Making Connections
Employers looking for the right fitThe National Job Fair & Training Expo at the Metro Convention Centre promises employers an unparalleled opportunity to meet and recruit from among the 10,000 or more visitors expected at the two-day event. DAVID CHILTON |
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 [ 2006-09-27 ] |
FIND A JOB
More than 120 exhibitors will be looking to recruit and help candidates at the job and career fair -- the largest one open to the general public in Ontario.
Among the employers will be Integrated Dealer Systems (IDS), a software provider for the RV, marine and automotive industries; TDL Group Corp., parent of that Canadian institution, Tim Hortons; the Canadian Armed Forces; and Garda World Security Corp. All say that attending The National Job Fair & Training Expo is a highly cost-efficient way for them to find employees and recruits and for potential employees and recruits to find them.
Brian Balboni, director of development and implementation at IDS, wants employees for company operations in Pickering, St. Petersburg, Fla., and Raleigh, N.C.
"We've been (to this event) twice before," Balboni says. "It's the most successful recruiting thing we've done." He says this job fair gives him the opportunity to screen potential hires and assess whether they would be a good fit for his company.
What Balboni is looking for is character, an aggressive work ethic and team players, rather than specific skill sets. Those, he says, can be taught, although anyone with C-Sharp developer, ASP.Net and retail systems experience, among other software expertise, are definitely on his wanted list. At the spring fair this past April, IDS invited 32 candidates in for a second interview, Balboni says, with 16 of them making the cut and 11 of them being hired.
Sandra Parsons, a human resources recruiter for TDL Group Corp., says this is the first time her company is exhibiting at the job fair. Among the vacancies at TDL Group Corp. are operations representatives, warehouse positions and AZ drivers. "We're looking for candidates who embrace challenge, take a positive 'can do' approach to their work and enjoy sharing success with their team," Parsons says.
Both Garda and the Canadian Armed Forces recruit continuously. Rob MacLean, director of human resources for Garda, says he's looking for security guards who may work in positions typical of the job or as concierges, a growing field. Other vacancies exist for armoured security and airport passenger screening personnel.
Navy lieutenant Jim Little, a Toronto area recruiter for the Armed Forces, says this fair provides an opportunity for anyone interested in a career in the military to come down and talk to recruiting personnel. There's no need for them to bring any documents, Little says, all they have to do is show up. He and his colleagues are recruiting for the army, navy and air force and the reserve.
Although on first contact Little doesn't need employment documents, the other exhibitors all say that bringing a resume is essential. Parsons asks for references, too, and Balboni wants a cover letter, "Not just your past, but who you are. Talk about your mistakes and how you evolved after making them."
That's an uncommon position for an employer to adopt. But then, The National Job Fair & Training Expo represents an uncommon opportunity for the career seeker in many, many fields.
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