Connie Winn has been involved with staffing, recruiting and career services for over 20 years. She holds her undergraduate degree from Portland State University and is currently working on her MBA through Marylhurst University. Connie currently holds the position of Vice President, Career Services Specialist – Groups V , VI & VII, for The Art Institutes.

Last year bulletin boards were open for people to post resumes or business cards however they wanted, for the most part. How are they going to be organized this year?

The ACM SIGGRAPH 2005 Job Fair is pleased to offer a resume posting service open to all jobseekers attending the Conference. This is an exciting opportunity to have your resume viewed by companies looking for new talent in such areas as animation, visual effects, video game design, and 3D technology.

Resumes should be submitted in 8 ½ x 11 format. The service will be offered free of charge to all SIGGRAPH attendees. To participate, please visit us at the Career Center Monday, August 1- Wednesday August 3rd. The center will be open from 10:00 am – 4:30 PM during those days. You must be a registered attendee and present at the event to post a resume.

Participants should bring multiple copies of their updated resumes to have distributed to interested employers upon the employers request. A copy service will not be provided.

The ACM SIGGRAPH 2005 Job Fair is also pleased to offer a job posting board where you can view employment opportunities in your field of interest. This job board is provided to job seekers for informational purposes only and should not under any circumstances or in any way whatsoever be interpreted as a recommendation, endorsement or guarantee of any kind. Participation in the resume posting service and use of the job board does not in any way guarantee employment. It is the job seeker's responsibility to exercise due care and judgment when pursuing all employment opportunities.

How is CreativeHeads.net involved with this year’s job fair?

ACM SIGGRAPH has partnered with CreativeHeads.net, an online recruitment software company which serves the video game, animation & visual FX, 3D technology & software tools industries. This partnership offers all jobseekers FREE online recruitment services. Job Fair companies have begun posting open positions on the CreativeHeads.net Headsboard webpage, so jobseekers will be able to apply for these jobs, fill out a free secure, personalized CreativeHeads.net profile and connect with companies prior to the Job Fair. Visit CreativeHeads.net for information about jobseeker benefits and features.

With so many expected job seekers it seems likely that each one will not get a lot of time to talk to each employer. Do you have any advice as to how to make a good impression in a short amount of time?

Remember, each employer's time is valuable. With thousand of attendees, and over 50 companies, preparing your strategy in advance will help ensure that the time you may have with each employer is productive and leaves a positive impression.

GOLDEN RULE: Pitch yourself in 30 seconds or less.

Remember, a good handshake, and a smile also goes a long way.

What first drew you to computer graphics?

Funny you should ask this. I started out many years ago in high school wanting to be an animator. I took every art class there was and one day came home with a portfolio and told my parents that I was going to go to art school. They responded with a decisive “NO!” Their reasoning was that they believed there were no jobs in art. I always found it ironic that the job I ended up going into was to help artists start their careers.

After many years as a successful recruiter, The Art Institutes had a position open as a Director of Career Services. I learned about the number of resources and efforts they make to assist their graduates with employment after graduation and was extremely impressed. I applied and was hired. I have since been promoted to a regional position within the company working with multiple Career Services offices. I can not think of another position on Earth that would be more rewarding for me.

Do you have any favorite CG mentors?

That is hard to say. I would like to think that everyone I meet provides me with something new. There is no one person that is more or less valuable than another.

What was the first time you contributed to SIGGRAPH?

My first contribution to SIGGRAPH was my part in starting the Portland Oregon Professional Chapter. Although not related to the conference, it was my way in helping to promote this fabulous organization.

What year/city was your first SIGGRAPH? Which was most intense? Why?

The first year I attended SIGGRAPH was 2001. It was held in Los Angeles that year. The most intense SIGGRAPH I had was last year, 2004 as that was the first year The Art Institutes sponsored the job fair. Of course, being the first year to assist with this production was very intense. You have to go through it once to know how it will turn out.

What contributions to SIGGRAPH are you most proud of?

I am the most proud of helping to bring the Job Fair back to SIGGRAPH. I also want to take a moment to thank both Madeleine Slutsky, my co-chair, and the many people in The Art Institutes that have assisted me to make this a reality. Madeleine was the one that first pushed for our organization to take on this event. If it was not for her diligence and persistency, this event would not be part of SIGGRAPH.

What's your favorite thing at this year or last year's SIGGRAPH?

I am really looking forward to this year’s Job Fair. It seems to have really taken off. I am expecting it to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest SIGGRAPH Job Fair ever.

What near/intermediate developments in CG do you look forward to?

I look forward to additional uses in areas that are not typically associated with this field. Almost every business in existence can use CG in their business model. I look forward to the day when the majority of businesses are integrating CG into their business practices.

Links "The Art Institutes":http://www.aii.edu "The Job Fair":http://www.artinstitutes.edu/siggraphjobfair