Southwest Georgia Career Expo lets job seekers shine in Albany

ALBANY – After taking time to be with daughter Saya, who is now 9 months old, Shaniya Swanigan is looking to explore job opportunities, and the fourth Southwest Georgia Career Expo seemed to be a good place to start.

Swanigan, who was at the Albany Civic Center on Thursday with her husband Kyree and hundreds of others, was using the annual event to learn more about what kind of jobs are available in the region. Prior to her maternal break, she had worked mostly in retail.

“I’m just trying to get a career, just anything that might spark my interest, really,” she said. “I just want to see what’s out there. I took a year or so off because I had a baby, now I’m looking to get back in.” 

Swanigan and her husband had seen videos of past expos and the crowds that came out and thought it would be a good experience.

“This is my first time coming to one of these,” she said. “I’m just looking for a new path.”

Forty employers were set up in the floor area of the civic center to speak with prospective employees during the event hosted by the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission. In addition, Southern Point Staffing was on site to help job seekers review and prepare resumes, and Ashley’s Business Solutions provided copies of resumes to present to employers in the future.

A new feature for 2026 is the swgajobs.com website, EDC President and CEO Jana Dyke said.

“On that website, businesses can list job openings they have available,” she said. “And those who are looking for employment can upload their resumes. This website is going to stay live after this event, and it can be a resource for the community. It’s been great. We’ve had a constant flow of people coming in.” 

More than 211 individuals used the website ahead of the expo to register for the event, she said.

The resume-building and printing services also are a big benefit.

“That’s great because it allows job-seekers to go to the employer with something,” Dyke said.

Among the employers participating in the expo were better-paying jobs for the region like mechanics and medical positions, she said.

Also making his first appearance at the expo was Stancil Tootle, executive director of Bain Inc., an organization dedicated to helping disabled individuals live independent and satisfying lives. The Bainbridge-based center recently opened a second office in Albany at 2303 Dawson Road, Suite 2, and requires that at least 51% of staff and board members be disabled.

“We assist people with disabilities with living in the community of their choice with the least amount of barriers,” said Tootle, who has been blind since birth. “We are hiring, and we primarily try to hire disabled people. We need to be practicing what we preach.”

Bain Inc. currently is seeking to hire three individuals to work in Albany and two in Bainbridge. It provides advocacy, information and referral to resources, peer support, independent-living skills training and transition support.

Among the job-seekers who checked out Bain Inc. was Jazmine Jennings.

“I’m just really open to any jobs, retail or office jobs,” the 23-year-old said. “I’m considering the health field as well.”

The previous afternoon the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce held its Business Expo. That event brought together 47 vendors at the civic center.

The highlight was the first business-to-business hour that gave company representatives a chance to socialize and network, Chamber interim President and CEO Matt Reed said.

“We were very pleased with it,” he said. “We had a good turnout. We had great energy, a great atmosphere.”