Hundreds of people recently converged upon the Hammond Civic Center, but they weren’t there for a music concert or wrestling event.
Armed with briefcases and dozens of resumes, job-seekers came to see “what’s out there” at the 15th annual Hammond Job Fair.
“I’ve tried online, but not with much luck, said Kenneth Chandler of Highland. “I heard that there were going to be quite a few companies here, so I decided to try this event.”
Many others echoed those same thoughts, as they perused the more than 90 companies, schools, and organizations that set up tables in the gymnasium.
Jeremy Sawtell of Hammond just graduated from an out-of-state college and moved to the area from Chicago six months ago.
“It’s hard to adjust to a new living situation and adding a job hunt to the mix can make it even more difficult,” he said. “But I’m optimistic. I served two internships in the communications field, so I hope I come away from this with at least a few leads.”
According to Jackie Thrall of Munster, job fairs can be either a positive experience or a frustrating one.
“I’ve been to many that don’t even take your resume or discuss openings with you,” she said. “They just have pamphlets that tell you to go online. Why are these places even at the job fair?”
Most visitors to the recent Hammond Job Fair did not have that problem.
“I’m looking for a job in the insurance field, and everyone I’ve met here is very helpful,” said Joe Morin of Hobart, after he had a short face-to-face interview with representatives from Lincoln Heritage Insurance Company. “I’m glad I came today, this is much more than I expected.”
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Stories from the day’s visitors ranged from facing company layoffs, retirement, financial problems, and much more.
According to many company spokespeople manning their tables, there is no current shortage of jobs in northwest Indiana.
But finding the right fit takes time, research, effort, and the right attitude, they added.
“When people think of Taco Bell, they may think only of fast food and entry level positions. But there’s always the opportunity for advancement,” said long-time employee Allison Fijut, as she lined up pamphlets on her table. “I started here years ago when I was in high school — and now I’m operations manager for one of the franchise companies.”
Among the vendors at the fair were Ivy Tech Community College, which distributed information on their education programs, and the School City of Hammond, that outlined their Adult Education curriculum.
“Not everyone has a college degree, and some people didn’t even finish high school,” said Fannie Martin of Hammond, who attended the job fair with her new-college graduate daughter Keesha Martin. “I don’t have a lot of education, so I need to find out more about this adult program. I’m definitely taking this information home.”
Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
