Organizer notices a more competitive edge at last week's fair.
More than 1,000 people attended the latest job fair sponsored
by College of the Canyons at their Valencia
campus and organizers are hoping that 500 job seekers come to their first fair
at the new Canyon Country campus.
“We had people waiting to get in and actually lined up
outside,” said Anthony Micheledes, of the college’s Career Services department,
who sets up the semi-annual job opportunity events. “We were bombarded the
first two hours, which could be an indication of the tighter economy. The
serious job seekers always show up at the beginning.
“I’ve been doing this for seven years and this fair was definitely
different,” he continued. “The attitude was a little more serious and there was
a little bit of an edge of competition.”
Sixty-two employers, including KHTS, which co-sponsored the
Sept. 24 event, staffed tables at the fair and fielded questions from potential
employees. Micheledes said that he’s accommodated up to 110 companies, but many
contacted him and said they were not in a position to hire at the present time.
The first-ever job fair to be held on COC’s Canyon Country
campus is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, October 8. Interested
participants should park in the student lots; employers will be set up near the
Carl A. Rasmussen amphitheater next to the administration building on campus.
“We’re expected at least 40 employers to turn out,”
Micheledes said. “We encourage everyone who is looking to come to the Canyon
Country fair; some new employers will be there and if they came last week, this
could be the perfect opportunity to have a second chance to talk with the
companies that interested them.”