Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) is a state-based national non-profit organization dedicated to working with students of great promise who have multiple challenges that could prevent them from graduating. In four decades of operation, JAG has delivered consistent, compelling results – helping more than 1.7 million young people stay in school through graduation, pursue postsecondary education, and secure quality entry-level jobs leading to career advancement opportunities.
There are two in-state conferences held annually for the 650+ students in Newark, Rahway, Camden, Plainfield, Willingboro, Passaic, New Brunswick, Little Egg Harbor, Woodbury, and Vineland who participate in Jobs for America’s Graduates New Jersey (JAG NJ). The spring Career Development Conference (CDC) provides students the opportunity to engage in friendly competitions to demonstrate their employability and leadership skills and be recognized for their achievements.
The 2024 CDC will be held in a hybrid format, with eight events taking place in person at The College of New Jersey and three events taking place virtually, and we need approximately 55 volunteers to serve as judges.
Volunteers will choose to judge one of the following students competitions:
- Career/Professional Association Marketplace: 2-person JAG NJ team promotes their chapter’s Career or Professional Association while using creativity and expression. The team will also be judged on their ability to present themselves and communicate the Association’s activities to others.
- Career Display: 2-person JAG NJ team analyzes and presents information on a specific career of their choosing. The display allows the team to express ideas through an artistic medium to highlight the benefits of a particular career.
- Chapter Banner: 4-person JAG NJ team creates a banner to promote their Jobs for America’s Graduates New Jersey chapter. Participants demonstrate their artistic, creative, and imaginative abilities.
- Creative Problem Solving: 4-person JAG NJ team tackles a hypothetical problem related to a school or community issue. Teams will have 15 minutes to analyze the problem and prepare a solution for presentation to the panel of judges.
- Employability Skills: Individual participants compete for a simulated job opening by submitting a job application and resume. Participants will then experience a simulated employment interview the day of the CDC.
- Entrepreneurship: 4-person JAG NJ team prepares a “sales pitch” prior to the CDC and presents their product or idea to a panel of judges. This allows the participants to present themselves as entrepreneurs who are marketing a new product, concept, or idea, but requires funding from a panel of judges to ensure its success.
- Public Speaking: Individuals will prepare and present a speech which will be a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 5 minutes on one of 5 predetermined topics.
Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and undergo a criminal background check. Registrants who have a background check on file with the NJCCF within the past 2 years do not need to repeat the process.
Interested volunteers should reach out to Victoria Licata at victoria.licata@njchamber.com.
