Last Thursday, like many others,
I attended the 2009 CDO Workforce
Job Fair and Career Expo at the
Holiday Inn in Oneonta.
I was blown away at the attendance
as soon as I pulled into the
parking lot. About 50 businesses
were on hand to feature various employment
opportunities within their
organizations.
More than 600 job seekers made
the rounds to the display tables,
hopeful that filling out an application
or dropping off a resume would
prove fruitful in the near future.
The Daily Star was one of many
sponsors of the event, and several
things caught my attention.
First, the sheer volume of folks
who attended was astounding and
certainly a product of our hard economic
times.
The recent unemployment statistics
were telling this year. Some
attendees were jobless, displaced by
company cutbacks or layoffs, while
others had jobs and were looking to
find a better fit or an upgrade.
Our comptroller was on hand the
entire day and placed a call to us an
hour after the event began. To our
surprise, it was to get more applications.
We started the day with 100,
and by 11 a.m., we were already out.
The talent, experience, variety
and ambition of the attendees highlighted
that quality candidates are
ready, willing and able to meet the
needs of area employers.
As I toured the tables, I was
amazed at just how many companies
had jobs to fill. The misconception
that there are no jobs in the area
went out the window.
Think back to the last event you
attended at the Holiday Inn. Most
recently, at the wedding I attended,
the celebration filled the large banquet
room to capacity.
Well, if you double that, you will
get an indication of just how large
this annual event really was, as
vendor tables were spread among
two rooms.
Many thanks to all those who participated
and the many people who
worked so hard to put this together.
Eventually, it will benefit us all.
After the event, there was a
reception for local college students
to interact with business representatives.
Colleagues recounted their own
job offerings in different specialties.
For example, while a hospital
is known for its physician and nurse
disciplines, its accountants, technical
support, among others, are vital
to its operations.
The clear message was to not discount
an organization’s needs simply
based on its product or service.
The other recurring theme was
the perception of entry-level jobs _
there are none because every position
can build bigger opportunities.
The fact is that most companies
look to promote from within. They
train and educate existing employees
to grow their business.
A foot in the door, persistence
and drive can elevate or launch a
career, and candidates should keep
that in mind. What that’s saying is,
don’t cut your nose off to spite your
face. Being shortsighted could close
doors.
In my eyes, the event was a huge
success. It gave the avenue for jobseekers
and companies with hiring
needs a chance to come together for
mutual benefit.
As we pore through the numerous
applications we received that day
for our vacancy, I am confident a
perfect fit is in the mix.
Since the inception of my column,
I have had the pleasure of
corresponding with a reader named
Butch. As a former smoker, he has
been a champion and supporter of
my efforts.
He e-mailed me Wednesday about
the cigarette tax hike that will take
effect in April.
He cleverly pointed out that it
was another great reason to kick my
nasty habit _ not that I need another
one, because all the old reasons
are still valid.
I couldn’t agree more with Butch.
Anyone else jumping on the wagon
come April?
___
Tanya Shalor is publisher of
The Daily Star and may be reached
at (607) 432-1000, ext. 214, or
tshalor@thedailystar.com. Her column
appears every other week.
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Welcome to our story comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including the unpopular ones. We only ask that you keep your conversations clean, civil and on the topic of the story you are commenting on.
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3. Stimulate debate with respectful language.
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February 19, 2009
From the Publisher's Desk: Jobs are available even now
- Big Chuck D'Imperio
-
-
Upstate theme parks offered affordable thrills
I saw in the news last week that Disney theme parks are raising admission prices to almost $100 a person. Children (who Uncle Walt considers 10 and under) are now $86 a day.
Continued ... - Getting creative with gifts for grads
- Safety Patrol D.C. visits never get old
- My pal Brucie, savior of Sidney's hospital
- Catching a whiff of 'Vermont Vapor'
-
Upstate theme parks offered affordable thrills
- Cary Brunswick
-
-
Book-banning has a tendency to backfire
So what does the 1960s game show ``What's My Line'' got to do with the Bloomsday festivities occurring in Dublin, Ireland, this week? Surprisingly, there is a link.
Continued ... - Envisioning a world without terror
- We've become our own worst enemies
- Plenty of blame to go around for Bangladesh horror
- Obama is going against his word on Social Security
-
Book-banning has a tendency to backfire
- Chuck Pinkey
- Guest Column
- Lisa Miller
-
-
A view from above
Fire towers in the Catskill Mountains have always been destination points, built to capture some of the region’s best views. These sentinel stations served an important role for the earliest possible sightings of forest fires in the remote mountain ranges. But the fire towers and those who manned them fulfilled a multitude of other roles as well.
Continued ... - Being a parent is a constant learning process
- Healthy doesn't have to mean expensive
- A family era ends with close of Potter series
- Independent stores make up for loss of Borders
-
- Mark Simonson
- Rick Brockway
-
-
Don't play around with snappers
The other day, I was driving along Route 205 between Mount Vision and Hartwick. Suddenly, I had to swerve out of my lane to miss a huge snapping turtle. It was crossing from a large swamp on the left to some higher ground on the other side of the road.
- Emmons Pond Bog is pretty easy to enjoy
- Fishing has gotten a lot more complex
- Waterfalls are even better when you keep them to yourself
- Kids have sparkle in their eyes
-
Don't play around with snappers
- Sam Pollak
-
-
Justice Dept., IRS abuses worth screaming about
"If this had happened while a Republican was president, the liberal media would be screaming."
Continued ... - THIS WEEK'S POLL
- Using time off in the worst way possible
- Terror lives on, and there's no end in sight
- Remembering the glory of their times
-
Justice Dept., IRS abuses worth screaming about
- William Masters
-
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Schreibman tops Chris Gibson on women's issues
As the time to vote draws near, we need to remember how money can run politics more than we can. Raising funds is a prominent (if not the dominant) task of getting elected. Raising issues is also crucial, but those efforts are subject to distortion and fear-mongering.
- Republicans feelentitled to allthey can garner An entitlement is a legal benefit available from the government to individuals who are within a defined category of recipients, such as needing insurance for unemployment or health services.
-
Romney focuses on self; Obama emphasizes unity
Mitt Romney criticizes President Obama for saying a person's success is rooted in his community, and is not all his alone. Romney belittles this with his belief in individual initiative. He is better at the put-down than the push-up.
-
Romney shows little regard for common man
The Republicans in Congress have voted over and over, 33 times, redundantly and uselessly, to rescind what they call Obamacare.
-
Scouts' gay ban creates problem where none exists
The Boy Scouts of America's "emphatic reaffirmation" of its vow to exclude any and all homosexuals from its hallowed ranks is ill-considered and pathetic, especially in view of its having reviewed the matter for two years.
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Schreibman tops Chris Gibson on women's issues
