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player ready...Turnout was tremendous on both sides of the table at Triton College’s Hospitality Job Fair last week.
About 50 companies in the hospitality industry, including hotels, restaurants and shops, showed up on the second floor of the college’s student center Feb. 11. The college offers an associates degree in Hospitality Industry Administration and this is the first time they’ve had a job fair focused on the hospitality industry,
“At first we thought it would be a small fair, about 20 (companies), but it grew from there,” said Richard Williams, director of Career Services at Triton College.
Maria Kostas, who does recruiting and training for Pete’s Fresh Market, said they came out to the job fair because the company is growing. Pete’s Fresh Market already has 10 stores in the Chicagoland area and plans to open three more, one of which will be located in Oak Park.
She said they will need people to work in the new stores, but had no definite date on when the Oak Park location will open.
“We are always looking for motivated individuals to grow with a profitable company,” she said.
Triton College students received the first opportunity to interact with the companies looking to hire for the first hour. Following that, alums and those looking for a job were able to come in.
Samika Baskerville, 21, of the Austin neighborhood in Chicago, is a new mother and came to the fair in hopes of finding a new job closer to home. She was busy at one of the one the open tables filling out an application with her friends.
“I have experience in customer service, bartending, cooking, serving and retail,” she said. “I’m here because it gives me different opportunities, different jobs I can apply for.”
Her friend Tiyona Dewalt, 24, also from Austin neighborhood, was looking for a better job opportunity, so she decided to come as well.
“I think it was a good idea because everybody needs employment, everybody needs a job,” she said. “Personally, I need a better job.”
Williams said about 180 people, comprised of students, alumni and outsiders seeking jobs, came out to the fair.
Dan Levato, an executive chef at Westin Hotel and Resorts, said he enjoyed his time interacting with students and job-seekers.
“Some of them have experience, some don’t,” he said.
But he said what he likes to see in perspective job-seekers is personality.
“That’s what we are looking for, attitude and personality,” he said. “We’re looking for prep cooks and people looking to get started.”
He said he has 18 openings in his department, but the company has plenty of opportunities.
Williams said because of the positive turnout on both sides, he plans on having another job fair like this in the future.
“We’ll definitely do it again at least once a semester,” he said.
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Another job fair is scheduled for March 11 focusing on health-related fields; a more general job fair will be held May 7.