Employers call for help, hundreds answer the call
Reporter: Simone Del Rosario
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Derek Cuttino has been out of work now for three months since DoubleTree hotel laid him off in December.
“It's been really hard. A lot of places aren't hiring right now because it's been slow and everything,” he said. “And the few places that are open, you've got like 500 people for 20 positions.”
500 is right -- that is about how many people showed up to Tuesday’s TucsonHelpWanted.com career fair, competing for positions in hospitality, government, the military and more.
“It's been frustrating, but you gotta keep pushing at it and see what comes along,” Cuttino added.
He is trying to get a job in hospitality, and Beth-el Klein, the human resources director for Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, is looking to fill at least 20 positions.
“We want to meet people. We want to see how they interact with other people. We want to make sure they have that face-to-face glitter in their eye and smile on their face,” Klein said.
But for some job seekers, the application process has lost that personal touch. Diane Lopes has been looking for a job for two years. She says it's a lot harder to make a good impression these days.
“Everybody does everything online and it's really so impersonal compared to so many years ago that you could go someplace and you do a paper application.”
Lopes walked away today without any good leads, but Corey Fitzgerald is having better luck.
“I've made a couple of good contacts already so I think in following up with those I could have an opportunity within the next few days. I actually scheduled an interview for two o'clock this afternoon,” Fitzgerald said.
“It's a tough economy. It's a tough environment to find work at the moment, but hopefully I'll be fortunate and my productivity and preparation will lead me in the right path.”
For those who missed the career fair, TucsonHelpWanted.com has around 6,500 current job openings listed.
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