UIS, LLCC to host virtual Career Connections Expo

People in Central Illinois looking for a career have a great opportunity coming up this week, and you won't even have to leave home for it.

The University of Illinois Springfield and Lincoln Land Community College are hosting the 2021 Virtual Career Connections Expo.

It will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 4.

Representatives with more than 50 organizations are expected to attend.

This story aired on WICS on March 2, 2021.

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Career Expo coming to UIS this February

People in central Illinois looking for a career have a great opportunity coming up in February.

The University of Illinois Springfield and Lincoln Land Community College will host the 2020 Career Connections Expo on February 6, 2020.

Whether you're a student, alumni or a community member, you're invited to attend the free event.

The Career Connections Expo will be held at the Recreation and Athletic Center on the UIS campus from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Representatives from more than 100 organizations will be attending the expo.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on January 22, 2020

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UIS accepting donations of professional clothing for student interviews

The University of Illinois Springfield Career Development Center is asking Springfield-area residents for help.

The center is accepting donations of clean, new or gently-used, ready-to-wear professional clothing for students.

Donations can be dropped off at the UIS Career Development Center on November 11th through the 15th, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on November 5, 2019.

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Susan Koch: Career development at UIS

The following is an excerpt from a column by University of Illinois Springfield Chancellor Susan Koch. This column appeared in The State Journal-Register on January 5, 2019.

As the new year begins, college students across the country will soon return to their studies following the winter break. More than 20,000 of those students will begin their final semester at the University of Illinois, including about 1,500 whose hands I’ll proudly shake on the University of Illinois Springfield commencement stage in May.

According to the Pew Research Center, a college degree is worth more today than ever before in terms of employment prospects, higher salaries and job satisfaction; but managing the transition from college to career can be intimidating.

Fortunately for UIS students, that’s exactly where Kathyy Battee-Freeman, Director of the UIS Career Development Center, can help.

With a background including degrees in Human Resources, Career Counseling and Applied Psychology and with more than 18 years of Career Development experience, Battee-Freeman and her team provide essential resources for students, faculty and employers to ensure the college-to-career transition has a positive outcome for all.

“Our first goal is to serve as a partner with students to develop tailored, realistic career strategies and obtainable goals,” says Battee-Freeman. “Starting with Freshman Orientation, we work with students throughout their educational experience — providing individualized counseling to help clarify goals and aspirations, connecting students to resources both on and off campus, and helping them develop skills such as resume writing, using digital job search tools like LinkedIn, interviewing and presenting themselves professionally — all so important for a successful transition from college to career.”

Jodi Weiss, CEO of EverythingSmart (a career strategy organization), advises students to plot their career roadmap throughout the college experience.

For this reason, Battee-Freeman and Career Center staff also partner with UIS faculty to integrate career readiness components across the curriculum — elements tailored to specific programs and majors.

Professor Hilary Frost, Director of the Global Studies program at UIS, is one such faculty partner.

Dr. Frost begins her Freshman Seminar by engaging students in a self-assessment to determine what kinds of careers might be a good match for their interests. She then takes her students on a “field trip” to the Career Development Center where they learn about services offered, interpret results of their assessment, and explore opportunities and networks that will lead toward career goals during their college experience.

“The UIS Career Development Center is key to a successful college experience,” says Dr. Frost. “It provides a strategic bridge between the theoretical ideas of the classroom and the working world.” “Over many years collaborating with the Center, I’ve learned what employers in my field are seeking from new college graduates (e.g., language skills, international experience and intercultural communication skills),” she adds. “I’ve developed my courses accordingly to ensure students build those skills. This ultimately enables students to truly put their education to work.”

A third strategic partner is the employer, and the Center maintains relationships with employers, large and small, throughout Springfield and beyond.

A special opportunity will occur next month when the UIS Career Connections Expo is held in The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC). This annual event, scheduled for February 14th, draws more than a hundred employers and several hundred job-seekers.

Read the entire column online.

Dress to impress: UIS helping students prepare for future jobs

The University of Illinois Springfield is helping students dress to impress with their annual suit drive.

It’s all for National Career Development Month.

From now, Monday, Nov. 12, through Nov. 16, UIS will be collecting suits, blazers, slacks, ties, anything you would wear to an interview.

This story aired on Fox 55 News on November 12, 2018.

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Hundreds look for new careers at UIS

Over 125 businesses and organizations were at Thursday's Career Connection Expo at the University of Illinois Springfield.

The expo was co-hosted by Benedictine and Lincoln Land Community College, plus the community was invited.

Organizers said they expected over 500 job seekers to come through Thursday.

“It's important to have these types of events because it allows a number of employers to connect in one place that way job seekers don't have to run all over the county and all over the state, here you have 125 employers in one spot that you can talk to on the spot,” director of career development Kathyy Battee-Freeman said.

