MONTVALE, N.J.—Larry Goldstein, director of human resources for Sharp Electronics Corp. on Paragon Drive, has advice for anyone adding job fairs and other career networking events to their job search arsenal:
“Don’t be shy. Mingle. Talk to as many human beings as you possibly can. Even if you’re not quite sure you’re interested in a job with a company you see, you never know where it’s going to go,” he said.
From his firm’s bustling table at the inaugural Montvale Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development and Retention Committee Job Fair, held Oct. 29 at the community center, Goldstein said it’s best to go in excited to get your name out.
“Shake everybody’s hand. Drop your resume off everywhere. When you meet everybody in this room you get to meet not just the people here but the several thousand people they have back at their executive offices,” he said.
Indeed, an estimated 500 job seekers, ranging from college seniors to middle managers to seasoned executives and consultants, turned out to the job fair bearing resumes, elevator pitches, and hopes for the future.
In addition to Sharp—which is starting its fourth year in Montvale and has been a fixture at the annual street fair and other chamber events—industry leaders hosting tables included KPMG, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Wegmans, Benjamin Moore, Allstate, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, and Valley Health Systems.
There were many mid-level and younger companies also eager to fill open positions and fuel expansion. And job seekers told stories of layoffs, midlife career changes, commuter fatigue, and starting out in the job market.
Supporting the companies investing in Montvale
According to Montvale Economic Development and Retention Committee (MEDRC) Chairman Raffi Joukhadarian, speaking over the din, the fair was intended “to promote companies in Montvale, first of all, but we also have companies from outside that perimeter.”
He said that Montvale had succeeded in attracting corporations after a few recent departures—including Mercedes-Benz and A&P—and that the event was held to “attract candidates, fill in the jobs, and promote Bergen County.”
“From a business/commercial perspective we pretty much filled in all the corporate space. This is about promoting the corporations that moved in,” he said. He added, “Everyone has tons of hiring going on. Everyone has job needs and we’re providing them the vehicle to fill those open positions.”
Steven Fox, president of the Montvale Chamber of Commerce and senior vice president, portfolio manager, and financial advisor with Morgan Stanley, agreed.
“We’re pleasantly surprised. It’s a really nice turnout so far [at around lunchtime, with the event running 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.] It’s great for Montvale. Anytime you bring business to the town it’s going to help the tax base and it’s going help the residents.”
He added, “The more employment we have in town, other business are going to see that and going to want to come to the community. We’re open for business.”
Fox said organizers were excited to plan another event in spring or summer helping companies fill internships.
Sal Rozzi, of the Montvale Economic Development Committee, said organizers promoted the fair at approximately eight colleges and their adult education programs.
“Many people are changing jobs or going through downsizing, so they’re looking for employment. I think that really helped to get the word out,” he said.
He noted the variety of attendees, including “Younger people and career-changers. And we’re talking to some of the companies: we might do this twice a year.”
‘He’s going to be fine…’
Not everybody had the firm warm handshake and cheerful hello down pat. According to certified professional resume writer and job search coach Kari Solomon, who owns AspireResumes, one of the event’s organizers, a job fair can be daunting.
Solomon, who earned her master of education in administration and personnel from Kent State University, said one young person at the fair who is looking forward to college graduation kept circling back to her for reassurance.
“He’s going to be fine. This was his first time being in a situation like this and figuring out what he needed to say,” she said.
Solomon said she talked to him “about his value and what he wants to do for a company.”
She said “Other people came in and knew what they were doing, and I said, OK, you’re good to go.”
She, like every presenter, offered table swag: in her case, snazzy business card holders enclosing colorful sticky notes.
What companies want
Virginia Morin, recruiter for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, says MSK’s hiring is 60% percent referral-based, with the remainder drawn from partnerships with universities and talent communities.
“We try to source locally for all of our talent, and as we’re based in New York City most of our talent is going to come from the city,” she said.
She explained, “In Montvale we’ll solely be recruiting for nurses and entry-level healthcare administration, folks who solely deal with the patients or the doctors. In Manhattan we have upwards of 900 positions.”
Christopher Diolosa, sales manager for GeneID, a molecular laboratory specializing in genetic testing for medical practitioners, said his team was hoping to find sales management, sales reps, positions in the lab, billing, insurance credentialing, and IT roles.
“We are a company that’s growing exponentially. We started with a couple of employees in 2012 and now we’re at approximately 100 employees in Montvale,” he said.
