Here’s a résumé tip (and more) from last night’s jobs fair: NET/WORK 2017

We had beer. We had cookies. We had awards. We had around 100 job seekers hit 1313 Innovation for Technical.ly’s NET/WORK 2017 event here in Delaware.
The bulk of the night went to the companies hosting tables for interested candidates. With a focused effort on connecting with brilliant developers, engineers and data gurus (all of which there were plenty), companies like Capital One, Christiana Care, The Archer Group, BlackRock, Chatham Financial, DLHCAD and more met with attendees.
We offered job seekers the chance to finally get that much-needed pro headshot thanks to Capital One, and besides that we had what’s been described as the best newsletter signup system ever conceived. Confirmed. It’s fun.

We have possibly the greatest newsletter sign up game ever conceived here at #NETWORKDE17. pic.twitter.com/OMAmEEqAxp

— Technical.ly Delaware (@technicallyDE) March 30, 2017

Mixed between the tables of companies was Ryan Fuller, a career counsellor from the University of Delaware’s Career Services department. She served as a resume reviewer for the evening. She also served a constant flow of people looking for advice.
We sat down with her for a few minutes and asked for a super quick tip that every resume could use. Her response? Good formatting. Fuller told us that employers spend around 10 seconds with a resume before deciding whether or not to bring someone in for an interview. If the formatting is off, they’ll move on. Fast.

Resume review: ✅#NETWORKDE17 pic.twitter.com/xXDNPYwOko

— Technical.ly Delaware (@technicallyDE) March 30, 2017

Fuller also told us that job fairs like NET/WORK are spectacular for getting work. Getting your face in front of potential employers is one of the best things you can do for your career.
By 6 p.m., around 30 people made their way up and away from the open floor to a what felt like a lecture space in 1313. There, Archer Group Front End Developer Elizabeth Cottrell and JPMorgan Chase Software Developer Jocelyn Harper offered a workshop all about getting started in the world of dev. The pair discussed challenges, diversity, daily work and their success over the span of half-an-hour before turning to the audience for questions.

Kicking off #NetworkDE17's workshop on Transitioning into a Tech Career with Elizabeth Cottrell and Jocelyn Harper! pic.twitter.com/ijv1fcZPoM

— GDI Wilmington (@gdiwilm) March 30, 2017

In one particularly poignant response, Cottrell told job seekers that the best thing they can do for themselves is to get online, find the job description for the job they want and treat its qualification requirements as a checklist. Hit those skills one by one through whatever education means possible, and then get to work applying for similar jobs.
Jobs were the prize on which all eyes were locked, but the swag was great, too. Watch our team’s Snapchat SWAG REPORT for proof:

Back on the floor, attendees and companies were winding down towards the happy hour segment of the evening. Before that began, we announced the winners of our NET/WORK Awards for the year. As nominated and voted on by our readers, we had some exceptionally tight contests this year.
Here’s who won:

• Best up-and-coming startup: BookBandit
• Best Twitter account: @DELibraries
• Best coworking manager: Lori Davis from The Hub at 1201
• Best CTO: Randall Gaboriault from Christiana Care Health System
• Best corporate dev team: Chatham Financial

During the happy hour, attendees and companies broke away from their tables and towards the drinks to talk more about what they’re looking for. One attendee told us they were there primarily to see if The Archer Group was taking on interns. Turns out, they spoke to a lot more companies, and they were excited about taking that next step. That’s what these events are all about.