Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA are holding workshops today and on Aug. 30 to assist job seekers whose job search skills may be rusty. The workshops are a lead-in to the Career and Resource Expo on Sept. 9.
Jennifer Tyner, Vice President of Marketing and Development, told ABD the workshops are an opportunity to gain experience about the expo, and to be better prepared to attend.
“They could get their resumes looked at, they could connect with a career coach,” she explained, adding, “We also want to give them opportunities to help prepare themselves for how to go to a career expo. How do you go talk to employers, what they can expect when they go up to a table? How do you interact with people? How do you put your best foot forward? Because it can be very jarring for individuals to walk into these big rooms and just see tables everywhere and not really realize how to engage.”
Tyner said the workshops can be especially beneficial to younger job seekers who need to develop networking skills.
“Networking is a skill that just hasn’t been really taught, especially if you’ve been looking for a job a long time,” she said. “You could be nervous or frustrated or discouraged. So, sit with the career coach and talk about how to prepare to go to this event.”
Although the workshops are not mandatory, everyone who does attend will receive a certificate to pick out two free professional clothing items from a Goodwill retail store.
Both workshops run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Wednesday workshop will be at 3179 Washington Rd. The Friday workshop will be at 3120 Peach Orchard Rd.
The Sept. 9 expo is one of two career fairs Goodwill holds each year, but with a difference from the fall event.
“Not only do we have businesses and organizations looking for individuals for hire, we also have organizations in the community who are resource-rich, meaning that they’re there to help support individuals who are also looking to stabilize their lives and their career paths through either education or many other resources in the community that can help them get support so that they can keep their jobs,’ said Tyner.
The expo is free and open for anyone to attend. It will feature an assortment of local businesses and organizations with information about careers and local resources.
“At Goodwill, our whole mission is to build the lives of families, individuals, and communities through work and investing in programs and services and education to help them get on a career pathway to a more abundant life,” Tyner said. “It is what we do every day, and this is a big way to involve more of the community in our mission, ensuring that our community members are employed and have a livelihood.”
Tyner recommends anyone attending the expo should dress in business casual clothing and bring copies of their resume.
The Career and Resource Expo will be Sept. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be in the Snelling Conference Center on Goodwill’s campus on Washington Road at Furys Ferry Road.
For more information, visit www.goodwillworks.org/career-expo/
