ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
People finding themselves on both ends of the job hunt will soon have the chance to come together thanks to the Liberal Chamber of Commerce.
The annual Southwest Kansas Regional Job Fair will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, at the Seward County Activity Center at 810 Stadium Road. Businesses can come in that day from 8 to 10 a.m. to set up their booths, and then will be able to meet everyone else during the event.
“For the 2024 fair, we had 25 businesses participate, and we'd love to see more for the 2025 event. We advertise this event in a 50-mile radius around Liberal, and we have people coming in from that area looking for work,” Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Rozelle Webb said. “Any business in the area is welcome to set up a booth, and a single-booth space is $60. Any business wanting to set up a booth needs to call the Chamber of Commerce office at (620) 624-3855 and then they'll need to fill out a registration form, which we can help with if needed. There's also some other information we'll ask for from each participating business so we can put together a guide list for job seekers to have when they come in so they know what businesses are there and what types of positions they're looking to fill.”
Webb offered further encouragement for area businesses to participate in the upcoming job fair.
“It's a very cost-effective way to meet prospective employees, and I hope we'll see a lot of job seekers out at the fair,” Webb said. “It's good for both sides of the table, and it's a great way to go to a lot of businesses in one day without actually having to do a lot of travel. The job fair brings in a lot of people who might not be able to actually visit your business in person to apply for a job. And people do like to come in and see what jobs are available so they can have a variety to apply to, so it's a great way for businesses to meet more potential employees. And nowadays, advertising and marketing can be expensive, so this is a great way to come out for four hours, set up a booth, and meet a bunch of people. We provide the tables and chairs, so all they really need to bring is any paperwork they'd want prospective employees to fill out and some type of advertisement for their business, whether it's a banner or whatever they use. A lot of times, businesses will hire someone, or multiple someones, on the spot at the job fair, which makes it really convenient for everyone. And again, what better way to meet a bunch of potential employees in one spot at the same time than at an event like this?”
Webb also offered encouragement for job seekers to plan on attending the job fair.
“If you're looking for work, or looking to change jobs, this job fair is a great way to go to one place and meet a bunch of potential employers at the same time, and like I said earlier, you might even get hired right on the spot,” Webb said. “It's a lot easier than going door to door and doing a bunch of extra traveling. Any job seekers coming should dress for the occasion, bring multiple copies of their résumé with them, along with a pencil and paper so they can take notes and information as needed. Our 2024 fair saw about 200 job seekers come through, and I think we'll see several people coming through again this time around.”
Webb said she hopes to see high numbers for the upcoming event.
“I hope to see more businesses participating and signing up for booth space, and I hope to see a lot of job seekers coming through. There are many businesses in the area looking for help, so I'm expecting many businesses to still sign up,” Webb said. “There are also a lot of people looking for work, so hopefully they take advantage of this opportunity to visit with multiple employers and potentially find a job that will be what they're looking for. And as I've said before, turnout is typically determined by the weather, there have been a couple years where there's been rough weather, which caused smaller crowds. But if the weather is pretty nice, the crowds are bigger, which is great because we want to help match up employers and employees..”
Providing that connection, Webb said, is one of her favorite aspects of the job fair.
“We have a lot of people who visit the Chamber of Commerce office asking if they know of anyone who's hiring, but I don't always have the answer to that question, so I try to steer them to someone who might have a better answer,” Webb said. “I know it's really tough on businesses when they're understaffed, so this is a great way for everyone to connect. I enjoy visiting with the businesses that come out and talking to them about who they are and what they do, it's always interesting to hear from them. It's also always exciting to hear from someone who was hired on the spot for this event, it's always great to hear that. Overall, this is just a great thing to do for the area and help people find work or change their career field.”
While it is still somewhat early, Webb said she hopes for another successful job fair.
“We've only recently started spreading the word about this event, so we haven't really had anyone contact us yet, but I think we will get some of those phone calls and emails within the next few weeks now that Christmas is done. I would love to see us have 30 or more businesses participate in the 2025 job fair,” Webb said. “For both the participating businesses and the job seekers, we'll have the kitchen open and lunch available, so people can pop in over lunchtime and not only potentially find a new job but also get a good lunch. If you're in need of new work, this is definitely the event to attend.”
