It was a record-setting day at the 2019 MakerFest. Over 700 job seekers were at the Allen County Fairgrounds trying to gain the attention of the 100 employers looking to fill some needed positions. People came to make sure that they made that solid.
“This way it’s easier to meet somebody,” said Royal Eddy, a job seeker. “They can put a face to a name a face to the resume.”
A resume and a great first impression is what many employers say they are looking for when meeting with the candidate.
“It’s very important that when people come out that are true job seekers that they dress for the part,” said Patti Eilerman, Lima Memorial Human Resources Business Partner. “They bring a great resume. So we have that opportunity as an employer to meet them on a first-hand basis.”
And when it comes to finding the most qualified candidate, employers take their time with each person to figure out what they can bring to the table.
“The first thing that I always ask them is what’s your background,” said Erin Spearman, General Dynamics senior industrial engineer. “What are you interested in? A lot of people are maybe here for a different type of position but you get to talk to them and you realize that they have welding experience, or they have supervisory backgrounds.”
This event is put on every year through a partnership between the Greater Lima Region Inc. And OhioMeansJobs Allen County. For the past couple of years, OhioMeansJobs has offered a full-service job center on-site as a way to help candidates land the job they want.
“One of the best things with working with OhioMeansJobs is we can give you the recipe for success,” said Joe Patton, OhioMeansJobs executive director. “We know what the employers are looking for that you’re trying to get in with. We can help tweak your resume and get you to the top of that stack.”
This is the 5th year of the MakerFest job fair and attendance has increased by 53 percent since last year.
