Thirty-six regional employers plan to staff booths at a three-hour job fair set for Wednesday in Roanoke.

Stuart Mease, an organizer, said he believes many of those participating businesses have jobs they hope to fill and will be accepting applications and resumes.

"I don't think they would come unless they had jobs," said Mease, a special projects coordinator for Roanoke's department of economic development.

The Spring Job Fair will also provide opportunities for the sort of networking that can sometimes yield work, he said.

A similar job fair held in late December attracted more than 1,000 people. Long lines formed then at booths staffed by Advance Auto Parts and a few other employers.

Some businesses that participated last time won't be back. Advance Auto, for example, is not returning, according to the most recent list of exhibitors.

"There are people who were there in December who say, 'I don't have any jobs,' " Mease said. "And there are others who say, 'I'm already flooded with resumes.' "

The fair will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the Roanoke Civic Center Exhibit Hall. Admission is free.

The list of 36 companies planning to participate runs from Alliance Tractor-Trailer Training Centers to Yokohama Tire, from Carilion Clinic to Virginia Tech. Jobs range from production work to sales to highly skilled professional positions.

Mease said companies or agencies focused on entrepreneurship will be there, too. Representatives from Tupperware and Mary Kay Cosmetics will likely be on hand, for example. Also participating will be the Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center and the Virginia Department of Business Assistance.

Today, a person who works for a company for more than three years is considered a long-term employee, Mease said.

Thus, as their careers unfold, people need to stay as flexible as yoga instructors.

Savvy workers consider lifelong learning as one key to remaining employable, he said.

And people who have lost their jobs might need to consider a new career and related education. They can investigate jobs for what they believe will be in demand in the future or seek work they have long dreamed about.

For the short term, however, the bills must be paid. Job-hunting in the midst of a bad recession might require a measure of humility, Mease said.

"There comes a time when a person has to humble themselves and consider a job where they might be under-employed," he said.

Being prepared

The Virginia Employment Commission's Roanoke Workforce Center will staff a booth on Wednesday. Amidst a host of other services, the center can help people prepare for job searches through resume assistance and related training.

Mease said many people, especially those who have worked for the same employer for decades, have little familiarity with the paperwork, attitude and strategies required for a successful job search.

For one thing, he said, arriving shabbily dressed and haphazardly groomed to submit an application or sit for an interview can sabotage a person's job quest.

Wednesday's job fair hours, from 9 a.m. to noon, could make it tough for people who have jobs to break away to attend. But Mease said many businesses don't want to divert company resources for longer periods.

He said he did not know how attendance might compare to the December event's turnout. It occurred during a holiday week and was promoted for a longer time. Then again, the region has been hard-hit by layoffs in recent months.