Jonesboro, GA, May 12, 2007 -

By Joel Hall
Clayton News Daily and Henry Daily Herald

About one hundred people lined up early outside the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park on Friday morning, waiting for Congressman David Scott’s (D-GA) third annual 13th Congressional District Job Fair.

The job fair, state labor officials describe as the largest in the state of Georgia, took place from 10 a.m., to 4 p.m., and featured over 200 employers, including many local, and several major, employers, such as Delta Airlines, AirTran, Comcast, Cox Radio, AT&T/Bellsouth, and Aflac.

Representatives from several local universities, governments and police departments also were present.

In all, some 3,100 people attended the job fair.

For some, the job fair represented hope. For others, it represented opportunity.

Courtney Jones was the third person. She moved to McDonough from Toledo, Ohio two weeks ago and didn’t yet have a job.

“I feel it’s going to help me a lot,” said Jones. “[Atlanta is] a big city, so this is a chance for me to get my resume out.”

Nikki Winston, of Jonesboro, recently graduated from Troy University in Alabama, with a graduate degree in International Relations. She said “it’s about time” to look for a job. She was interested in working with the government, or for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“It will be a good start, and hopefully I’ll get a few phone calls,” she said.

Janita Higgins, of East Point, had been out of work for seven months before the job fair. She had applied for a position online, and was called to the job fair for a face -to -face interview.

“When I came and saw the big line, I got a little discouraged,” said Higgins, “but when I turned [the job representative] was waiting for me already. It’s real convenient to have this in this big building ... it gives a chance for a lot of people to seek good employment.”

The job fair was equally beneficial for the employers.

“This is one of the best job fairs we have attended so far,” said Doris Coleman, director of human resources for Georgia Community Support and Solutions, a non-profit agency that specializes in care for the elderly, Alzheimer’s sufferers, and people with developmental disabilities.

“It’s a fast growing field,” and the need for employees is “tremendous,” Coleman said. “We have a number of resumes and we are going to follow up.”

Merlisa Prescott, a senior recruiter for Comcast in the Atlanta region, said that the conference made her job a lot easier. “When we come to a function like this, we get more quality people,” said Prescott. “You actually get to screen them on site. This helps us get the right people to the right jobs.”

Prescott said the job fair also provided important networking opportunities for the job seekers and the employers as well. “I can’t wait to get back to work and call the people with whom I’ve made connections today,” she said.

“I’m just pleased,” said Congressman Scott. “It’s a great turnout,” and “it continues to get better and better.

“We’ve got major employers here ... all entities of this region,” he said. “We have a greater diversity of employers here,” than last year.

Kelon Blackshear, of Atlanta, who has hopes of becoming a high school English teacher, said the job fair helped put a face to the elected officials of the area.

“It’s good for [Scott’s] constituents to see that he’s doing something for the community,” he said. “It helps people in the community find jobs, who otherwise wouldn’t have a chance.”