Abbey Saddler

Talent Executive

Zack Slovina

James Sullinger

Senior Account Executive

Katherine Ortiz

Jen Antill

Senior Talent Executive

Maria LaTour

Marketing Manager

Susie Isphording

Strategic Talent Executive

Ryan Van Echo

Chief Operating Officer

Ryan Smith

Managing Director

Olivia Skaates

Strategic Account Executive, Emerging Markets

Morgan Toney

Account Coordinator

Lauren McCuen

People Operations Coordinator

Kyle Benton

Managing Director, South

Angela Wayner

Strategic Account Executive

Ariel Smith

Deborah Andrews

Director of People Operations

Deborah Day

Tony Haislar

Alan Kutasy

CEO + Founder

Rob Moyer

President + Co-Founder

Whether you're in school and seeking your first job in the real world or looking to embark on a new career path, attending a career or job fair is a smart step for marketing yourself to potential employers. On top of the unavoidable anxiety that comes with job seeking, how can you stand out among other attendees and make a memorable first impression with potential employers? Follow these 5 tips to make the most of your next career fair.

Before going into a career fair, it’s incredibly beneficial to know what companies you plan to connect with to optimize your time (after all, you’re likely attending to get face time with company reps). Once you determine which companies you’d like to network with, review their websites to understand what they do, their core values, community involvement, and any social media channels to understand their culture. Ultimately, can you see yourself working with this company? 

After researching the companies, you can craft a more tailored and personal introduction. This is the perfect opportunity to: 

Hi, I’m John Smith, and I’m currently interning as a social media marketing intern at ABC Marketing here in Columbus. I noticed that your team recently completed a massive project with a healthcare client and increased organic traffic by 20% YoY by implementing the right mix of media, awareness building, and acquisition. One of my passions is connecting data to creative content and testing out messaging based on desired target audiences to drive conversions. I’d love to hear more about your team’s project and what you do at ABC!

Approaching the company booths with intention and understanding who they are and what they do will help set you apart from other attendees – it’s a win-win! 

While it may feel “out of date,” bringing hard copies of your resume to a career fair shows your interest, drive, and professionalism. Make sure your resume is up to date 

Don’t have a printer at home? No sweat. Your local library is an excellent resource for more than just books, and they can help you print copies for less than $0.50 per copy. We recommend researching how many company booths you’d like to visit (see #1 above), then double that number for how many copies to bring with you.  

This is simply an answer you give to the most asked “So… tell me about yourself?” question. This is your chance to show off who you are and your accomplishments in 30-seconds or less. Our Talent Executive, 

 or, in this case, as an intro to a potential employer. 

Like after a job interview, follow up with the individuals at the company booths you networked with and are interested in pursuing a career. While at the career fair, jot down notes such as big takeaways from your time with the organizations. This will help keep you organized once you leave the career fair. 

We recommend adding the individuals you networked with on 

 and sending them a quick note about your time with them. This will help you stand out among all the attendees they talked with and leave a great impression! If you discussed a specific role with the company, you can use this as an opportunity to ask about next steps. 

Along with networking with the companies, take advantage of other benefits of attending a career fair. For example, the organizers may offer attendees professional headshots or a resume review station. 

Who doesn’t want a free professional headshot to update their LinkedIn or Handshake profiles when job seeking? 

This information will be included on the career fair’s webpage if it’s being offered. 

These ad-hoc opportunities can help build your professionalism and help you understand how you can best stand out among the crowd! 

 with you to the career fair! This is what shines through when you meet people (aka potential employers), and the above will help build that key confidence. These tips will undoubtedly set you up for personal and professional success when preparing to attend a career fair – you got this! 

So, you’re getting ready to attend a career fair 

Every holiday without fail, the entire Moyer side of my family can count on saving room after a feast for dessert. Not just any dessert though, my Aunt Jan’s desserts. From pudding to pie, to cookies, and just about any cake you can think of. At every event, there is an entire table dedicated to Aunt Jan’s sweets - baking is her superpower and her apron is her cape! 

