Coffee and Connections: Way Finders’ fresh take on a job fair generates buzz
When you hear “job fair,” what first pops into mind? Walking around a big convention center? Tables of recruiters serving formal vibes? Grabbing business cards, passing on resumes?
Wayfinders’ ESS team
“Many agencies put on corporate-style job fairs, where people go table to table. Sometimes I feel like that kind of gets boring,” said Way Finders’ Job Developer and Retention Coordinator Ruben Arroyo. “Or people get too used to it, right? I’ve also seen individuals skip tables because they assume they’re not interested. Or don’t realize that ‘patient care technician’ is what some employers call ‘certified nursing assistant.’ So, with my team and colleague Job Developer and Retention Coordinator Wilmary Burgos, we thought, ‘We want to do something different.’”
Something to really encourage connections and face-to-face communication—experiences that can shift people out of their comfort zone to usher in change. All points that Arroyo and Burgos drive home throughout the six-week workshops they lead through Way Finders’ Employment Support Services.
And, they did! Introducing Way Finders’ first Coffee and Connections Job Fair, which took place April 29 at Lugar de Encuentro, a café and bookstore located within the Legacy Entrepreneur and Development Center at 1666 Main Street in Springfield.
Distinguished by a “speed-dating” format, the event drew more than 30 job seekers. Every five minutes, groups of two to four people rotated among the employer tables in the event space (as a second group of job seekers enjoyed free beverages and snacks in the café). Once the first group of job seekers had met all eight employers, the two groups swapped places.
Cafe staff with Lugar de Encuentro owner Daisy Gomez (in front)
Arroyo and Burgos created the event in a matter of months—as they also redesigned their workshop to incorporate six weeks of “employer spotlights.” Various employers were invited to talk about opportunities with their organizations, which gave participants a chance to practice networking.
The preparation paid off. Because as Arroyo and Burgos kept an eye on the timer, something magical happened: People needed more time together. They weren’t getting up early or anxious to move on.
“We had to extend the timer to closer to 10 minutes, because every time we said, ‘Time is up,’ they didn’t stop,” said Burgos.
“We had employers actually do interviews right there with some of our clients! It was really promising,” said Arroyo, who received positive feedback from both employers and the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA). “DTA Program Coordinator Melissa Witherspoon attended and loved it! She said she’d never seen anything like it before and was going to make it a standard approach for peer agencies.”
But it wasn’t just the format that stood out to Witherspoon. It was the way the entire Employment Support Services team—including Keritza Ostalaza, Myria Oliveras, Brunilda Aponte, Jennifer Golong, and Yaidelice De La Cruz—interacted with participants.
“She said she noticed the way our participants engage with us, how they are comfortable talking and laughing with us,” said Arroyo, who is planning the next Coffee and Connections for fall 2026.
When ESS participant Angelik Aponte of Palmer arrived at the job fair, she felt intense anxiety. The ESS team, including Director of Housing Education and Employment Services Sara Pena, took her aside to support her.
Angelik Aponte (at right) speaks with staff from the Gándara Center
“I was extremely nervous going in, but Sara helped me calm down. Once I sat down at the first table, I felt like, ‘OK, I’ve got this,’” said Aponte, who caught the eye of four different employers, and is hoping to land a role with the Gándara Center. “A few times when they said the time was up, I was in a deep conversation. I liked how after, we walked over to the little café. I didn’t even realize I was sitting with an employer, we were just talking.”
Also making the rounds at the job fair was ESS participant Ingrid Flores of Chicopee, who landed an on-the-spot interview.
“We went table to table, and I had two good partners with me. The conversation just flowed. I actually had a little interview with Way Finders. I was really interested in the role, I’m a resourceful person and like fast-pace helping,” said Flores. “When I was having my interview, they described the housing center as the emergency room of resources, the triage of resources. I fell in love with that.”
She’ll soon be providing such triage at the Holyoke Housing Center, where Flores has accepted a role of housing resource associate. (Congratulations to you, Ingrid!)
In sharing reflections on their fresh take of the job-fair model, Arroyo and Burgos spoke of the pride they felt in seeing their participants engage in a casual café atmosphere.
“I thought that employers might leave right after their tables were done, but no. They came to the appetizer table, they sat down with participants and kept asking questions,” said Burgos. “Seeing participants overcome some of their fears and coming out of their shells, that was the best part to me. We spend 12 weeks seeing them grow. So then seeing them build meaningful connections with employers, I just loved it.”
The whole experience, Arroyo observed, was a great way to reintroduce Way Finders to the community.
“Some people may have in their mind, ‘Way Finders’ participants aren’t for us. They are just people in need,’” said Arroyo. “I wanted to show that we have people from different areas of life.”
With big thanks to the recruiters who attended—MGM Springfield, Gándara Center, Upside413, Springfield Public Schools, Mass PCA, Masis Staffing, SNI Companies, and Access Care Partners. And much appreciation to Lugar de Encuentro owner Daisy Gomez and the Legacy Economic Development Corporation!
