MARIETTA - Venus Sims, 42, has been unemployed since January. Since losing her job, she has sent out more than 100 resumes and responded to multiple job postings, but has not gotten a single bite.

"It has been rough. I have to choose between getting gas or putting food on the table and you need gas for interviews and such, so I'm down to one meal a day," she said.

Sims is one of the 200 people that have been visiting Cobb Works on a regular basis, and one of more than 22,000 people in Cobb looking for a job.

For residents actively seeking employment, Ward 5 City Councilman the Rev. Anthony Coleman will help host the 7th annual Marietta/Cobb Career Expo Wednesday at the Cobb Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Parkway, in Marietta from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"I've been hosting the fair for seven years and it's been a tremendous success. It has provided a lot of opportunities for people in Marietta," Coleman said.

Coleman said this year's fair will have 74 booths with company representatives from around the metro area. For those worried that the fair will be all fluff, Coleman said this career fair is a little different than most.

"We only target employers that are hiring because we don't want them wasting the job seekers' time," he said.

Last year, 150 people who attended the career fair got jobs. The year prior, 120 job seekers became employed.

"We're expecting a tremendous turnout and our goal is to get more people hired," Coleman said. "I'm really looking forward to this year's fair. This is what public service is all about - serving the community and making a difference."

Cobb Works Executive Director John Helton said his organization has seen between a 25 and 40 percent increase in people using their services in the last six months. Cobb Works is a non-profit organization that works with the Department of Labor and other community works to get people back to being employed as quickly as possible. Cobb Works teaches job seekers how to improve their resumes, cover letters and job search skills.

"Its much more challenging for job seekers because there's more demand than supply. People are experiencing difficulty getting re-employed at the same level or making as much money," he said.

For people attending the job fair, or those actively seeking jobs, Helton has one major suggestion: be prepared to talk to employers.

"One thing I really stress is to have an 'elevator speech' ready. Its about 30 seconds - the time it takes to ride an elevator - and should articulate a person's skills, what they do well, their strengths and what they are looking for," Helton said.

He also suggests dressing sharp for the career fair and bringing multiple copies of a stellar resume. Most importantly, Helton said it's important to remain positive.

"Employers aren't looking for a sob story. They're looking for good people," he said.

According to the most recent data from Georgia's Department of Labor, in August, 22,273 people in Cobb were unemployed but actively looking for work. That is a 5.7 percent unemployment rate - the highest percentage rate Cobb has seen in more than 16 years. Unemployment reached 5.9 percent in July 1992.

For more information on the career expo or Cobb Works, go to www.cobbworks.org. The expo will also have a voter registration table for residents still needing to sign up prior to Nov. 4.

tmollett@mdjonline.com

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