ORLANDO, Fla. – More than 500 people were ready with their resumes in hand and dressed to impress during the Governor’s job fair event in Orlando.
“I’m looking to change opportunities. My previous position thanks to COVID 19 I lost it after 20 years of being in the job,” Michael Inhat, said. He lost his job in March and said he has extensive experience in the trade show industry but it looking for a change “I’m open to just about anything I can get.”
It was a similar story for Roderick Cannon who had been working for a delivery company until it was impacted by the pandemic leaving him jobless since March. Both men were among the first ones in line at the Central Florida Fair Exposition Park hoping to test the waters and check out which company would the best fit for them.
“I definitely want to work. I’ve always worked. I’ve been working since I was 15, 16. So, this is really uncomfortable for me to be out of work this long,” Cannon said.
The event, which is in its 26th year, is organized by the Central Florida Employment Council.
“We have business services. We actually have social services, government, law enforcement, administrative, clerical, sales, management,” Paulette Weir, with CFEC said. “They’re needing that help to do the transition because the job that they previously had might not be available right now.”
More than 30 companies participated in the event. Among them, Energy Air, Inc. Their Human Resources director said they are looking for several key positions.
“Right now, we’re looking for a plumbing project manager, we’re also looking for residential HV/AC installers and for a residential service technician,” Laurie Hayden said. “They’re very eager to work. They’re hungry you know, to go to work and show you just how much they can do.”
On-site was also a representative for Florida Technical College.
“A lot of individuals are looking to retrain; a lot of individuals were impacted with hospitality and in the parks so we’ve seen a lot of opportunities to hire those individuals,” Felicia Davis, executive director for continuing education said.
For those currently looking for a job, companies like Energy Air said these individuals have to be willing to impress from day one.
“We’re looking for somebody that goes above and beyond, has good energy, great attitude,” Hayden said.
And keeping a positive attitude goes a long way.
“We gonna claim it. It’s going be a good day for everybody,” Roderick said
The next Governor’s job fair is on Oct. 7 at the Central Florida Fair Exposition Park.