They say baking is a science. They also say it’s a labor of love. While I don’t do much baking myself, or even cooking for that matter, each slice of her blueberry cheesecake instills a little more love and respect for the art. 

So, you’re probably wondering why I’m telling you about my aunt’s cakes? 

It’s because over the last 8 months since we rolled out the 

, I couldn’t figure out WHY they have been so difficult to implement. As it turns out, there is a science to it. While our 

s were created out of love to ensure our employees’ happiness and success, you can’t just throw a cake in the microwave and expect it to taste good. When we created our 

, we knew we needed them. We weren’t sure why exactly, just that we needed cohesive guidelines to follow…. and (pictured below) something cool to put on the glass of our conference room window! Our leadership team thought we could tell our employees what they were, give them a couple of examples, post them on the wall as a reminder, and POOF, 

 initiated. Well, it’s not that easy! The problem is, 

 are in harmony. So, back to my aunt’s cake… 

Flower, eggs, sugar, baking soda…. All necessary ingredients for a successful bake-off. These ingredients are our people. They are the genetic makeup of our company. When 

 are implemented correctly, they live and thrive within our people, and combined, with the right science-like approach, they make a delicious cake. Of course, that’s not ALL that goes into baking that cake. The baker, is our People Operations Manager, Deborah Day. Deborah oversees the entire baking process, as she is responsible for ensuring that the ingredients are fresh, the recipe is clear, and that the instructions are followed. None of this is possible of course, without the oven. The oven is the company and its Founders. The heat is the purpose and passion that makes our people rise – what makes them get out of bed every morning. Once that delicious dessert is done baking, it needs a makeover. Something to make it stand out on the table full of other desserts. Something to further complement its perfection. That’s our marketing department headed up by Maria LaTour. Now that our cake is ready to be served, we get feedback from our customers and that’s how we know if our 

 have just the right mix and have been implemented well! 

If you know my Aunt Jan, she absolutely is a superhero and not just for her cakes. Our employees are our superheroes, and our 

 are the capes they wear day in and day out. 

The ingredients of our core values

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." -Albert Einstein

How many times have you felt devasted by an event in your life, but it ended up leading you to something even better? Maybe you were turned down for your “dream job,” and later came to find out that there was an even better one waiting for you around the corner. Perhaps you experienced a heartbreak where moving on from your previous relationship seemed impossible, but it ended up leading you to the love of your life. At some point, you came face to face with one of your greatest fears, but this resulted in your becoming stronger and better equipped for future obstacles. Regardless of the challenges you’ve faced, the outcome may just come down to your mindset. 

When I was eighteen years old, I was rejected from The Ohio State University. I felt so discouraged and disappointed that my dream of becoming a Buckeye like both of my parents wasn't to be. I decided to go to my backup school, Ohio University, and to be honest, I was absolutely dreading it. I started my freshman year with a bit of a negative attitude, looking with a critical eye on everything around me. Fast forward four years later, I am so proud to be a forever Bobcat. Athens, Ohio is now my all-time favorite place in the world. It is because of one of the first friends I made on campus that I get to work my dream job today. Ariel Smith was my teammate on Ohio University’s Equestrian Team, and she is now my colleague and mentor at Agility Partners. We never would have met had my life gone according to my own “plan”. 

There are quite a few moments where I have to stop myself from gushing too much about the supportive, collaborative, motivating, and fun-loving culture at the company I currently work for. I now give gratitude to my past perceived failures for being steppingstones into the life I am building today. 

Times are scary, and it is easy to fall into a negative mindset. I urge you to take a step back and breathe. Instead of focusing on what’s going wrong, figure out how you are going to 

. How can you take today’s challenge and turn it into something that will have a positive impact on your life down the road? Make this time the turning point that causes you to propel yourself forward. 

In even the most grueling situations, your mindset is everything. Find one positive factor and build on it. Use this time at home to mend relationships with loved ones, journal about your goals and motivations, apply for that job, live more simply, and put a plan into action. 

