The Town of Hempstead’s biannual job fair returned to the Freeport Recreation Center on April 10, drawing more than 2,500 job seekers and 80 employers to one of the region’s largest hiring events. Hosted by HempsteadWorks — the town’s workforce development program — the event, welcomed veterans and individuals with disabilities starting at 9:30 a.m., before opening to the general public at 10 a.m., according to the job fair’s organizers.
A steady stream of attendees flowed through the doors throughout the day, many eager for face time with recruiters after months of applying online. Kurt Rockensies, deputy commissioner of the Town of Hempstead, noted that the fair attracted representatives from nearly every industry.
“We try to look at the data on Long Island, Nassau County and Suffolk, as far as the most high in-demand jobs,” he said. “A lot of it’s healthcare, manufacturing, the trades, construction, so we try to offer a variety of industries here so everyone’s looking for something different.”
For Matt Bernstein, 23, of Valley Stream, the event came at the perfect time. “I studied business, currently working in social settings with people with disabilities and also children,” he said. “If there’s a position where I could combine my management skills that I learned in college while working with people of that population, that would be the perfect kind of blend.”
Bernstein, who spoke with representatives from The Center for Developmental Disabilities and QSAC, or Quality Services for Autism Community, said they “have exactly what I’m looking for.”
The current job market could be frustrating for many job seekers, according to Bernstein, adding, “It’s tough, but you have to keep trying, and you gotta keep looking for what’s right for you. And I wouldn’t stop until you reach it.”
For employers like Marilyn Rodriguez of Harbor Child Care, which has locations across Long Island, the in-person event offers more than resumes.
“Yes, definitely, it’s good to get a feel for what the individual is like,” she said. “We’re currently looking to fill assistant teacher positions in our six locations across Nassau County.”
Harbor Child Care has taken part in previous job fairs run by the town and has successfully hired candidates as a result, with Rodriguez adding that the hires have been “amazing.” “It gets the name out of our organization, and it gives us an opportunity to meet people that may not be internet savvy,” she said.
Other returning employers included FlexStaff, a recruiting division of Northwell Health. Recruiter Allison Strawder said FlexStaff was hiring for “mainly admin roles. So admin associate, secretary, medical office assistant, but we recruit for a lot of roles.” At FlexStaff’s table was a QR code, where job seekers could scan and see all the roles available. “We are getting some, you know, some good candidates, some qualified candidates,” Strawder said.
“Just trying to get their resumes as soon as possible so we can screen them and then hopefully have something available.”
The experience was eye-opening for first-time attendees like Taylor Rogers, of Elmont, who is set to graduate from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in May and is exploring entry-level roles in healthcare. “It feels great,” Rogers said.
“It feels more personable. People get to see your face. You get to have deeper conversations. “Right now, the job market is very tough,” Rogers added.
“As you can see, it’s very crowded. So everybody’s, you know, we’re trying, everybody’s trying.” Ian Taubert, from Long Beach, shared a similar sentiment. “On the computer you don’t know if you’re actually going to pass the AI screening of your resume,” he said. “So here I’m actually able to talk to somebody who could at least guide me in the direction of how to apply, which jobs to apply for.”
Taubert, who is seeking work in case management or human resources, said speaking with a representative from Fidelis Care made a strong impression on him. “Rhonda not only helped me with her company, but just gave me overall just company applying advice and how to search for jobs,” he added.
The fair also served as a platform for community engagement for organizations. “I think it’s important for Long Island Cares to have a presence every place,” Fern Summer, a representative for the group, a hunger relief nonprofit, said. “One of the biggest things I give out are locations of pantry, yeah, and information for people who need food.”
This year’s fair introduced a new feature: free professional headshots for attendees.
“If anyone wants a new LinkedIn profile picture, or just wants a picture that’s professionally done, we email it to them free of charge, so that’s something new we have this year,” Rockensies said. Launched in 2021, HempsteadWorks job fair has grown rapidly each year.
A time-slot registration system introduced in recent editions has helped manage crowds, while maintaining walk-in flexibility for those who didn’t sign up online. “We do a survey for all of the job seekers that we email them,” Rockensies said.
“We also email all the employers of the survey as well. From what we’ve heard from the people that fill out the surveys, is it’s the best job fair on Long Island, as far as the attendance (and) the resources that we provide.”
