What is a Virtual 50+ Employment Expo?
It is a virtual Employment Expo for jobseekers aged 50 or better and age-friendly employers with more than three openings.
Does it cost anything to register and attend the Virtual 50+ Employment Expos?
No. The Expos are FREE! Attending as a jobseeker or participating as an employer does not cost anything. No one pays to attend or participate in the Expos.
Do I have to live in Montgomery County, MD, Northern Virginia, or Howard County, MD, to attend the Virtual 50+ Employment Expos?
No. You can live anywhere and attend any of the Virtual 50+ Employment Expos.
When are the Virtual 50+ Employment Expos, and When is Registration Open?
There are six Montgomery County, MD Expos and three Northern Virginia Expos each year. In 2025, there will be one Expo on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
Visit our Schedule of Expos web page to see the dates of the upcoming Expos. See https://virtualexpos.accessjca.org/schedule-of-expos/ for more information about the upcoming Montgomery County, MD, and Northern Virginia Virtual 50+ Employment Expos. Jobseeker, registration for an Expo usually opens six to eight weeks before the Expo.
Visit our Howard County Employment Expo website, HowardExpo.AccessJCA., to register for the May 1, 2025, Howard County Expo.
How do I register to attend an Expo as a jobseeker or participate as an employer?
For the Montgomery County, MD, and Northern Virginia Expos, visit the Expos homepage at VirtualExpos.AccessJCA.org. Once there, click the appropriate registration button (jobseeker or employer) and complete the form.
To attend as a jobseeker or participate as an employer for May 1, 2025, Howard County, MD Virtual 50+ Employment Expo, visit the HowardExpos.AccessJCA.org website and click on the appropriate registration button (jobseeker or employer) and complete the registration form.
Jobseekers, after registering for an Expo, you will receive a confirmation email and link to the Expo. Employers, you will receive a confirmation email, and Ms. Happ will email the Zoom information to you as the date nears.
Where is the Expo schedule for the Montgomery County, MD, Northern Virginia, and the Howard County, MD Expo posted?
The Expo schedules for Montgomery County, MD, and Northern Virginia Expos are on the Expos website at https://virtualexpos.accessjca.org/schedule-of-expos/
The Expo schedule for the Howard County, MD, Expos is on the Howard County Employment Expos website at HowardExpo.AccessJCA.org.
Are the Expos recorded (video and audio)?
JCA does not record the entire Expo. JCA does record (Audio & Video) the morning workshop speakers and their presentations. We do not record participants. For privacy reasons, JCA only records the moderator’s image, voice, and presentation during the workshop and the workshop.
You may access the morning recording by visiting the following websites:
The Morning Expo Workshop Presentations for the Montgomery County, MD, and the Northern Virginia Expos are posted on the VirtualExpos.AccessJCA.org website at https://virtualexpos.accessjca.org/virtual-50-expo-presentations-for-jobseekers/.
You may also access the recordings for Montgomery County, MD, Northern Virginia, and Howard County, MD, on JCA’s corporate website at https://accessjca.org/employment-expos/.
The Howard County 2025 Workshop Recordings will be posted on HowardExpo.AccessJCA.org website a few weeks after the May 1, 2025, Employment Expo and JCA’s corporate website at https://accessjca.org/employment-expos/.
What time do the Virtual 50+ Employment Expos Start and End
The Expos officially start at 10:00 a.m. However, at 9:55 a.m., the Expo moderator will review the Expo structure and Zoom features used during the Expo. Subjects discussed in this document.
Each Expo ends between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.ET. However, JCA will extend an Expo to accommodate additional employers.
What is the structure of the Expo?
The Virtual 50+ Employment Expo Structure – on the Zoom platform
Expo Overview by Ann Happ (9:55 a.m.)
- Welcome (10 a.m. – 10:06 a.m.)
- Shane Rock, JCA CEO, and the County Executive Welcome video
- Community Resource Speakers (10:06 a.m. – 10:11 a.m.)
- Expo Overview by Justin Watson (10:12 a.m. -10:14 a.m.)
- Two-morning Workshops
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. - Employer Presentations (Noon – 3 p.m.)
· We will not close the employment expo until the last employer has left Chat and the moderators answer the last jobseeker question.
Do I have to be Jewish to attend or participate in the Expos?
No. JCA’s mission is to” Help ALL Seniors Thrive”!
How do I access a Virtual 50+ Employment Expo?
There are two ways to access an Expo. After registering for an Expo, you will receive a confirmation email from EmploymentExpos@AccessJCA.org with the Zoom hyperlink and call-in numbers to access the Expos.
- You may access the Expo from whichever device you use to access the internet. You will click on the hyperlink in the confirmation email you received. Or
- You may call in and listen to the Expo using one of the Zoom call-in numbers you received in your confirmation email.
Depending upon when you register for an Expo, you will receive a day before and the morning of “Expo Reminder” email from EmploymentExpos@AccessJCA.org.The Expo Reminder emails include the Zoom hyperlink, call-in numbers, and the Employment Expo Schedule.
If you register after the Expo starts, the hyperlink and call-in numbers are on the confirmation email you receive from EmploymentExpos@AccessJCA.org. The Employment Expo Schedule is on the website.
- See the Expos website https://virtualexpos.accessjca.org/schedule-of-expos/ for the latest Montgomery County, MD, and Northern Virginia Schedules.
- See the Howard County Schedule website for May 1, 2025, Employment Expo Schedule at https://howardexpo.accessjca.org/schedule-of-expo/
The schedules for the upcoming Expos are usually posted to the respective websites three to five days before each Expo.