In this life, you have the choice to view everything as either devastation or a miracle. Choose to see the miracles and watch yourself flourish.

Change your mindset, change your outcomes

Before starting Agility Partners, I spent two years on the road as a sales consultant. Every week it was a new city… Dallas, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, NYC, Atlanta, Austin. You name it, I was probably there. At the time, the only requirement for my job was that I needed to live in a city near a major airport. As I got more familiar with River North in Chicago or Uptown in Dallas, I thought to myself, “why not just cancel my return flight home and live here?”. I remember being out in LA the weekend Lebron James and the Cavs won the NBA finals and during that all-time sports high, I almost did just that. That weekend was a wake-up call for me on where I wanted to live. As I seriously started to consider my future and where I wanted to be, I knew it was Columbus, OH.   

Columbus is flat, it’s the fourth most overcast city in the US, our river is a creek, and our skyline rivals Cedar Rapids.   

So, why Cowtown? Why build a company here?   

 in the United States and admittedly, I have never been good with secrets. It’s because true beauty isn’t defined by what captivates the eye, rather it’s what captivates your mind, your heart, and your soul. Columbus, OH has a unique way of grasping all three. 

Ohio is the heart of it all, they say! You can see Columbus’ heart through: 

This is the part of Columbus that you must experience for yourself! Columbus is full of: 

If I don’t have you extending your lease or packing your bags to move here yet, I’ll leave you with this. 

“It’s what is on the outside that captures our eye, but it’s what is on the inside that captures our heart.”  

And Columbus, Ohio has captured my heart.  

The best kept secret we all share – Columbus, Ohio 

The Best Kept Secret We All Share – Columbus, Ohio

Guess what? 2020 is halfway over. This is a year that has brought change and uncertainty to many people across the globe and employment has been impacted greatly. At the beginning of COVID, employers embraced 100% remote work. By July, some companies were even having their employees go back to work with only having a few people in the office at a time. COVID has really tested companies and their employees to see how well they can work from home. So, what can we expect from this new “office” dynamic in 2021? 

Part of my job at Agility Partners is completing onboarding paperwork with our new employees. Since working remotely, I have had to communicate with our new employees virtually, using email and DocuSign to have them look at all onboarding paperwork and sign. Luckily, I think everyone has adjusted to virtual onboarding with no issues and we’re not alone. In fact, many of our clients are embracing remote work for the long term and have even lifted restrictions on where employees live. So, for those who have either lost their job due to COVID or are currently looking for a new job, here are things to consider when looking into remote jobs. 

1) Are you comfortable working with a team that you have never met face to face?

Obviously, you have been able to see them through a zoom call, but if your remote job now becomes an in-office job in 2021, will that change things for you and the people you work with or for? You might be joining an established team and that could be challenging for you to feel “included.” 

2) Would you be willing and/or able to relocate once the “lockdown” has ended?

I know everyone has had a day since March that they wish they were able to sit in an office with all their coworkers, instead of sitting at home by yourself. Companies might not want a remote workforce forever. If the job you accepted that is located in another state decides to return onsite, is it in a city that you’d be willing to move to? If not, are you capable of doing your job remotely while your team works together in an office? 

3) Lastly, if you do have to eventually travel for this job, will you have childcare or someone to watch your pet while you are gone?

Are you close enough to an airport that you could just hop on a plane and get to your office? Will your company help you pay for your flights, food, housing while you are traveling, or is that something you will need to budget for as that will be all out of pocket? These are all things to consider. 

While many will say 2020 has been one of the worst years ever, think of the positives of this year: it has given people the opportunity to move to a new city that they have been dying to live in, get to know themselves better, pick up new hobbies while being at home by yourself or with family all day. For me, COVID and our remote work policy made it easier for me to relocate to Cincinnati while still supporting the team I love in Columbus. 

What kind of boundaries has remote work lifted for you?

