Adults looking for a new job or career change in the Jessieville, Fountain Lake or Mountain Pine communities will have a chance to attend a career fair next month at Jessieville High School.
Chuck Ragsdale, a career coach with National Park College who works with Jessieville students, said the idea came from businesses that were represented at a recent career fair held at the school.
"Not only did I want feedback from the students, I wanted feedback from the representatives that came out there," he said. "They said, 'Hey, Chuck, we love what you're doing. Doing great things with passion, (getting) a lot of information out, but we're kind of looking for people that can work right now.'
"So that got the gears turning to having a career fair just for adults -- people 18 years or over or who are going to be graduating this May, seniors entering the workforce."
Ragsdale said he currently has 12 organizations who have agreed to come to the career fair, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 19 at Jessieville High School. While the exact location has not been set, he said it will likely be held in the community safe room or in Glazener Gym.
"I have federal jobs," he said. "I have state jobs, city of Hot Springs, Garland County, ... Oaklawn, CHI St. Vincent, and I have about four or five other organizations that I haven't heard back yet that are on the wings waiting on standby."
Ragsdale said a survey was sent out to people in the Jessieville area asking if a career fair was needed for the community, and he said he received a strong response.
"We got a lot of good feedback from the community, and then some of the jobs that they were (requesting) are in Garland County, good paying jobs, obviously, with good benefits," he said.
"For example, I've been in contact with the (U.S.) Forest Service out here that has the station out here at Jessieville, Cobalt-Aero out there by Lakeside School District off of Malvern (Avenue). The (Hot Springs) Village POA has said that they will come up, the Garland County Sheriff's Department, Oaklawn. The city of Hot Springs and Garland County departments have said that they will come out to this, National Park College and also CHI St. Vincent," he said.
"So trying to listen to the community, I believe that we've got some good paying jobs with good benefits that are coming to this career fair that are looking to hire."
In addition to the career fair, Ragsdale plans to host a career preparation workshop on Jan. 11 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the library at the school.
"We're going to be talking about dress for success," he said. "We're going to talk about how to do your 30-second elevator pitch. We're going to talk about how to fill out a resume."
Several teachers at Jessieville agreed to donate clothes for the workshop, which will be given to participants needing dress clothes for an interview.
"They're going to be cleaning out their closets (for) clothes that they don't wear anymore, and they're going to be donating clothes for this career workshop," Ragsdale said. "After the presentation on the 11th, people will have a chance to maybe pick up a nice button-down shirt or a collared shirt or a nice pair of jeans or slacks that they can wear the following week to this career fair. We're just trying to afford every opportunity just to try to make them a little bit more successful."
Ragsdale said the community can also donate clothing for the workshop by emailing him at [email protected].
While a site for interested job seekers to sign up for times to meet with prospective employers had not been set up as of presstime, Ragsdale said there will be times for people to sign up for interviews.
"That way if Chuck Ragsdale only has time between 11, 11:30 a.m. on that day, then I can go in and click from 11-11:15 a.m. or whatnot, so that I don't have four people coming in at the same time," he said.
"What I've been telling the reps that have been coming out, I've been telling them, 'Hey, we're just supplying a place, a meeting place for everybody to come to, and how you want to conduct the interview, that's on you. If this is the first level of interview process that you know the checks and balances, that's on you, and if you want to go to a second meeting, that's on you and the person, and y'all can dictate at another time and place.'
"We're trying to get them (set up) so that way I know what my 11-11:15 a.m. is and my 11:15-11:30 a.m. is."
Job seekers can also "roll the dice" and show up to see if there are any appointments available if someone is unable to make their appointment or changes their mind.
"I'm just hoping that people can take an advantage or an opportunity out of this," Ragsdale said. "And even if they're not looking for a job or career change, they can come and learn something, and maybe a year down the road (if) they're not liking the job that they're in, maybe they can reflect back on the career preparation workshop or their interview process that they went through so that way they can set themselves up for success a year or so down the road."
Any businesses interested in participating in the job fair can contact Ragsdale at [email protected].