By Mauricio Minotta

It literally took three weeks after attending GIA’s Career Fair last year for Lisa Wall’s life to drastically change. Before she knew it, the former manager of operations and finance in the airline industry was packing her bags in Atlanta and moving to Dallas for a mid-life career change with Zale Corporation.

Wall, like some who attended Career Fair in July, had little-to-no experience in the gem and jewelry industry. She did have a Graduate Gemologist diploma from GIA and experience as a manager she hoped would transfer into a job in a new industry. A short meeting during last year’s event with a Zale Corporation representative changed everything.

“A week later I got a call. The second week I flew to Dallas for interviews and by the third week I was moving to Dallas,” Wall said during the opening session at GIA’s 2004 New York Career Fair, sponsored by the VNU Jewelry Group.

“I gained so much at Career Fair. If you really want to learn about this industry, talk to the recruiters,” she said. “They’ll tell you anything you want to know. I encourage all of you to take advantage of the opportunity you have here.”

Opportunity was in wide abundance. Representatives from 50 companies attended – a record number – and they all had jobs in the gem and jewelry industry to offer.

The one-on-one coaching sessions, once again among the biggest draws of the event, gave job seekers the rare opportunity to receive personalized advice from executives representing some of the industry’s top companies.

“We are so grateful to the coaches who participate in this very important session each year,” said Kathryn Kimmel, vice president of Marketing and Public Relations at GIA. “The expertise and advice they provide is invaluable, which is why this portion of Career Fair has continued to be highly sought after by attendees each year.”   

A series of seminars and panel discussions were also part of the day’s events, with topics ranging from how to sharpen interviewing skills and market your talents, to how to identify industry trends and information on immigration law for international students who wish to work in the United States.

Michael Bondanza, a jewelry designer for more than 30 years, shared the story of his early struggles and eventual rise in the industry as he first sold his pieces to small retailers before landing high profile accounts such as Cartier.

“The first few years in this industry is finding out where you fit best,” Bondanza said. “But when you know what you want to do, really pursue it.”

Richard Aron, president of InsideOut Consulting, stressed the importance of making a strong first impression in “(Re)Positioning Yourself for Success.” Dressing professionally and demonstrating confidence is important, he said, but being a good communicator is key during job interviews.

“Part of being a good communicator is being a good listener and working well with other people,” Aron said.

His co-panelist, Linda Zimmer, consultant and business coach, encouraged networking as a way to find new opportunities and to get ahead in the industry.

“Passing out business cards is useless,” she said. “You need to make contact with people and meet with them regularly because this industry is about relationships.”

Marc Dorio, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Perfect Interview, provided a three-step approach to getting a job during his question-and-answer session, “Interviewing Skills Workshop.”

Job seekers must first prepare for the interview by researching as much as possible about a prospective employer through the internet, interviewing friends or acquaintances who work there, if any, and even arriving for the interview early to “get a feel” for the organization, he said. Second, he encouraged interviewing the interviewee to assess specific company needs.

“Don’t look for a job, look for work,” Dorio said. “Find out what the needs are then sell the skills you have that fit those needs.”

Finally, he stressed the importance of sending a thank you note after the interview to highlight additional skills for the job that may not have been mentioned during the initial meeting.

“The card shouldn’t just say ‘thank you.’ Use it as a tool to continue selling yourself,” Dorio said. “And remember, be yourself during interviews. If you get a job by being phony, I guarantee you’ll be unhappy and unsuccessful.”

GIA will host a second Career Fair at its Robert Mouawad Campus in Carlsbad Oct. 15. It is sponsored by the JCK International Publishing Group. For more information, call (800) 421-7250, ext. 4100 or visit www.gia.edu.