Jobs in 2020? The opportunities are boundless

Once we complete college, we are all faced with adversity and are welcomed into the "adult" world to explore new opportunities, such as jobs, cities, relationships, and more. Like many of us, my story begins with me, Morgan Toney, only having a semester left of undergrad at Ohio Dominican University. I needed to start answering the question of, what job/career do I want to pursue? What industry would be best for my professional skills? Honestly, I wasn't ready to decide, so I took my talents to graduate school in hopes that it would give me more time to enhance my skills, passions, and education.  

After achieving my master's in Business Administration with an emphasis on Leadership, I was ready to put my knowledge to the test and find that perfect job! I have realized that finding the ideal job is a challenging task when you still don't know where your skills and passions would fit best. This is how I found 

. The place that is helping me find my path in what I will make my career.  

It all began when a close friend of mine reached out to me to see if I would be interested in an Account Coordinator position at Agility Partners. Even though I wasn't looking for a job, I didn't want to miss an "unknown opportunity." I decided to meet with the leadership team, Alan, Kyle, Ryan, and Rob, to see what Agility Partners offered. One question I was asked during my meeting with the guys is, "What is your ideal job? Where do you see yourself in the next five years?" I was perplexed about how to answer because I have been wondering about the answers to these questions for quite some time, as I think we all have.  

Fast forward a couple of months, and I accepted the job offer for the Account Coordinator position with Agility Partners. Why take this job when I had a hard time answering the question "What is my ideal job" and where do I see myself in the upcoming years?" Well, here's the answer. 

As an account coordinator, I can diversify my skills in many spaces in the business to where my every day is different. I can be a part of the Operations team, HR, and the Finance sector of Agility Partners. By participating in each realm of business, I can find my strengths and weaknesses, learn new things, and grow into opportunities within the company we are all building together. 

Below are only a few of my job operation tasks. This list is a multitude of different responsibilities that I enjoy doing because it is helping me learn and grow into the professional I am today.   

I have been with Agility Partners for six months now, and every day that I work for this company is a new and exciting challenge for me. My manager has supported me through the last six months by helping me learn something new every day. This unknown opportunity has given me the outlet to figure out what I will do with my passion and skills.  

If you are unsure about a job because you have never worked in that industry before, give it a chance. You might be surprised about what they have to offer and what you can learn from working in a new industry and environment! Thanks to my unknown opportunity, I can say that I love my job and am happy

 that I am working for such a great company. 

Word of advice from a young professional:

 Every opportunity is a way to grow and learn about yourself personally and professionally. When opportunity knocks, open the door!

The unknown opportunities

In late 2019 I was blessed with the news of expecting my first child. While the panic/excitement set in, there was one looming fact I couldn’t escape: “how does maternity leave work?” I have been working since I was 15 years old, so the thought of leaving my job to stay at home had never crossed my mind. I like my work and I like money, so the answer, for me, was easy: I will be returning to work. But what about maternity leave?  

Working at Agility Partners, a company verging past the ‘startup’ classification but still young in tenure, means that our employee policies are constantly evolving. Parental leave/short-term disability wasn't something they had established when I started working here in 2018. Commonly, most companies do not offer paid parental leave. A study in San Francisco found that not one single seed-stage startup offered paid parental leave. On top of that, there are companies (even state-funded/government-regulated roles) that do not have a formal parental leave plan and employees must use their PTO for leave after bearing a child. 

All statistics aside, when I approached my leadership team with the news of the baby, I was completely blown away by their attentiveness in implementing a formal short-term disability feature to our benefits package. They created a specific maternity plan for me that will not only allow me to bond with my little one but will maintain my full compensation package. I am so thankful to my team at Agility Partners for supporting this new phase of my life and allowing me to comfortably step away on leave after my baby is born. Having support like this will make it much easier for me to return to the office. 

This is how employees should feel and be treated in 2020: unconditionally supported! 

The ingredients of our core values

Change your mindset, change your outcomes

The best kept secret we all share – Columbus, Ohio

Jobs in 2020? The opportunities are boundless

The unknown opportunities

Controlling the unexpected: parental leave edition