Brooks host job fair

The room buzzed with chatter. Potential employees came from all parts of Nassau County with resumes to meet with employers looking for new hires. It’s the second year State Sen. John Brooks hosted a job fair at the Freeport Recreation Center. Real estate companies, nursing facilities and even military recruiters spent the morning reviewing resumes and conducting on-the-spot interviews with qualified candidates. The attendees were a diverse crowd between ages 16 to 60, intent on finding part-time or full-time work.

“One company picked up 37 applications today, which is a good number,” Brooks said. “I think [these job fairs] are an opportunity to bring businesses into the local community.”

Brooks said he has hopes the continual growth and development of the job fair will help job seekers find work, prove to employers that the county has plenty of qualified and willing to work employees, and that the community will recognize the event as a legitimate job fair with authentic opportunities.

“Everyone seems to be satisfied that they came out today,” Brooks said. “We want to continue to support these types of [employment] opportunities for the community.”

It was an opportunity that new Freeport resident Lucia Alvarado said she couldn’t miss. Alvarado and her family just bought a home in area and are preparing to transition into the community from Elmhurst, Queens. Moving to the region also means finding work closer to home, she said.

“I’m looking for work close to Freeport and some services for my son, who is disabled,” Alvarado said. “So I’m looking for both — a job for me and resources to help my son.”

Though currently employed, Theresa Ludlow, from Rockville Centre, attended the job fair to explore the job opportunities available, while gathering information she could take home to share with her neighbors. Two years ago, Ludlow was able to secure employment through a job fair and has since been working as a certified nursing assistant. Proclaiming to be a “professional career fair goer,” she said tapping into the hyper-local resources job fairs offer is her way of staying connected to her community. After two years at her current job, Ludlow said she is interested in moving up and potentially finding a new position.

“I’m looking out for new and better [career] options,” Ludlow said. “I don’t get information just for myself, but I also like to share it with my peers — just in case [I find] an opportunity they might like.”