On Friday, April 21, City Year Chicago (CYCHI) is hosting its first career fair in over a decade at the brand-new BUILD Chicago headquarters. “Career fair” does not even begin to encompass the event, with recruiters for internships, summer jobs, and long-term employment opportunities. On-site recruiters span many industries: Deloitte, Teach for America, BMO Harris, the Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Schools, Exelon, the Chicago Cubs, Starbucks, the Chicago Bears, and more.
CYCHI is dedicated to improving the academic and social-emotional well-being of the thousands of students we serve. We also strive to create career pathways for it’s 150 AmeriCorps members (ACMs) as they transition into the workforce.
“Companies and organizations were recruited to participate based on survey results issued to our ACMs. The goal is to provide a concentrated space where they can network, interview, become more informed of opportunities, and hopefully walk away with a job after their incredible service to our city,” said LaCael Palmer Pratt, Managing Director of Partnerships and Civic Engagement.
The career fair is the first event at BUILD Chicago’s new facility in the Austin neighborhood, 5100 W. Harrison, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It will be closed to the pubic providing a unique opportunity for corps members. Unlike other public career fairs, ACMs will not need to wait in lines or compete to connect with recruiters.
“We want our corps members to have resources. They have access to public career fairs year-long. In this situation, we wanted to bring opportunities to them, specifically, that concentrate in their areas of interest, where they’re just competing with themselves,” said Palmer Pratt.
In addition, four workshops will cover topics such as acquiring scholarships, aligning one’s career with their purpose, and financial literacy.