After not happening in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Butler County Community Resource Council will host its annual spring job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 27 at the Black River Coliseum.
The job fair is sponsored by the CRC’s parents working committee. Admission is free and the job fair is open to the public.
“We’re very excited to be able to bring the job fair back to the community,” said Rebeca Pacheco, executive director of the Butler County CRC. “Since the pandemic, we have not been able to offer the job fair. We normally have two job fairs each year, so the committee is particularly excited to be able to bring together employers and those that are seeking jobs in the community.”
Pacheco said the CRC has 56 employers currently lined up for the job fair — and that number might increase.
“We may even add a couple of more before the day of the job fair,” Pacheco said. “We’ve got a great mix of all kinds of jobs, from entry-level work to more advanced professional work and everything in between.”
Among the employers scheduled to be at next Thursday’s job fair are Briggs & Stratton, Colton’s Steakhouse, Gates Corporation, Home Depot, the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library, Starting USA, Saint Francis Healthcare, Missouri Highlands Health Care and many more.
With so many employers there, it will give job-seekers a golden opportunity to find the job they’re looking for.
“They’ll be able to fill out applications and drop off resumes,” Pacheco said. “We’ll also have the Missouri Career Fair on site and they’ll help job seekers get set up, registered for services and help them with online job searches — and educate them about what kind of job search resources are available. We’re excited to have them partnering with us also.”
In addition to giving those looking for a job a chance to connect with employers, some employers also will be conducting interviews.
“We have about five employers that are going to conduct on-site interviews at the job fair,” Pacheco said. “So that’s an exciting development for us.”
One piece of advice that Pacheco offers job-seekers ahead of next Thursday is to come prepared.
“I would encourage all folks that are attending the job fair to show up dressed for success and to make sure that they have a resume,” Pacheco said. “If they don’t have a resume, then there are booths (there and the) Career Center can provide some guidance on some tools to help them create a resume.
“I would just encourage everyone who’s attending to come with a game plan of how they want to work the job fair and what types of employers that they want to talk to during their time at the fair.”