Tori Iadarola, regional operations manager of CrossCountry Mortgage’s Forman Team, on Chestnut Ridge Road, said her firm was talking with “talent” the firm could invest in.
“We’re not necessarily looking for certain positions. Of course we have specific openings, but if a person shows promise or interest, I think that’s what we’re looking at as a preliminary screening process,” she said.
Michelle Duran, Valley Health System human resources project analyst, said Valley was picking up a lot of interest in its openings for clinical and non-clinical positions. She was speaking with entry-level business associate prospects to folks seeking management roles and registered nurse opportunities.
Jim Cummings, director of operations for Taco Bell, said he was looking to take on 15–18 crew members to help in his stores.
“We have a 13-store development deal in Brooklyn so we’re looking to take a lot of our existing employees and hopefully make them restaurant managers, turn a couple of them into district mangers,” he said.
Ray Cowan, owner/operator for a Chick-fil-A under construction on Route 17 in Ramsey, said he was recruiting for dozens of slots.
Dana Sevean, director of curriculum for The Learning Experience child development centers, represented an owner who has centers in Waldwick, Hoboken, and New Rochelle and is eager to add teachers as part of an expansion.
The firm grabbed a table at the fair because “Montvale’s not that far from where we are. I’m getting a lot of residents from Bergen County and right over the border in New York,” Sevean said.
Likewise, Sheila Picinich, district manager for C2 Education, which operates in Montvale—combining test prep, tutoring, and college admissions coaching—said enthusiastic local hires are always welcome.
What job seekers said
We spoke with several job fair attendees on what brought them to the community center.
Area man Andrew Bennett, in his late 40s with a strong sales and marketing background and who lately has been consulting, said he learned of the fair through a networking group.
“I was pleased to see some top name brands. I’m looking to move up [in earnings]. There seem to be active hiring initiatives going on with Benjamin Moore and KPMG, being major employers in the borough,” he said.
Amanda Benjamin of Suffern, New York was seeking an administrative position. She was laid off last year from a toy company where she’d started as a receptionist and worked her way up to the e-commerce division.
She’d put in six years at the firm but the company met hard times.
“Rather than sitting at home I said, Let me just go [to the fair],” she said.
One woman who asked we not name her said she was based in New York City but that after 12 years she saw her job eliminated not long after the new administration took office.
Raised in a town not far from Montvale, she said she has a master’s degree in international economics. She said she was staying positive.
“I’m single, head of household, so I hope to find a job soon. I have a lot of anger at what happened because of the times we live in. I never would have imagined this would happen to me,” she said.
She added that some of her former colleagues have been urging her to move to Hoboken or New York, where they said she could have any job she wants. She prefers to find work here.
“Not everyone wants to be married to the company and have no life outside of work. You don’t want to work yourself to death—or to an early death,” she said.
She said she was aiming for a fit at Valley Health System—which includes Valley Home Care and Valley Medical Group—and KPMG.
“KPMG would be ideal because it would be a direct shift from what I did; it would be very relevant. But I’m also curious about health care just because it’s a big industry and really important.”
Robert Charles, 37, from Chestnut Ridge, said he was hoping to find an entry-level IT job. He’s been taking online courses to get into the field.
He said he had just met with Flight Centre Travel Group, based on Paragon Drive and fielding a line at their table across the room. “Hopefully that goes well,” he said.
Put these tips to work…
According to Kari Solomon, who owns AspireResumes, these tips will help attendees get the most out of any job fair:
- Develop an elevator pitch, a brief statement that gets the recruiter’s attention and tells them a little bit about what you do and why they should hire you. A good elevator pitch includes the type of work you want to do, any specialties you may have and what sets you apart from others.
- Research the companies. Prior to attending, obtain a list of the companies that are recruiting at the job fair. Identify the positions they are trying to fill by visiting the company career sites. Learn about what kind of culture they have and what they look for in employees.
- Update your resume and LinkedIn profile. In addition to making sure your resume is free of errors and includes your latest experience, target your resume to the type of positions you are looking for. Bring enough copies to hand out to all recruiters. Some recruiters may want to connect with you on LinkedIn rather than taking a resume. Update your profile so it parallels the experience on your resume.
- Dress for success. For most job fairs professional attire is the norm. Sharp business casual is often acceptable. If you are not sure which is the best way to go, err on the side of being more professional, rather than more casual.
- Practice good etiquette and body language. A firm handshake, engaging eye contact and active listening go a long way to impressing recruiters. When speaking, keep your message positive and focused on why they should hire you.
