Long Island Job Fair

Went to the Long Island Job Fair at the Marriott Hotel in Melville, NY today. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for. Out of the 17 total companies looking for work, a good 80-90% of them were looking to hire for a sales position and/or had commissioned pay. I am looking for something more with a base salary.

I went in looking for a position in purchasing/distribution only to be told by many companies that those operations are done at corporate headquarters, a good distance from where I live. One of the guys said he would fax my resume to headquarters but I don't expect much nor do I wish to travel to New Jersey 5 days a week.

Some of the jobs looking to hire were sort of a joke. Linens N' Things and Sleepy's were there and looking for sales representatives. A few mortgaging and investment companies that didn't promise much in terms of pay or benefits. I inquired about purchasing at Sleepy's and she said she would "keep my resume on file." Not too promising.

Overall, me and the friend I went with (Matt) looked like the youngest people there. Everyone looked as if they were in their 40's. We made friends with a woman behind us who was looking for medical insurance since her husband doesn't get any with his job and they need some for the kids. I saw her right before she walked out and she looked disappointed with all the people looking to hire for sales. Even the Army was recruiting there.

I came home with a smile on my face and my mom knew what it was all about. She told me that job fairs are rarely a good place to go when looking for employment. She even threw out a wild guess and asked if Burger King was employing. She was right.

This fair was a disappointment but at least I learned a lesson. Don't waste your time going to the fair unless they give you a list of the companies hiring (and the positions they are hiring for). Often they are looking to fill cheap, low-level positions.