Northwest Georgia/Shorter University job fair planned for Sept. 22 ; two new events planned to help job seekers and businesses

August 4, 2011 - The third annual Northwest Georgia/Shorter University Job and Career Fair will be held on Thursday, Sept. 22 at The Forum in downtown Rome.

The event, open to the public, will take place from 9 a.m. until noon. Job seekers are encouraged to pre-register by logging on to www.nwgashorterujobfair.com. There is no cost to attend. Local businesses wishing to participate in the fair are required to register online at www.nwgashorterujobfair.com or by contacting organizer Britt Madden at 678-260-3573. There is no cost to participate. Madden, who serves as the corporate education liaison for Shorter University’s College of Adult and Professional Programs, has led the job fair for three years. Shorter is partnering with several sponsors this year, including Floyd County, The Georgia Department of Labor and their Department of Veteran Services, The Forum, The Rome News-Tribune and Rome Radio Partners. “As a Christian university, we strive to care and extend a helping hand to those who are facing tough times. The economy is rough; finding a job is hard. “The job fair is hopefully one way we can make a positive difference in someone’s life.”

Last year’s job fair attracted more than 1,500 participants, from those, 106 found employment as a result of attending.  “106 out of 1,500 may seem like a small number to some, but for those 106 people, along with their families, I can tell you that it certainly made a huge difference in their lives, and that’s what counts,” Madden said.


Shorter hosted the Chamber of Commerce’s “Business Before Hours” event at the Robert H. Ledbetter College of Business on the morning of Aug. 4. This event served as kick-off for the job fair. “We reported this morning that 42 businesses have signed up to participate in the job fair; we are excited to update that number to 46 as of noon today.” Madden expects that number to double over the next few weeks, hopefully reaching the average of about 80, which is comparable to previous year’s figures.

Two new events have been added this year in addition to the job fair. A “Dress for Success” event will be held Thursday, Sept. 8, at The Forum from 5 until 7 p.m. The event is designed for job seekers to receive advice on what to wear to job interviews. It will offer tips on resume writing and networking skills.

Another event, called “Monster 101,” will be held Thursday, Sept. 15, from 5 until 7 p.m. for the local businesses community. This event will bring in experts from the popular job search Web site, Monster.com, along with representatives from the Georgia Department of Labor. Topics of discussion include hiring practices and current trends in job searching. Registration is preferred for these events and can be done at www.nwgashorterujobfair.com or by contacting Madden at 678-260-3573.

Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christian university committed to excellence in education. Since 2003, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Shorter among the South’s best baccalaureate colleges, and the Princeton Review annually includes Shorter on its lists of best value and best Southeastern colleges. The university offers traditional bachelor’s degrees in 48 major areas as well as undergraduate degree programs for working adults, the Master of Business Administration, the Master of Education and the Master of Arts in Leadership. General education and calculus courses are offered in an online format, and Shorter recently launched online programs that lead toward the Associate of Science, the Bachelor of Business Administration, and the Master of Accountancy degrees. For more information, visit www.shorter.edu.

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