LIMA — Lesa Griesdorn was displaced from her manufacturing job after she underwent a total knee replacement. Since she could not return to her previous position, Griesdorn grabbed her résumé and headed to Saturday’s MakerFest Job Fair, which was held at the Veterans Memorial Civic & Convention Center.
“I think it’s beneficial to meet with people one-on-one,” said Griesdorn, a Lima resident. “It’s nice to be able to get my name and my face out there, so there’s that personal connection.”
Organized by OhioMeansJobs, the job fair featured 75 employer exhibits from companies in the manufacturing, health care and service industries. Each company had a booth set up at the Civic Center, and representatives were on-hand to answer questions, accept applications and educate job seekers on employment opportunities.
Griesdorn was one of nearly 500 job seekers who attended the event, which ran for three hours Saturday morning.
Joe Patton, workforce development administrator for OhioMeansJobs, said the event was beneficial for both job seekers and local employers.
“A lot of the companies that are hiring are taking direct résumés,” Patton said. “And even the ones that may not be quite ramped up to hire yet are taking applications. So when it comes time to hire, they have résumés in reserve.
“It’s getting people excited about the opportunity these employers have to offer here.”
Wendy Rayal, director of cardiovascular services at Lima Memorial Health System, said the job fair was a great way to show job seekers what the hospital has to offer. They even had a mannequin patient hooked up to a ventilator and dialysis machine to demonstrate what a critical care area of a hospital looks like.
“Sometimes you don’t know what you’re interested in until you see it,” Rayal said. “This way we can show people what it looks like, and it sparks their interest to ask questions.”
Rayal and several other hospital employees accepted résumés and job applications throughout the day. A computer was set up near the booth so people could apply online.
“People are applying as we speak,” she said.
Swartz Contracting and Emergency Services also attended the job fair. Blake Bartels, director of business development for the company, said he wanted to show support for the community.
“I think it’s important for our company, but mostly for the community,” Bartels said. “We want to help showcase what is available right here in Allen County.”
Bartels said he accepted a few résumés, and was able to explain the business to interested individuals.
“It’s definitely beneficial,” he said.
Another person who benefited from the job fair was Lima resident Timothy Laing. He has a job, but he said he wants to find something closer to home.
“I work in Minster, which is about 40 miles each way, so I’m trying to get to where I have a shorter drive,” Laing said.
Laing said he spoke with several employers, including Husky, PotashCorp and more. He said he learned about current job openings, and how to submit his résumé and application. He said the experience was beneficial overall.
“I did get ideas on what some of the specific openings there are for jobs, and it looks like there’s quite a few,” he said. “I plan to follow up with a few of them.”
For Patton, the job fair was the ultimate showcase of the opportunities available in the region.
“The opportunities in Allen County are limitless,” he said, “so this is a way to link everybody together.”
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