accomplishment. Let them
really understand by presenting the whole story.
Begin with your accomplishments. What comes to mind?
If your answer is “not much,” do this activity recommended by Kim Isaacs, Monster resume expert. If you
have limited or no work experience, think instead about courses/training you’ve taken or volunteer
activities.
http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-writing-tips/resume-dig-deepaccomplishments/article.aspx
Set a timer for five minutes, and start jotting down your accomplishments for your most recent position.
Write down any accomplishment, contribution or achievement that comes to mind, even if it seems
insignificant. Complete this exercise for each position on your resume. To help jog your memory, here are
questions to ask yourself:
 Did you receive praise, recognition or pats on the back from your supervisor or colleagues? For
what? (e.g., completing projects ahead of deadline, calming down irate customers, saving money)
 Did you receive a promotion, award or commendations from customers/clients?
 Were you selected for special projects, committees or task forces?
 Name three accomplishments that make you proud. Did you complete a particularly challenging
assignment? Participate in a solution that improved customer service, enhanced efficiency, saved
money/time or increased revenues?
 Are you known throughout your department/company for something?
 If you quit your job, what would everybody say about your work at your good-bye party?
Done? List your favorite(s) here:
Use a C.A.R. to help present your strongest (job relevant) accomplishment
Think of the Challenge (or call it a problem if you like) that motivated your accomplishment
Think about the Action you took
Now summarize the Result (your accomplishment)
If you can- relate it to the work/employer
**************************************
The time you invest thinking about your steps towards attending the
Employment Fair will pay off in a positive exchange of information, new additions to
your network and better understanding of the employment market. Take this
opportunity to find out how you fit in today’s work world and how you can improve
your presentation to open the door to your new career.