Fifteen employers and employment services organizations set up shop at Morristown’s Community Soup Kitchen and Outreach Center on Wednesday.
They outnumbered the job-hunters during our visit, in the last half-hour of the 90-minute Morris County Jobs Fair. Lois Nichols of the soup kitchen reported that more than 60 people came through earlier.
There were resume-writing tips from Travelers Insurance, wardrobe suggestions from Dress for Success and pointers to virtual training courses from TheEduGuru.com, a consulting company.
Carol Fitzpatrick of UPS said two part-time employees hired at last year’s fair quickly were promoted to supervisors. The holiday season will bring more part-time opportunities for helpers and drivers, she said.
Ashley Furniture is looking to hire a sales person and a customer care representative, said Recruiting Coordinator Liz Povinelli.
A representative of the County College of Morris said the sluggish economy has not driven admissions the way one might expect.
But the Morris County School of Technology, which teaches high school kids and adults, has seen an uptick, said Terry Schweon, an adult education specialist at the Denville school.
“People need to retool,” Terry said, citing demand for licensed practical nurses, clinical medical assistants, EKG technicians and phlebotomists.
Morristown’s biggest employer, Morristown Medical Center, and its parent company, Atlantic Health Systems, have about 200 full-time and part-time openings, for X-ray technicians, social workers, medical office workers and maintenance- and food service workers, said recruiter Bruce Berman.
Among the job-seekers was Pat, a single mother of three from Florham Park. Downsized out of an administrative job, she worked in retail for awhile but said the job did not pay enough to support her family.
“It can be frustrating,” Pat said of the present job market.
She welcomed the chance to speak with a recruiter for Sheraton Hotels at the job fair, adding she feels lucky to live within a short drive or train ride of so many potential employers.
It doesn’t appear that things are likely to get better any time soon. I think it’s great that companies are coming out in support of people who are trying to find a job. One source of jobs I think gets overlooked a lot is the online job market.
There are tons of short-term jobs you can do over the net. Fiverr is a great place to earn some cash and never leave home. There are others. So, if you are looking for a job and are stuck waiting for the next bricks and mortar company to hire you, think outside the “old” box and look to the internet to find jobs you never thought existed.
Best,
Chas