The Charlottesville Community Job Fair brought employers and more than 2,300 job seekers together Wednesday at John Paul Jones Arena for Central Virginia's largest job fair this year. Area residents were afforded the opportunity to learn valuable professional skills and meet potential employers hiring in the area.
"We are really excited and we think that this was probably the best one that we've had so far," said Hollie Lee, economic development specialist for the City of Charlottesville.
City organizers first held the job fair in 2008 with the intent of holding it annually, Lee said. But the dipping economy and high unemployment rate led officials to hold the event twice a year in 2009 and in 2010.
"It is a good opportunity to screen out employers and other options with intensity," said Michael Brann, who attended the fair.
About 78 employers were in attendance, the most in the fair's history, and were hiring for more than 1,000 positions. Concurrent Technologies and State Farm were among firms represented. Many federal employers were also in attendance, such as the National Security Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the Social Security Administration.
Application processes differ from company to company, but representatives came to provide job seekers with an opportunity to speak with and ask questions to an actual person, said Wendy Miller, recruitment and training specialist at Martha Jefferson Hospital. Miller said her organization participated to "demonstrate presence" and show community support.
In addition to meeting employers, participants were able to visit a resource room to receive assistance with job-seeking skills, including interview etiquette and resume composition. There was also an "image room" where job seekers could obtain tips on workplace clothing choice and win free professional clothing items.
Additional workshops were also available to those in attendance; the U.S. Office of Personnel Management instructed potential employees on how to apply specifically for a job in the federal government.
The success of the program, Lee said, is evident in the swift results it produced for many job seekers. Many attendees, Lee said, were hired for jobs on the spot, and many more will take part in follow-up interviews after the fair.
-Kirsty Hein contributed to this article
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