Posted on May - 10 - 2010
Career expo’s focus: plans A, B and C
Deborah Gentry wants to be clear about the primary purpose of Thursday’s career expo at the Pink Palace Museum: Opportunities, not offers.
As president of OppCities — which sponsors the Opportunity Expo — Gentry emphasizes that the event is intended to provide displaced white-collar professionals with career resources, not job leads.
“There will be a few employers with job openings, but most are commission-only sales positions,” Gentry explains. “The goal of the expo is to offer transition resources for professionals who have lost jobs and need help getting training and leads for new careers. We want to assist them with developing plans A, B and C.”
Established last year as a collaboration between the Bartlett Chamber of Commerce, Brother Industries and the Gentry Development Group, OppCities is a local resource for business professionals experiencing career transitions.
Hosted by the nonprofit Talent Trust Foundation, the event will feature 14 speakers, several employers and a number of professionals who will review résumés, discuss internships and offer career advice.
Steve Bares, president of Memphis Bioworks Foundation, will discuss the future of the biotech industry and the implications for local professionals. He’s hopeful that the event will lead to a deeper creative pool in Memphis.
“The 21st century is all about talent, from finding it to recruiting it and then maintaining it and growing it,” Bares says. “Many professionals don’t know about the opportunities available in biotechnology, so my role is to educate them about those opportunities, what skills are necessary and where to get that training.”
At the inaugural expo last September, about 500 people attended. Gentry says more than 10 times that number have been invited to be at the Pink Palace on Thursday.
“We’ve talked to 17 career transition groups and they’re inviting all their members, and we’ve engaged in an intensive networking campaign to get the word out,” Gentry says. “I’m anticipating quite a crowd.”
Seminars are scheduled every half-hour, but participants may elect to attend only the ones they find of particular interest. Attendees must be 21 or over and registration is requested.
For more information, call 854-5001 or send an e-mail to dgentry@oppcity.com.
– James Dowd: 529-2737
2010 Opportunity Expo
What: Career transition and development forum for white-collar professionals
When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday
Where: The Memphis Pink Palace Museum, 3050 Central
Admission: Free with résumé, $5 without
Details: opportunityexpo.org
Similar Posts:
- Memphis music is future, needs investment, says ex-Stax leader Bell
- Crazy is good, PR pros are told
- Can’t Find a Job? Create a Career Map.
- Cuyahoga Community College receives $650,000 grant
- Andre K. Fowlkes: Entrepreneurship key to transforming Memphis into Venture City
