By Stephanie Robertson

MADISON—If you’re tired of endlessly scrolling job boards, perfecting your resume, and filling out digital job applications, St. Joseph the Worker Job Networking Club is here to help.

Sponsored by St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on Hughes Road in Madison, this non-denominational club will host its second annual job fair on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Parish Hall at 1055 Hughes Road in Madison. Job seekers will have the opportunity to meet up to 30 hiring managers in person, and the event is free to job seekers and participating employers.

Dudley Fagan, a retired hiring manager at Raytheon, serves as a volunteer job coach at the job networking club. On Tuesday, October 17, Fagan presented How to Prepare for a Job Fair during a regular club meeting. In his presentation, Fagan highlighted the mutual benefits that job fairs offer hiring managers and job seekers.

He explained that job fairs provide employers with an effective platform to showcase their brand to potential employees. Moreover, with the number of Huntsville companies that serve local businesses, manufactures, NASA, the Department of Defense, and soon the FBI, there is a growing need for qualified candidates. Job fairs provide employers with a quick way to screen candidates.

Fagan underlined the significance of attending job fairs to job seekers. “Companies are looking for candidates,” he said. “Even if the company is not hiring for your skill set, show up anyway. You can ask the company representative ‘Who in your company can I contact to talk about potential employment with you?” Fagan encourages attendees to use the fair as a networking event for their job search.

Furthermore, statistical evidence supports the effectiveness of job fairs. Fagan said, “Research shows that 49% of well-prepared candidates receive follow-up interviews. Of those, 65% receive job offers.”

Employers eager to represent their company at this job fair are encouraged to apply right away because fair participation is free for both the employer and jobseeker. The available slots will fill up quickly with employers added on a first-come, first-served basis. Employers interested in participating should contact Maureen Chemsak at mjchemsak104@gmail.com to register their company by November 1st, 2023.

St. Joseph The Worker Job Networking Club has been serving the local unemployed or underemployed community for over fourteen years, said Fagan. “Over 4,800 participants have come through our doors since the Club’s inception in 2009. There is absolutely no cost to join or participate in the Job Networking Club since it is managed and staffed by volunteers, who are experienced business coaches, mentors, managers, and business owners.”

For more information about St. Joseph The Worker Job Networking Club, visit www.sjwjobclub.org.

St. Joseph the Worker Job Fair

Date: November 14, 2023

Time: 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM

Location: St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Parish Hall – 1055 Hughes Road in Madison