Written by Craig Wolf / Poughkeepsie Journal

Job seekers will have an opportunity Wednesday to visit with several dozen employers and join in seminars offering how-to advice.  The “Work Local First Job Fair,” produced by the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce, will begin at 9 a.m. and run through 2 p.m. at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel and Conference Center, 40 Civic Center Plaza, City of Poughkeepsie. More than 50 employers are signed up to come. There is no cost to attend, but preregistration is requested for the seminars, according to the chamber’s announcement. To RSVP, call 845-454-1700, Ext. 1000.

The seminar schedule:

• 9:20 a.m. —“So You Lost Your Job, Now What?,” presented by Tom McQuade, coach with the Entrepreneur’s Source.

• 10 a.m. — “Key Pitfalls to Avoid During Your Job Search,” presented by Keith Weiner, owner of PRI Investigations and Process Services.

• 11 a.m. — “Gain a Competitive Advantage: Advanced Interviewing Techniques and Multi-Dimensional Job-Search Strategies,” presented by Carol Heady and Ellyn Enisman.

• Noon — “Re-tooling Your Skills and Why Now is a Great Time to Consider a New Career,” presented by Katrina Gobins, director of placement, Ridley-Lowell Business and Technical Institute.

• 1 p.m. — “Developing Brand Recognition in Your Job Search,” presented by Rob Zanfardino, committee chair, Career Connections for Professionals.

“All seminars are presented by members of the chamber’s Career Connections for Professionals committee comprised of local job-search experts with countless years of combined experience in hiring, human resources and corporate consulting,” said Rich Kleban, a spokesman for the chamber.