ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Businesses looking for employees and those looking for employment will soon have the perfect chance to come together.
The annual Southwest Kansas Regional Job Fair will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2025 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. Any business in the area is welcome to set up a booth, with a single-booth space costing $60 and a double-space costing $85. Also helping to sponsor the job fair are KSCB-The Legend, the Leader & Times and La Mexicana radio.
“There are a lot of businesses out there needing to find employees, and we already have several signed up to have a booth set up out there. Anyone wanting a job fair booth application needs to call the Chamber of Commerce office at (620) 624-3855 or email us at
Webb said there are multiple benefits for businesses who participate and set up a booth.
“For businesses, it's convenient for them to be there and just in four hours, they can see a lot of people that come in. In the past, there have been times when people got hired on the spot, so it's a good opportunity for employees to be able to do interviews with a lot of people, and it's really nice for the people that are looking for jobs to see what's available in our community,” Webb said. “So if any business is looking for help, this is the time to get your name out that you are looking for help. 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. 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. 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. We would prefer businesses to be signed up by Jan. 30, but we will take some sign-ups after that if necessary.”
The job fair is also beneficial to job seekers.
“Like I said with the businesses, it's a convenient time to come out because all of these businesses looking for employees are all in one spot,” Webb said. “It's better to go one place and see 20, 30, or 40 businesses than to have to go each individual business. 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. 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.”
Webb said she hopes for another successful job fair.
“I'm hoping a lot of people will come. It's fun to watch people come in and actually find jobs. This is really a good service we can provide for people in our area, and it's also a good service to provide for our businesses who are needing help,” Webb said. “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. 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. I would again tell job seekers to bring a résumé with them and other materials that will help speed things along and dress for the occasion. Don't come in your sweatpants, so look nice and present yourself well. Just come out and visit with employers, because you never know what could happen.”