This is the 20th year UIS has held the career fair.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on February 15, 2018.

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UIS students dress the part through University Professional Clothing Closet

This week, University of Illinois Springfield students have the opportunity to get business attire for free through the University Professional Clothing Closet.

The program is open to UIS students only and is a way to help them dress the part for job interviews, job fairs, and networking events.

"We've heard from a couple of students that they decided not to go to activities because they didn't feel like they had professional clothing to present themselves well,” Director of UIS Career Development Center Kathyy Battee-Freeman said. “So we wanted to reduce one of those barriers by offering them a free opportunity to do that."

Organizers hope students will wear their new outfits at UIS's Career Connections Expo on February 15, which is open to the public.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on January 30, 2018.

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Registration open for UIS Career Connections

Registrations are open for the 20th annual Career Connections Expo, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at University of Illinois Springfield.

The expo will be at The Recreation and Athletic Center. Attendance has averaged more than 400 at previous expos.

The event highlights employment and internship opportunities for students, UIS graduates and the public.

Additional information is available from UIS Career Development Center, 206-6508 or employerrelations@uis.edu.

This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 7, 2017.

Read the entire article online.

Helicopter parents on their child's job hunt

Helicopter parents can be over-protective of their adult children, even as they try to join the workforce.

Some employers say the millennial generation can be hurt by the people who care about them most.

"I have a very active family," says Malcolm Bennett, a senior at the University of Illinois Springfield. "I'm looking for pretty much anything to get started in the workforce," says Malcolm.

With the tight job market since the great recession, young job seekers often have partners: helicopter parents.

"My mom has literally picked out career paths," says Malcolm. "That doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to listen to her."

The Career Development Center at UIS helps students prepare for the job hunt.

"It's great to have the parents help," says Katherine Battee-Freeman, the director of the Center. "But we don't want the students to use the parents as a crutch and not understand how to do it themselves."

Counselors say parents play important roles in helping with documents, building their child's confidence and coaching for interviews but helicopter parents hover too close.

"I've heard horror stories," said Battee-Freeman, "Of parents being the one calling the employer and saying, are you going to hire my student or when are we going to hear back from you."

"Parents can, with the best interests of their child at heart, impact them negatively," said Josh Britton, a staffing expert with Express Employment Professionals in Springfield. He said some parents have done all the phone calling, interview scheduling, even filled out the job application.

"The message that sends to employers is that the parent's going to be involved anytime something of significance happens on the job," said Britton. "Whether it's positive or negative."

Back at UIS, Malcolm Bennett appreciates all the effort and money his family put into his education and job search and says it has added some stress. But he's most thankful for the way they let go. "My family's kind of hands-off," said Malcolm. "After we get you through the door, it's your chance to shine."

This story appeared on WICS Newschannel 20 on November 17, 2017.

Watch the entire story online.

Making career connections at UIS

Thursday afternoon, hundreds came out to the University of Illinois Springfield for its Annual Career Connections Expo.

The expo is intended to bring students, alumni, community members and employers together to discuss career opportunities and build professional connections.

Organizers tell us this is the best chance for students to begin the process of landing a job.

"That opportunity to meet with someone face to face, to ask questions offline, to be able to get feedback about type of skills that employers are looking for, the type of experiences they are looking for, those conversations are truly valuable," Kristin Nisbet-White with the UIS Career Development Center said. "And we're hoping that students can come out and really gather that valuable information today."

The event is hosted by the career services office at UIS and Lincoln Land Community College.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on February 16, 2017.

Watch the story online.

UIS helping students, alumni find careers

On Thursday, the University of Illinois Springfield is holding its 19th Annual Career Connections Expo.

Officials say the expo is designed to help students, alumni and other community members a chance to find jobs and learn about various companies in the area.

More than 100 employers are expected to be at the expo.

"You can learn a lot more from a conversation and being able to ask questions. We love to see those moments happen where students and community job seekers are able to build that connection, ask questions, find out about the different ways they may be able to add value to a different company or organization, said Kristin Nisbet-White, with Employer Development.

The expo starts at 11:30 a.m. Thursday and will run through 2:30 p.m. at "TRAC" on the UIS campus.

This story appeared on WISC Newschannel 20 on February 15, 2017.
Watch the story online.

Employers sought for UIS Career Connections Expo

Employer registration has opened for the 2017 Career Connections Expo at University of Illinois Springfield, scheduled for Feb. 16 at The Recreation and Athletic Center.

Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The event is an opportunity for students, alumni and community to meet with local employers.

Previous events have drawn an average of 400 students and alumni.

Employer booths are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

The registration deadline is 5 p.m. on Feb. 6. Employers can register through the CareerConnect online system.  Employers also can establish an online profile at no cost. UIS students and alumni can load resumes onto the site.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 6, 2016.

Read the entire article online.

