Stone County Job Fair Starts Friday: How To Make The Most Of It

The Stone County job fair, officially the MGCCC Community Job Fair, happens this Friday and Saturday at the Perkinston campus. If you’ve seen the flyer, then you know when and where. What the flyer leaves out is what the day is actually for, who’s welcome, and how to walk in and get something out of it. 

That’s where we begin because I’ve been laid off…twice. Here’s what nobody told me: a layoff is a loss, and it comes with real grief. You’re allowed to feel that. What I wish someone had said to me then…you don’t have to wait until you’ve worked through it to start looking. You can do both at the same time. For me, getting back to work sooner didn’t just help my bank account, it helped me work through the grief. It gave the days a shape again.

A layoff doesn’t erase who you are and what you’re good at. The people behind those tables came to a fair built for laid-off workers. They know exactly who’s walking in Friday, and they came to hire.

This is an unusual job fair, and it’s open to far more of Stone County than most people realize.

Where and When

The Community Job Fair is at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Perkinston campus, Hayden Student Union, 51 Main Street.

Friday, August 14: noon to 6 p.m.
Saturday, August 15: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Give yourself an hour or two to actually talk with the employers there. Come and go as your day allows.

Why the Job Fair is a Community Invite

The job fair exists because Hood Industries, one of the county’s largest employers, is closing and putting roughly 250 people out of work. In a county this size, that’s close to one in twenty-eight working adults. But the count of lost jobs undersells it. Each of those paychecks supports a household, so the number of people whose circumstances just changed is closer to 650 when you include spouses, children, or a parent on a fixed income in the back bedroom.

The rings widen from there. When an operation this size shuts down, the vendors who used to drive in for it stop coming, and the businesses those vendors bought from while they were in town feel it next. A single closure spreads outward in rings. That’s why the response to it has been larger than what you’d see for an ordinary layoff.

How the Response Came Together

Within a day of the announcement, the Mississippi Department of Employment Security’s Rapid Response effort was engaged, alongside the community college and the Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District. Representatives brought the plan to the Board of Aldermen the following evening, with two county supervisors present. This job fair is the public-facing piece of that work.

Who Should Attend

Because the impact reaches well past Hood, the fair is open to the whole community.

If any of these describe you, you belong in that room:

• You were laid off from Hood.
• You’ve been affected further down the line, whether in your household income or a business that depends on local spending.
• You’ve been underemployed, or out of work for a while.
• You’re looking to change direction or retrain.
• You were among those hit by the flooding earlier this year.

This event was built for you.

How to Get the Most Out of the Job Fair

Bring your work history: where you worked, when, and what you did, with a phone number and address for each past employer. Handwritten is fine. There will be people on site to help you turn it into a resume, at no cost.

Bring an ID, a pen, your phone number, and email you check.

Wear something clean and simple, what you’d wear to church. A collared shirt is plenty. No suit or formal business clothes needed.

When you get there, it’s a large open room with tables. Each table is a recruiter and representatives from larger businesses and owners or managers of smaller businesses. You can anticipate more than 25 businesses looking to hire. You walk up, tell them what you’ve done, and they tell you what they’re hiring for. Some will take applications on the spot. Some will want the resume you just created or brought with you. You’re welcome to just look, too.

They’ve gathered more than employers. The college will have people signing folks up for fall classes and short-term training, for anyone who wants to retrain. Local support will be on hand as well, including the food bank.

Why it’s Worth Your Friday

This is likely one of the few opportunities you’ll get in Stone County to stand in one room with businesses that are actually hiring, all at once, from across South Mississippi. Major employers in shipbuilding, owner operators in different trades are looking for the skillset and work ethic that wood processing builds, and they’re coming with real openings to fill: actual jobs, this week.

This week on WigginsMS.com and Facebook

We’ll walk through the rest of it here all week: what to expect when you get there, what to bring and what to wear, and a closer look at who’s hiring and why it’s worth the trip. If you have a question about the fair, leave it in the comments and we’ll answer it in this week’s coverage.

Nobody walks into these things feeling ready. The people who go anyway are the ones who walk out with something. See you Friday.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Stone County job fair?
The job fair is Friday, August 14 from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday, August 15 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s held at the MGCCC Perkinston campus, Hayden Student Union, 51 Main Street.

Where is the MGCCC job fair held?
At Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston campus, in the Hayden Student Union at 51 Main Street, Perkinston, MS.

Do I need a resume for the job fair?
No. Bring your work history — where you worked, when, and what you did, with a phone number and address for each past employer. Handwritten is fine, and there will be people on site to build it into a resume for free.

What should I bring to the job fair?
Bring your work history, a photo ID, a pen, and a phone number and email you check. That’s enough to talk with any employer there.

What should I wear to a job fair?
Something clean and simple — what you’d wear to church. A collared shirt is plenty. You don’t need a suit or formal business clothes.

Is the job fair only for Hood Industries employees?
No. It’s open to the whole community. Anyone laid off, underemployed, out of work, looking to change careers, or affected by this year’s flooding is welcome.

How long should I plan to stay?
Give yourself an hour or two to talk with the employers there. You don’t have to stay the whole time — come and go as your day allows.

Which day is better to attend, Friday or Saturday?
Friday is the day the most employers have committed to attend. If you can make Friday, make Friday. Saturday morning is there for anyone who can’t get away on a weekday.

How many employers will be at the job fair?
More than 25 businesses are expected, including recruiters and representatives from larger employers and owners or managers of smaller ones, hiring across South Mississippi.

What kinds of jobs are available?
Employers in shipbuilding and the skilled trades are hiring for the kind of skillset and work ethic that wood processing builds, along with a range of other South Mississippi businesses. Many are coming with real openings to fill this week.

What happens when I get there?
It’s a large open room with tables, one per business. You walk up, tell them what you’ve done, and they tell you what they’re hiring for. Some take applications on the spot.

Can I sign up for classes or training at the job fair?
Yes. The college will have staff signing people up for fall classes and short-term training, for anyone who wants to retrain or change direction.

Is there any other help available at the job fair?
Yes. Along with employers and the college, local support will be on hand, including the food bank.

Is the job fair free?
Yes. It’s free and open to the public. There’s no cost to attend, talk with employers, or get resume help on site.