Do I have to download Zoom to my device to access the Expo?
No.
I need an ASL interpreter.
ASL interpreters have to be scheduled in advance of an Expo.
For the Montgomery County, MD, and Northern Virginia Virtual 50+ Employment Expos, please register for the Expo and immediately call (301) 255-4209 or (703) 652-1518 or email EmploymentExpos@AccessJCA.org and request an ASL interpreter. JCA will try to accommodate your request.
For the May 1st Howard County Virtual 50+ Employment Expo: If you need this information in an alternate format or need accommodations to participate, call Maryland Access Point at 410-313-1234 (voice/relay) at least one week in advance.
ALL VIRTUAL 50+ EMPLOYMENT EXPO PROVIDE CLOSED CAPTIONING
Is closed captioning available?
Participants using the Zoom desktop app for Windows, macOS, or Linux: Global minimum version or higher may download the closed captioning transcript file.
- Join the Expo by clicking on the Zoom link you received from EmploymentExpos@AccessJCA.org.
- In your meeting controls, click Closed Caption .
- Click on the following:
- Windows/macOS: View Full Transcript.
- Linux: Show Subtitle.
- In the Transcript window, click Save Transcript.
- Click Show in Folder or Finder to access your saved captions.
Note: Your saved captions are saved in the following folder on your computer: The default is your Documents folder / Zoom / Folder with meeting name, date, and time.
Instructions for activating Closed Captioning and downloading can be found on the support Zoom webpage at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en- us/articles/360060958752-Saving-closed-captions-in-a-meeting
May I download the Chat?
Yes. You may download the Chat file anytime during the Expo. However, if you have a smartphone, it may not be possible to download the Chat file using your smartphone. You will receive the Chat file from Ms. Happ two days after the Expo.
Instructions for saving Chat during the Zoom Expo
To save in-meeting (Expo) Chat manually:
Join the Expo via the Zoom link you received from EmploymentExpos@AccessJCA.org. after registering. You may also join the Expo via the Zoom link you received from EmploymentExpos@AccessJCA.org the day before and the morning of the Expo.
During the meeting, click Chat .
- At the top of the Chat window, click the ellipses ,
2. Then, click Save Chat.
- Clicking on Save Chat in the Chat window will save your Chat to your local recording location. The default is your Documents folder / Zoom / Folder with meeting name, date, and time.
Chat instructions from Zoom can be found on the support Zoom webpage at https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0067312
What are Community Resource (CR) Speakers?
Representatives from local non-profit organizations that provide services to seniors. There are two Community Resource (CR) speakers at each Expo. Each CR speaker talks for three minutes about their organization.
When do the two-morning workshops start and end? What are they about? Are the workshop speakers paid?
The two-morning workshops start at 10:15 a.m. and end by Noon. Each workshop is 45 minutes to an hour long.
What are they about? The subject always addresses topics to help job seekers aged 50+ during their employment search. Experts in their fields create the workshops. They include resume tips (federal and nonfederal), current hiring trends, changing careers, branding yourself, working with a recruiter, networking, interview tips, etc.
The workshops are educational workshops to help you during your job search. We know participants apply what they learn from workshops in interviews, resumes, ‘elevator speeches,’ and on LinkedIn pages, etc., to help them in their job search and to find employment. The workshops are relevant to the age 50+ jobseeker.
- Jobseekers, if there is a subject you would like discussed, send your idea to EmploymentExpos@AccessJCA.org
- If you are an expert in your field and would like to present at one of the Expos, email EmploymentExpos@AccessJCA.org.
Are the workshop speakers paid? No. The workshop speakers are experts who generously donate their time and share their expertise with Expo participants. Like JCA, they are passionate about helping aged 50+ job seekers find employment.
I am an employer. Does my business have to be headquartered in Montgomery County, MD, Northern Virginia, or Howard County, MD, to participate?
No.
- You may participate in the Montgomery County, MD Expos if you have employment opportunities in the Montgomery County, MD area.
- You may participate in the Northern Virginia Expos if you have employment opportunities in Northern Virginia.
- You may participate in the Howard County, MD, Expos if you have employment opportunities in the Howard County area.
- You may participate in the Expos if your business is located inside or outside the DMV area and has remote openings.
The Montgomery County, MD Employer Registration form can be found on our website at https://accessjca.formstack.com/forms/2020_jca_employmentexpo_bethesdamd.
The Northern Virginia Employer Registration form can be found on our website at https://accessjca.formstack.com/forms/2020_jca_employmentexpo_fairfaxva
Howard County, MD, Employer Registration form can be found on our website at https://accessjca.formstack.com/forms/employer_registration_form_howard_county_maryland_expo.
When may Employers register for an Expo?
Starting in August each year, Employers may register for more than one Expo. The Expo season runs from September through June. Registration is open from August 1 to June 15.
- The Montgomery County, MD Employer Registration form is on our website at https://accessjca.formstack.com/forms/2020_jca_employmentexpo_bethesdamd.
- The Northern Virginia Employer Registration form is on our website at https://accessjca.formstack.com/forms/2020_jca_employmentexpo_fairfaxva
- Howard County, MD, Employer Registration form is on the Howard County, MD Employment Expo website at https://accessjca.formstack.com/forms/employer_registration_form_howard_county_maryland_expo.
Who do I contact if I have questions about the Virtual 50+ Employment Expos?
Send an email to EmploymentExpos@AccessJCA.org or call (301) 255-4209.