Central Illinois residents invited to 2016 Career Connections Expo

The University of Illinois Springfield is partnering with Lincoln Land Community College and ITT Technical Institute to host the 2016 Career Connections Expo on February 16.

The expo will be held at the Recreation and Athletic Center at UIS from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Officials say they hope to help attendees find job and internships, make professional connections, and explore potential career paths.

More than 100 employers are scheduled to be represented at this event. Attendees will be required to wear business casual clothing, and should bring copies of their resumes to the expo.

This event is open to students and alumni from all three institutions, and community members.

The story was reported by WAND-TV on February 3, 2016.

Read the article online.

Employers sought for UIS career expo

University of Illinois Springfield is seeking businesses and other organizations for the 2016 Career Connections Expo.

The expo is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at The Recreation and Athletic Center.

UIS, Lincoln Land Community College and ITT Technical Institute co-sponsor the expo, which allows alumni and graduates of the schools to meet with prospective employers from the area.

Employer booth assignments are first-come, first served and early registration is encouraged at uis.edu/career. The registration deadline is 5 p.m. Feb. 5. Additional information is available from the UIS Career Development Center, 206-6508 or employerrelations@uis.edu.

The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on December 16, 2015.

Read the article online.

'Resumania' at UIS helps students get noticed in competitive job market

The low-tech paper resume survives.

But in a fast-moving, highly competitive job market, the traditional one- to two-page summary is just a basic start toward getting noticed by employers, say career counseling experts. Social media, of course, is a must-use part of the mix. But just as with ink on paper, the wrong word or emphasis can doom an applicant's prospects at the start.

And in the world of Facebook, blogs and Twitter, the "delete" key doesn't.

"There's no such thing as erasing information once it's out there," said Tammy Craig, director of the Career Development Center at the University of Illinois Springfield. "I always tell students I work with, 'Ask yourself this question: I'm going to post this. Twenty years down the road, do I want the whole world to know this?' "

Social media is crucial in job marketing, Craig said. LinkedIn is considered a basic requirement, she said, but personal websites, online portfolios, Twitter and blogs are increasingly used by employers to data mine for talent. The key is to make sure information is professionally presented and up-to-date.

Resume writing should begin well before students go out into the world, Craig said, and it's an ongoing process of updating and reorganizing. Separate one-on-one counseling sessions for graduate and undergraduate students at UIS — dubbed "Resumania" — go through the basics.

The article was published by The State Journal-Register on January 25, 2015.

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Career fair coming in February

First impressions are extremely important when it comes to landing a new job. Career fairs can present good opportunities to add personality to your resume submission.

A prime chance for community members and college students to get a feel for what’s available locally comes Feb. 20 at the Springfield Collegiate Career Fair. The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Recreation and Athletic Center at the University of Illinois Springfield.

Career fair organizer Elaine Thomas, employer development and informatics liaison at UIS, said the annual event always draws dozens of businesses looking to hire.

The fair caters to a variety of job seekers. Recruiters at the event will be looking for both students and non-students for part-time, full-time and volunteer/internship work.

“We are really just wanting anybody who is looking for a job, internship or potential volunteer opportunities,” Thomas said. “Even if it’s someone looking for a new opportunity who’s been recently laid off. The underemployed is, of course, always a concern for us.”

The fair was featured by The State Journal-Register on January 12, 2014.

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Record number of employers participate at UIS job fair

Central Illinois employers are ready to hire if they can find candidates with the right technical skills and whose social skills extend beyond social media.

“They’re here. They’re ready to go if they find the right person,” said Tammy Craig, director of UIS Career Development Center. “The economy is slowly growing. Employers are still being conservative, but they are hiring.”

A record number of 107 employers set up booths at the “Foot in the Door” job fair Thursday on the UIS campus. Of those, 79 indicated they had full-time positions ready to fill and several asked for special accommodations to conduct on-the-spot job interviews for promising candidates that stopped at their booths.

The story was reported in The State Journal-Register on September 29, 2013.

Read the article online

UIS hosts career fair at TRAC

Vicente Valtierra was just one of the students who flocked to the University of Illinois Springfield Tuesday, looking for an opportunity to start a career.

"As long as I'm working with people, helping someone out, I'd be happy," Valtierra said.

He graduates in May with a master's degree in computer science. He's not worried about the state of the economy. Instead, he keeps an open mind about finding work in his chosen field.

"It's more about how you apply yourself, who you get to know, putting yourself out there," Valtierra said. "That makes a difference. People hear that it's a tough market, the economy is rough, but you take it upon yourself to make a difference."

One way to show that difference is to have something in your background that makes you stand out from everyone else. UIS Career Development Center director Tammy Craig thinks getting valuable experience is critical.

"The key is for them to actually participate in those experiential opportunities through internships, volunteer work, leadership opportunities," Tammy Craig said.

The career fair was featured by WICS-TV 20 on February 12, 2013.

Watch the story online