Turnout, Partnerships Highlight 12th Annual Conroe Job Fair

The 12th Annual Conroe Job Fair on January 23 welcomed more than 600 job seekers to discover and apply for hundreds of jobs available from nearly 50 hiring companies. Despite wet weather, the job seeker turnout was the second best in the history of the event, showcasing the desirability of working in Conroe.

Held at The Lone Star Convention Center, the job fair featured openings spanning the diverse spectrum of industries in Conroe. From manufacturing to finance and hospitality to education, the range of careers available appealed to a broad job seeking audience. A representative of Meador Staffing said that the Conroe Job Fair produced the most resumes of any job fair they have attended in the last four years.

“The turnout for this year’s job fair is very encouraging for Conroe businesses. As our economy continues to grow, companies are needing to hire quality talent. Today shows that our area has the available talent to fill critical staffing needs,” said Jennifer Matthews, Associate Director of the Conroe Economic Development Council (CEDC). “The job fair will help people find jobs and, in turn, help Conroe companies succeed. It’s a win-win.”

Job seeker Jessica Ramos, who has clerical and administrative experience, was encouraged by the breadth of available opportunities.

“There are a lot of different positions, from entry level to executive,” offered Ramos.

For Ramos, the ability to discover jobs and network with hiring companies was only one part of her successful job fair experience. She attended the interview prep workshops hosted by the CEDC and Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce in the weeks leading up to the Conroe Job Fair. Ramos fine-tuned her resume, participated in mock interviews, and connected with hiring resources that have her on a path to landing her next position.

“The workshops helped a lot. They showed us how to fix up our resume, in terms of how to really sell yourself. At the second workshop, we did mock interviews. They taught us to treat interviews like a visit or a conversation, instead of the typical mindset of an interview when you get very nervous,” said Ramos. “The first week that I attended, the Texas Workforce Commission was there. They’ve helped me navigate careers and I’ve been able to get a lot of hits on applications leading to interviews over the last week.”

Guidance and assistance from key partners is an integral part of the Conroe Job Fair. A pair of job fair attendees from the employer side, Tristyn Davis, Director of Admissions and Outreach at Lone Star College Montgomery, and Allison Butler, Lead Scheduler for Amada Senior Care, shared the story of their relationship and how Lone Star College helped Butler pursue a career in her field.

In 2010, when Butler was pursuing her GED, Davis launched a program at Lone Star College to attract students into high demand fields, such as certified nursing assistants (CNA). The program focused on the certificates and the skills needed to succeed in life, like self-esteem and time management. 

“We really worked hard to find people that would encourage students. Coming from the GED background, I knew that we had to do something that would help students know that they could do this. If it was just the education side of it, it wasn’t going to be successful,” offered Davis.

Butler, who graduated with her CNA certificate, credits the program with providing the support she needed to launch her career.

“When you have support, it works better. We had support from Ms. Tristyn and the other teachers. When you have that support it's going to go smoothly. You are going to be eager to get out there and work,” said Butler. “I graduated to become a CNA and now I’m at a job fair hiring CNAs for Amada Senior Care.”

Butler’s message for job seekers, including those she welcomed at the Conroe Job Fair, is one of encouragement.

“Don’t just look for a job, look for a career. Look for something that you know you are going to have fun doing. If you have to start at the bottom, that’s okay. I started at the bottom and worked my way up. Keep going for what you want,” shared Butler.

Davis spoke about the importance of trying new things and building support.

“Don’t be afraid to try something new. Don’t be afraid to start at the place you can start. If you’re trying something new, start where you can start and put people around you that encourage you and support you,” said Davis.

The support of key partners will continue to help companies find qualified and motivated talent, just like Lone Star College’s programs eventually led to Amada hiring Allison Butler. The Conroe Job Fair welcomes the opportunity to connect those key resources with job seekers and employers.

The Conroe Job Fair is a collaboration between the Conroe Economic Development Council, Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce, Lone Star College and Workforce Solutions. Crown Cork & Seal and ResourceMFG are presenting sponsors. Lone Star Convention & Expo Center was the facility sponsor, The Lake radio station served as media sponsor, and Steris the decoration sponsor.