Job Fair rekindles hope of employment

The long wait did not discourage job seekers as they stood for an average of three hours on Queens Center Mall’s second level to meet prospective employers at a job fair on Thursday, June 23.
Over 500 applicants lined single file stretching more than two-thirds of mall’s second level with the first person arriving at 7:30 a.m., approximately three hours before the start of the event.
“I am glad I brought my flats, I’ve been here since 10 a.m. and it’s two right now, and if I had just brought my heels, I would have been hurting,” said Cadiz Morales, 49, who was laid off from Xerox on Park Avenue two years ago. “I’m looking for anything; I just need a job.”
Most were retail jobs with companies located in the mall including Armani Exchange, Sketchers, Afaze, The Children’s Place and Victoria’s Secret.
“There were more people than I expected,” said Jamella Joseph, store manager of Sketchers. “I got more than 60 applications and a lot of resumes within an hour, and a person even gave me a scrap piece of paper with contact information because the individual didn’t have a resume copy.”
Joseph also said that their company was looking for someone who is “positive with a bubbly attitude, has one year of retail experience, someone who actually knows and is interested in the product, versus someone who is just looking for anything.”
Other companies searching for employees included Resorts World Casino New York, which was popular among varying ages looking for employment that fit their expertise.
“I am interested in the Resort World Casino, because it fits my qualifications,” said Yajaira Caraballo, 25, who has a Bachelor’s in hospitality and tourism from Monroe College, New Rochelle. “My old job working with Circle Line, a sightseeing boat service was seasonal and paid the minimum $7.25 wage so I left.”
Dawn Simon, senior manager of marketing at Queens Center Mall felt the job fair was a success.
“There’s such a huge response,” Simon said. “It just goes to show how eager people are to gain employment and we do have many opportunities available for them at the fair.”