JOLIET – The Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry annual business expo this weekend at the Louis Joliet Mall includes a job fair for the first time.
Thirty employers will be concentrated in one wing of the mall, ready to take résumés and maybe even do interviews.
The expo is Friday and Saturday.
The added feature to the expo is an extension of a job fair held by the chamber in October because of the large number of companies in the area seeking workers, chamber President Mary Jaworski said.
“It’s still a big issue, and it’s not going away anytime soon,” Jaworski said.
The built-in foot traffic at the mall was the attraction when the expo was moved there 17 years ago. Jaworski said it would seem a natural place to find workers as well.
“The entire Sears wing will be dedicated to the job fair,” Jaworski said. “They will be in red booths.”
Other business expo booths will be blue and in other areas of the mall.
Anyone going to the expo to seek out a job should come prepared, said Kelly Baltas, director of member services for the chamber. Areas will be made available for applications and interviews.
“We are urging job seekers to bring their resumes and come prepared because some of these companies will be doing interviews,” Baltas said.
She said there will be a variety of employers at the mall.
Some are Joliet Township High School District 204, DHL Supply Chain, FedEx and Autobahn Country Club. Both Harrah’s and Hollywood casinos will be part of the job fair.
There also will be a wide variety of companies and nonprofits participating in the expo, Jaworski said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 91 companies and nonprofits were signed up to be at the expo, although not all will be there for both days. That’s about 20 more than last year, Jaworski said.
“We have actually literally packed the mall this year,” she said. “There’s not a spare space to be had.”
The expo and job fair are running at slightly different times. The expo will run during normal store hours, which are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. both days. The job fair will be 3 to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
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IF YOU GO
WHAT: Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry Expo and Job Fair
WHERE: Louis Joliet Mall, 3340 Mall Loop Drive, Joliet
EXPO: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday
JOB FAIR: 3 to 9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday