Ready to work
1,000 jobs will be available at RecruitmentQueen’s fifth annual Fall Career Fair at Neshaminy Mall
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
We’re finally on the cusp of a new season as the sweaty, humid days of summer slowly come to an end. An impending, fresh sense of change is in the air. With this shift in weather often comes a desire to shift something within ourselves. For many, a chilly breeze is just the push needed to update that resume.
On Sept. 12, RecruitmentQueen is once again helping locals take that first, sometimes intimidating step back into the job market. Dozens of employers and more than 1,000 opportunities will be available at the Bucks County-based digital job board’s fifth annual Fall Career Fair, which will take place at the Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem.
According to RecruitmentQueen founder and CEO Jennifer Schultz, unemployment rates are the lowest they’ve been since 2000, which means the job market is all the more competitive. To aid job seekers in getting a foot in the door, positions will be available in a variety of fields, including customer service, sales, management, insurance, administrative, banking, clerical, finance, health care, retail, warehousing and more.
To date, a number of employers are already slated to exhibit at the Career Fair, including Traffic Plan, Horsham Clinic, Pennswood Village, Friends Hospital, PA CareerLink, Sykes Enterprises and Penn Community Bank. Several more will be added over the coming weeks.
Ahead of the fair, Penn Community Bank HR business partners, Joe Krotowski and Kirsten Palmieri, shared details on what they’ll be looking for in potential candidates. According to Palmieri, Penn Community Bank hopes to fill a mix of full- and part-time jobs at its branches, which are located in Bristol, Bensalem, Levittown, Langhorne, Doylestown, Newtown and other areas throughout Bucks County. Open positions include tellers, as well as supervisory and accounting roles.
So how can a qualified individual hope to snag a job with the organization? Krotowski and Palmieri provided some advice for Career Fair attendees.
“It helps to know about the company,” Palmieri said. “It’s always a nice conversation piece.”
In the case of Penn Community Bank, she recommended job seekers familiarize themselves with its high involvement in the community, which includes regular participation in local events and fundraising for area nonprofits. She also suggested taking a look online ahead of time at the open positions. By doing this, they’ll have time to reflect on how their experience pertains to the job, which branch location may be the best fit, and how far they would be willing to travel.
For those attendees who leave a strong, positive impression at the fair, a more formal interview will be scheduled afterward. According to Krotowski, a successful candidate will be someone who is all about customer service.
“We really look for that personable person,” he said.
Schultz also had a few words of wisdom to impart on those planning to attend the Career Fair. Sharing Palmieri’s sentiment, she explained how a bit of homework conducted beforehand can go a long way. This preparation helps the job seeker construct a game plan rather than waste precious time on-site determining which tables to visit. It also alleviates some trepidation at the thought of answering simple recruitment questions such as “why do you want to work for us?” Rather than stumble over words, they’ll have a clear, concise answer ready to go.
“Be sure to research the companies with career opportunities that most interest you,” Schultz said. “That insight could help you stand out from other candidates during face-to-face interactions.”
The RecruitmentQueen president also encouraged job seekers to bring several copies of their resume, dress professionally and attend the Career Fair with a sense of confidence — an often lacking trait that could mean the difference in whether they land that dream job.
To help job seekers gain even more recognition from Bucks County employers, Schultz invites those looking for employment to complete a free profile at recruitmentqueen.com. Job alerts can be tailored to send notifications of positions best-suited to the job seeker’s skill sets. ••
If you go…
RecruitmentQueen’s fifth annual Bucks County Fall Career Fair will be held Sept. 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Sears Court of the Neshaminy Mall, 707 Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem.
Employers can register at eventbrite.com/e/bucks-county-fall-career-fair-employer-registration-september-12th-tickets-4791644437. Job seeker registration will be available soon.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
