Countywide : Thousands Attend Colleges’ Job Fair

Thousands of eager job seekers flocked to the Orange County Fairgrounds on Wednesday for the first Orange County Community College Job Fair.

Seven of the county’s community colleges--Coastline, Fullerton, Golden West, Irvine Valley, Orange Coast, Rancho Santiago and Saddleback--participated in the one-day job fair, which featured representatives from nearly 100 companies, said Stephen Woodyard, director of Orange Coast College’s Job Placement Center.

Woodyard said that because fewer employers have been attending job fairs at individual campuses, the community colleges decided to pool their efforts in one large event.

In addition, Woodyard said, previous job fairs weren’t always presented as such. “In the past they have been called career days or information days,” he said. “This is a real job fair. . . . I think students have a better chance of getting a job here.”

And with so many companies on hand, employers pulled out all the stops, using a variety of marketing methods to lure potential employees to their booths. Blockbuster Video showed “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Saturn had two cars sitting in front of its display and Lake Forest Beauty College gave free haircuts.

Clusters of job seekers could be seen at booths talking to potential employers.

“They had a lot of time to talk,” April Comyns, 23, of Diamond Bar said of the employers. “They were very personable.”

Comyns said that an overcrowded job fair she attended last year had so few employers she never got a chance to talk with company representatives.

Most employers were looking for people to fill entry-level positions. But a couple of companies anticipated having higher-level positions available as well.

People seeking jobs ranged from high school students to the unemployed to those looking to change careers.

Jason Heady, 22, a student at Golden West College who served in the U.S. Army for three years, was looking for openings in law enforcement, hotel services or retail. He said he has applied for 10 jobs in the past two months but hasn’t gotten a response. “It’s really nerve-racking,” he said.

Most of the job-seekers seemed impressed with the number of companies on hand.

“It’s great,” said Shari Cyrkin, 34, of Anaheim. “I always hear about these things too late.”

Cyrkin, who collected applications and flyers from more than 20 companies, had already begun to line up some interviews. “I’m not just gathering paper to be nice,” she said.