The nation’s banking sector may be crumbling, but jobs are still available throughout the Valley if a Sept. 25 job fair at Northern New Mexico is any indication.
About 500 people visited the booths of about 50 businesses at the Job Service Employment Connection’s fifth annual fair, Connection Chairman and SUN Classified Advertising Director Chris Herrick said.
There were a good number of businesses in attendance, Amanda Yarrington, a recruiter for Sombrillo Nursing and Aspen Ridge Lodge, said. It shows there are many jobs available in the area, she said.
One of the draws for some attendees was the Pojoaque Pueblo’s Buffalo Thunder Resort, which had representatives at the fair looking to fill positions in more than a dozen departments.
Danielle Jaramillo, of Pojoaque, said she came to the fair specifically to see what Buffalo Thunder had to offer.
“I came to see if I could find a part-time job,” she said.
Jaramillo said she had filled out applications at Buffalo Thunder and Avon.
“It’s better than just looking through the newspaper because there are representatives here, and you can get more information,” she said. “They should do this more often.”
The job fair is the only general job fair in Española, Herrick said. Attendance was about average this year, he said.
One of the differences Karen Finney, a recruiter for Ghost Ranch, said she noticed at this year’s fair was that there were more people looking for jobs who are currently employed.
“It’s good, because when they decide to make a move we’ll be one of their options,” she said.
Medical field openings drew Katrina Lujan, 28, to the fair, she said. Lujan moved to the area just a day before the fair. She said she was planning on driving around to different facilities to look for openings, then she heard about the fair, she said.
“For someone like me to come in here, it’s very helpful,” she said. “I see a job opportunity out of the fair, for sure.”
Lujan said she is pursuing a position at Sombrillo Nursing Home and Aspen Ridge Lodge. The company was at the fair recruiting for nurses, certified nurses assistants and certified medical assistants, Yarrington said.
The fair is not just for job seekers, she said, it is a benchmarking opportunity, because employers can see what other companies in the industry are hiring, as well.
Some of the other companies in attendance included the Española Police Department, State Police, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s Home Improvement Center, Aflac, Jafra, Primerica, Zia National Bank and Valley National Bank.
Randy Lujan took a break from talking to recruiters to fill out applications while at the fair.
He was applying at some of the casinos and banks represented at the job fair, he said, and the opportunities looked promising.
“I need to get a job,” he said, “and I’ve seen all kinds of places hiring.”