What does a job fair look like? At a first glance, INTER/VIEW seemed to fit the typical description.

Two rows of tables on each side of the room. Employers from more than 20 companies browsed resumes across from well-dressed attendees while a line formed behind them. A lot of name tags that get caught in hair or lost their stickiness (quick).

People flooded in for …

1. Jobs (of course).

Well that was quick: doors just opened at our 4th annual #interview19 impact jobs fair and already we are deep in conversation!

500 registrations and 30 orgs @PHMCtweets Join us until 6:30pm https://t.co/nlHsZin1Tn pic.twitter.com/q6wJy90ogD

— Generocity (@Generocity) June 12, 2019

The event had catered food (which was a big hit among the crowd), a room to get headshots taken, and resume reviews, and there was a steady stream of attendees from beginning to end.

Less then an hour to take in our fourth annual #interview19 impact jobs fair here @PHMCtweets pic.twitter.com/kw7m3l4tu6

— Generocity (@Generocity) June 12, 2019

But Generocity’s annual social impact job fair yesterday, presented by Public Health Management Corporation, offered more than just what is expected at a job fair.

Some attendees were on the lookout for opportunities beyond full-time jobs. Here are the reasons they attended:

2.To help someone else (but some ended up finding something for themselves).

Helen Richardson is a Philadelphia-based career and executive coach. She went to the job fair to find potential work opportunities for the clients she coaches. But once she got to it, she found herself looking for consulting opportunities in human resource and organizational development.

“The impact on me was to see the number of Black business owners who had their own organizations really focused on proving skills for minority youth,” Richardson said about the participating companies.

Ann Murphy, 63, went to the job fair to be a source of moral support for her friend, Heather Smith. Before the event, Murphy hopped on the event’s website to see which companies were participating. The volunteer jobs and Psykee, a mental health company that sends therapists to your home or work, caught her attention.

“I’m just looking for things to do at the end of my career,” said Murphy, who was a psychotherapist in the 1990s but would prefer an administrative role at Psykee.

Although Psykee didn’t end up attending the job fair, Murphy still found a volunteer opportunity either for herself, she said, or some people she knows.

3. To see what’s out there besides jobs.

One interesting aspect of INTER/VIEW is the variety of the types of jobs employers were looking to fill this year. There was everything from the usual fulltime and part-time to volunteer, freelance, mentor and apprenticeship positions.

Although he wasn’t job hunting, Cory Donovan said his purpose for being at the job fair was twofold: volunteer opportunities and education.

“Number one is just to attend and see who’s doing good work here in the city and educate myself about that space,” said Donovan, who is a program manager at ImpactPHL.

4. To scout out new talent.

Jos Duncan had her resumes handy at last year’s INTER/VIEW, after she decided to move on from entrepreneurship.

Duncan didn’t get a job at the fair but the experience made an impact on her. “When I left, my understanding of where I wanted to be was strengthened,” she said.

This year, she found herself on the other side of the table, as WURD Radio’s program director. “When I saw that there was an opportunity for us to come out, I was like ‘that was a really good event last year, we should go,’” Duncan said.

PHMC’s Celeste Collins, chief of people and inclusion, said the job fair had a successful turnout and the attendees showed a lot of excitement and enthusiasm.

“I noticed a mosaic of organizations, whereas last year there were fewer. The breadth and variety of organizations is much more inclusive and diverse than last year,” Collins said.

5. To build networks and community.

One organization at the job fair, Philly Tech Sistas, aims to help more women of color get into the technology industry through programs like low-cost coding workshops. Ashley Turner, Philly Tech Sistas’s founder, said the organization is grassroots and volunteer-driven, and she encouraged attendees to get involved.

“I’m just happy to try to build this community up because it’s a passion of mine,” she said. “And I know other people out there are very passionate about getting more women of color and increasing diversity within the tech space.”