{"id":8341,"date":"2017-11-02T17:50:50","date_gmt":"2017-11-02T21:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.atl.com\/?p=8341"},"modified":"2017-11-06T10:30:45","modified_gmt":"2017-11-06T15:30:45","slug":"thousands-attend-hundreds-hired-at-atls-job-fair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.atl.com\/atl\/thousands-attend-hundreds-hired-at-atls-job-fair\/","title":{"rendered":"Thousands attend, hundreds hired at ATL’s job fair"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An applicant submits her application at the Airport Community Job Fair at the Georgia International Convention Center.\u00a0\u00a9 2017 Decisive Moment Events<\/p><\/div>\n

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By Anika Robertson
\nSenior Editor\/Assistant Public Relations Manager<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n

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More than 2,300 job seekers flocked to the Airport Community Job Fair on Oct. 31 in the hope of landing one of 1,800 positions available at the world\u2019s busiest and most efficient airport.<\/p>\n

Early totals indicate 438 applicants were hired on the spot, with more to come pending application reviews and interviews from the 60 participating businesses.<\/p>\n

The fall job fair, held at the Georgia International Convention Center, offered opportunities ranging from baristas and digital software engineers to passenger sales agents and security officers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were hoping to hire about 20 qualified candidates,\u201d said Jamaal Campbell, human resources manager with Hojeij Branded Foods. \u201cWe were able to double that projection by hiring 54 new employees. I have been a part of job fairs for several years, but this one was our most successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hojeij positions up for grabs included cooks, cashiers, bussers and shift leaders at the company\u2019s 18 Airport eateries. New Hojeij hire Joshua Gilbert looks forward to showcasing his culinary talents.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love to cook, so this was an opportunity for me to go a little bit further, learn a little bit more,\u201d Gilbert said.<\/p>\n

Several City of Atlanta \u00a0recruiters welcomed applicants and encouraged online submissions for 54 open positions across varied fields and divisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have solid waste, engineers, watershed [and] a lot of public safety people are needed,\u201d said Samantha Graves, recruiting coordinator for talent acquisitions. \u201cI will be helping to pair people\u2019s talents, scanning their resumes and \u2026 finding a job that fits well for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Companies weren\u2019t the only ones scouting for talent. Several regional schools offered training and financial incentives for those seeking education and additional skills.<\/p>\n

Robert Thomas, admissions representative for Heavy Equipment Colleges of America in Georgia, recruited students by touting the job placement success of the three- to nine-month program.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe train and certify heavy equipment operators and assist with lifetime job placement across the country,\u201d said Thomas, adding that 85 percent of graduates are veterans.<\/p>\n

Historically, Hartsfield-Jackson has held one job fair per year. But the upward growth of the economy, coupled with the Airport\u2019s huge influx of passengers and the launch of the Airport\u2019s capital improvement program, prompted organizers in 2016 to add a second event in the fall.<\/p>\n

And with more events, organizers have added more features, including resume printing service, a career coach, interview rooms and daylong training.<\/p>\n

Last week, Hartsfield-Jackson hosted training sessions covering resume writing, interviewing skills, job fair success and airport customer service. The sessions were conducted by the Georgia Department of Labor, Aerotropolis WorkSource Georgia and the Department of Aviation.<\/p>\n

Janisha Radford moved to Atlanta from Flint, Michigan, in 2015. Seeking additional part-time work, the certified nurse assistant learned of the fair through online research. By early afternoon, she was offered a wheelchair agent position from GAT Airline Ground Support.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to help people. I enjoy it,\u201d Radford said. \u201c[The fair] is a good opportunity for anyone \u2026 someone who wants to do something with themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chief job fair organizer Chermaine Axam hopes that message of opportunity will continue to resonate.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal was to provide job seekers with the tools needed to land a position at the job fair,\u201d said Axam, ATL\u2019s assistant manager for community affairs. \u201cAnd the results paid off for many who were hired on the spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

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