OPEN, which stands for Out Professional Engagement Network and is an organization based in Madison that works to create a network for LGBTQ+ professionals to help elevate workers and help hold employers accountable to being inclusive and welcoming, is holding a career fair in October as part of their annual dinner event. While there are many area job fairs, this one is special in that it is meant to specifically bridge the “readiness gap” by providing career services, workforce development, and an inclusive opportunity for workers to meet with both employers and volunteers who will help them with professional wardrobe, resume building, and answer questions and give advice for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community who need it.

Heidi Duss, board president, said that part of OPEN’s mission is to break down what “professional” means—a word rooted in patriarchy and white supremacy and has been frequently weaponized against people of color and people within the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans people. In attempting to do so, this fair will not only include what you would normally expect to see at a job fair, namely white collar companies and corporations, but also trade organizations and unions who would typically not be at these types of events. Little Light Solutions, an OPEN member whose focus is business development and inclusion, will have recruiters there from the Greater Madison Area Society for Human Resource Management in booths before job seekers even enter the main area with companies to help guide them and provide support. “Networking and talking to companies is a skill,” Duss explains, “and the point of bringing in these recruiters is to provide encouragement and support.”

From the side of the companies participating in the fair, OPEN has created a stringent vetting process to make sure that everyone participating is transparent, inclusive, and cultivates a workplace environment that is welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community. They begin this vetting process by submitting a form that asks them to outline benefits, policies of inclusiveness, and other points of information that job seekers should know. OPEN wants to further know what inspired them to want to participate in this particular job fair, how they address discrimination and harassment in their workplace, what resources they have to help their employees that might help the LGBTQ+ community in particular, and how OPEN can help them continue to be even more inclusive. Heidi Duss says that she recognizes that the forms ask a lot of questions that most don’t, but OPEN is committed to a community that has particular needs, and they want to ensure that anyone they welcome to the fair can provide a safe space for all of their employees.

When asked what else the organization wants job seekers to know about the fair, and OPEN in general, Duss replied that anyone can reach out to OPEN for any questions. Duss said to let them know if you are looking for anything in particular, if you want to see something specific, what employers you are hoping to see there, what resources might be needed that aren’t covered already, and let them know what help you might need.