Job fair draws big crowd

They came in suits, they came in dresses, and they were looking for what Freehold Borough Council President Marc Le Vine called "the light."

JEFF GRANIT staff Amarlyn Singh, of Freehold Borough, inquires about a position with Christine Marciano of the Marciano Insurance Agency during a job fair that was held at the Park Avenue Elementary School, Freehold Borough, on April 8. Hundreds of people showed up to seek out employment information. Their stories, although different, all led back to the same theme — unemployment.

Men and women of varying ages lined up on April 8 outside the Park Avenue Elementary School, Freehold Borough, for the first Freehold Borough job fair. They waited anxiously for the school doors to open, hoping that inside that gymnasium would be the keys to new employment opportunities. The job fair ran from 1-5 p.m.

"Most were desperate for work," Le Vine said of those who attended the event. "When we opened the doors there was a crowd of people over 50 years old ready to come in, a stark contrast to what you would expect to see. They seemed to be running toward light, hoping maybe they would find something here."

The attendees had the opportunity to meet with a variety of prospective employers. The sense of anticipation and hopefulness was almost palpable as hundreds of visitors moved among the tables and explored the options laid out by more than 20 organizations and firms.

Jeff Hance, 53, of Freehold Borough, was grateful for the opportunity to come to an event that offered the possibly of a new job. Hance, a mechanic by trade, said he has been out of work for about three months after being laid off from his job at a local towing company.

"That work has all dried up," he said. "I've never been out of work. It's bad out there."

Hance said he learned about the job fair by reading an article in the News Transcript. He delivered his résumé to several potential employers, including Eastern Armored Services. That job requires someone who can handle firearms, and Hance qualified. He was in the U.S. Navy Reserve for 20 years and served as a range master.

He also submitted an application with Six Flags Great Adventure, which was seeking a maintenance mechanic for the theme park's vehicles.

Hance said he attended a workshop presented by Larry Jacobs of Rutgers University at Borough Hall on April 7. The workshop was planned by Le Vine to help people present themselves to potential employers at the next day's job fair.

"He was a great motivational speaker," Hance said of Jacobs. "He offered us many tips on how to present yourself to the employer, including things such as the need to present yourself with confidence, dress appropriately and maintain eye contact."

Although Jacobs was in the market primarily for a mechanic's job, he was dressed in a suit at the job fair after hearing Jacobs make the suggestion about dressing appropriately.

Ronald Platania, 62, of Manalapan, was laid off from The New York Times in 2006. He currently works as a commission sales representative for Weichert Realty. He said he needs "something steady with a regular paycheck that includes benefits." He said he is currently paying about $900 per month for benefits for his wife and himself.

Platania said the job fair was "amazing," as was Jacobs' workshop the previous evening.

"Without that workshop I never would have brought my résumé and I would have been out of luck," he said. "We got some really good tips. Larry Jacobs was great."

Platania said he stopped at almost every table at the job fair, picking up materials and leaving his business card and résumé with representatives of many companies.

Walking out of the school with a folder full of materials, Platania said, "I am definitely glad I came. I am so happy this job fair was held."

The company Diana Jeandron of Freehold Borough worked for moved her department out of state in November, and she has been looking for work ever since.

After reading the article about the job fair in the News Transcript, Jeandron came to the event in the hope of finding a job to replace the one she lost. Toting an armful of materials she had gathered at the job fair, she said she was very glad she came.

The job fair also attracted young people. Jena DeSenso, 19, of Howell, and her friend Tara Troisi, 19, were also at the fair.

De Senso is a student at Capri Institute and has a job at a local salon, but said she wanted to see what was available.

Troisi said she is transferring from Dominican College in Orangeburg, N.Y., to Georgian Court University in Lakewood and wants to get a job in this area. She said she may be interested in a position in the medical field.

Eileen Miller, a leasing consultant for Morgan Properties, had a booth at the job fair. She represented the Jumping Brook Apartments in Neptune.

"The job fair is a great, wonderful idea," she said. "It is a great way to network and to provide people with great opportunities."

Other employers and organizations that had booths at the job fair were Primerica, Molly Maid of Central Jersey, Walker Marciano Insurance Agency LLC, the New Jersey Department of Labor, Brookdale Community College, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Eastern Armored Services, VNA of New Jersey, the U.S. Marines, the U.S. Army, CentraState Medical Center and Six Flags Great Adventure.

Recruiter Staff Sgt. Jason Montgomery of North Carolina is assigned to the Army's Freehold recruiting office. He said several attendees had stopped off to speak with him. He said he would be getting back in touch with some of the people who expressed an interest in the Army.

Pat Bianchi and Christine McKay, senior consultants for Mary Kay Cosmetics, said they were happy to have attended the job fair.

"A job fair like this allows us to expose our company better than sitting at home," Bianchi said.

Debbie Keelan, who chairs Freehold Borough's Neighborhood Pride Committee, which sponsored the event, said the job fair was another way to get the community together for the purpose of helping one another.

"It's about giving back," she said. "This committee is shaping up to be a feel-good committee that helps others, with people coming together, networking and talking to one another the way they used to. You see people in suits walking into this job fair. It allowed them to have pride in themselves as they set about looking for a job at a fair that offered so many opportunities."

Le Vine said the job fair exceeded the committee's expectations.

"With more than 300 job-seekers attending and 25 companies participating, the Neighborhood Pride Committee, the Freehold Borough schools and the Borough of Freehold can all take bows for a job well done," he said.

"All of the job-seekers and employers who participated in an exit interview were very pleased with their results. Many of the employers want us to run another job fair in the fall. We will consider their request, since the event was such a success. Everyone involved with the job fair should feel good that we helped so many who are struggling with unemployment and put the town of Freehold in the best of all possible lights. We all done good!," Le Vine said.