Career Options
Job fair a booming successThousands of job seekers flooded the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Sept. 14 and 15, armed with resumes, portfolios and the hope that they might walk away with a lead -- or better yet, a job. Lauren Breslin |
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 [ 2005-09-21 ] |
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The seventh edition of the National Job Fair and Training Expo drew at least 10,000 people, many of whom came out for the rare opportunity to network and interview directly with more than 125 employers, training and career service specialists, and choose from more than 4,000 opportunities in a range of fields, from IT to HR.
The event also featured 18 speakers, as well as free presentations and self-employment seminars.
Presented by Jobboom.com in collaboration with the Toronto Sun and the Ontario government, the event happens twice a year, in the spring and fall.
Job seeker Tom Watson, a 26-year-old who recently graduated from the University of Guelph, braved the crowds. "I figured there'd be a lot of companies out here offering sales positions, so that's why I decided to come out," he explained. "I've enjoyed it. They have a lot of great information -- and I got a couple of good leads, too."
Elizabeth Beatty, 23, who just graduated from Queens with a Masters in industrial relations, was more selective with her job applications. "You have to hunt," she said. "There are a lot of general sales positions here, but there are also more serious positions. You don't know unless you go talk to the employers." Overall, Beatty said her experience at the show was positive, adding: "The job search process can be frustrating, so it's nice to have a whole bunch of employers together all in one place."
ON-SITE INTERVIEW
Kevin Waite was one of the lucky ones; he was offered an on-site job interview with State Street, a leading financial services company. When he emerged 15 minutes later from his "mini" interview, Waite looked a little dazed. "I was a bit nervous," he admitted. "I haven't been through the interview process for a few years now."
Waite was running a home renovations business when he decided it was time for a career change. "I'd like to get into the financial industry, so I thought this would be a good place to come and check out," he said.
"There's a lot of competition here, but I think my interview went fairly well. I hope it works out -- it looks like a good opportunity."
Along with employer booths, the Resume Professional Assessment Centre was a big hit throughout the event. Resume writers from the Career Professionals of Canada were on hand to review jobhunter's resumes and offer suggestions.
In fact, career specialists and recruiting firms seemed to draw the largest crowds. Absolute Recruitment, a returning exhibitor at the show, is booked solid with follow-up interviews, said Carrie Rowan, manager of business development. "I think we've had a huge success," she said. "We've filled a number of positions that we had active at the beginning of the last two days. We've actually been sending people right from here to interviews -- literally."
The next edition of the National Job Fair & Training Expo takes place on April 19 and 20 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
For more info, visit www.thenationaljobfair.com.
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