As Genesys Works seeks to further progress the Twin Cities toward economic equity and racial justice, it is clearer than ever that employers hold the keys to both jobs and economic opportunity. By way of the Career Fair in late August, corporations sought to leverage that power and employ change.
Amidst a COVID pandemic, the third annual – and first-ever virtual – Career Fair was held on August 21st. Representatives from 11 corporations – including presenting sponsor Target, 3M, Ameriprise Financial, Best Buy, Boom Lab, CHS, Land O’Lakes, Medtronic, Optum, SPS Commerce, and U.S. Bank – convened to meet individually with more than 75 Genesys Works college students and post-secondary graduates.
Prior to the event, young professionals were provided opportunity to prepare for the Career Fair through a variety of avenues, including a webinar hosted by U.S. Bank. The webinar covered tips on “How to Ace a Career Fair,” and featured Peter Thao, a class of ’16 alumnus who is now an information security specialist at U.S. Bank. Additionally, in conjunction with registration for the fair, young professionals had the chance to opt in to receive feedback on their resumes provided by more than 35 Genesys Works volunteers.
Over the course of three hours, young professionals navigated through the virtual fair to speak with company representatives about internship and full-time positions within the technology and business fields as well as expand their professional network. Immediately after the Career Fair, select Genesys Works young professionals were provided the opportunity to interview for open positions. Said one attendee, “I was able to talk with top companies where I otherwise would have just been another name out of thousands. [This fair] allowed me to stand out and made me feel more secure in my job prospects.”
Several event attendees were featured as Genesys Works “Ready to Launch” professionals. These individuals were identified as those seeking a technology or business career with outstanding credentials for hire. If your company is ready to learn more about our growing list of Ready to Launch professionals, please reach out to our Manager of Career Success Nancy Wallace at nwallace@genesysworks.org.
Genesys Works Twin Cities is a nonprofit social enterprise providing opportunities for driven, low-income high school students through meaningful work experiences. Our program consists of eight weeks of technical and professional skills training, a paid year-long corporate internship, college and career coaching, and alumni support to and through multiple post-secondary pathways. Our goal is to serve as the premier talent development pipeline for students from underserved communities while creating a more skilled and diverse workforce of technology and business professionals in the process.
