There is a difference between a job and a career. A job is something you do for the money, but a career is something you do for the passion.

Even careers that may seem ordinary, or regular, the most successful people in them are successful because they love what they do, they are good at it, and they are passionate to be part of a great company that fits their life.

Your profession is what you will spend one third of your days doing for about 40 years on average. Shouldn’t it be something you enjoy doing? There are few things worse than trying to motivate yourself to go to a job that you don’t like.

So maybe it’s time for you to make a change. A new path. A different experience. Or maybe you are new to the Midcoast or new to the workforce.

Whatever the reason, we can’t wait to show you all there is to offer at the Southern Midcoast Hiring Fair happening on March 21, sponsored by Mid Coast- Parkview Health and Coastal Counties Workforce.

The Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber has teamed up with the Southern Midcoast CareerCenter to bring you one of the largest employee hiring events in the state. Seventy business booths are available, and by looking at early returns, we are very likely to hit the 70-business mark.

The new venue is the Cook’s Corner Mall in Brunswick (home of Staples, TJ Maxx, Sears, etc.). They have a wide lobby that is hundreds of feet long and we will be set up around the TJ Maxx part of the mall with 70 pipe and drape booths. Attendance costs nothing for interested employees, and all we ask is that you bring a resume if you want to and be ready to talk to employers who are eager to meet you.

Business must have openings

One unique piece of the Southern Midcoast Hiring Fair is that no business can be there unless they have openings in their business. Therefore this is not a fair with maybe one, or five, or 10 businesses who actually have openings — every business must have openings in order to be there. With 70 expected attendees, that is a bunch of opportunities.

The event is purposely set for four hours, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in order to allow ample time for employees to get there and see people. This even accommodates someone who wants to come by on a lunch break, when maybe they can’t ask for the time off because they don’t want their current boss to know.

We encourage those with little time to print off resumes or make some business cards to hand to potential employers so they have an easy way to connect with you. That way if you don’t have time to talk, you can at least hand them something for them to connect with you later.

If you need help building a resume, please contact the Southern Midcoast CareerCenter and they would love to help you build one in the weeks leading up to the event.

Are you a business in need of employees?

Well, you won’t beat the $80 early bird price if you sign up by March 3, or even the $95 regular pricing after March 3, while booths are available. Under a hundred dollars and you may fill your workforce needs — that’s a pretty good deal. Also, the sooner you sign up, the sooner we can start promoting that you’ll be there.

Add to that the opportunity for a special ad section in The Times Record, and there are just as many opportunities for employers as there are for potential employees.

If you are interested in a booth space, or have questions about the event, contact the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber at executivedirector@midcoastmaine.com or call (207) 725-8797.

List of businesses

As of Friday, Feb. 24, here is a list of those businesses who will be in attendance:

Mid Coast-Parkview Health, The Brunswick Hotel & Tavern, TD Bank, Assistance Plus, Midcoast Federal Credit Union, Catholic Charities, Modern Pest Services, Geiger (Auburn), Bo-Mar Transportation, Creative Work Systems (Portland), Woodfords Family Services, Bonney Staffing, Spurwink-Brunswick, Manpower (Augusta), General Dynamics (BIW).

Cianbro (Pittsfield), The Times Record, HW Staffing Solutions, LifeShare LLC (LifeShare Management Group), Kelly Services (Auburn), Arcadia New England, Lincoln & Sagadahoc Multicounty Jail Authority, Molnlycke Health Care, Shaw’s (of Bath and Brunswick), Sebasco Harbor Resort, Pathways of Maine, Hannaford, Maine Department of Transportation, Wilbur’s of Maine, Pine Tree Society, Maine Landcrafters, Independence Association, Brentwood Center of Health & Rehab and Charter Communications (formerly Time Warner Cable).

There are multiple openings from the majority of these companies and in several different departments. That is a wide breadth of industries from manufacturing and health care, to state careers and hospitality. The Southern Midcoast Hiring Fair has something for every potential employee — and that’s not even half of the spaces.

So if you’re looking for your next career challenge, I encourage you to come find out all that the Southern Midcoast region has in store for you on March 21.