Nets fans try to score a job - The Record (Bergen County, NJ)

JOHN BRENNAN, STAFF WRITER
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
11-23-2008

Nets fans try to score a job -- First career event draws from all over
By JOHN BRENNAN, STAFF WRITER
Date: 11-23-2008, Sunday
Section: LOCAL
Edtion: All Editions

EAST RUTHERFORD More than 300 people most dressed in business attire flocked to the Izod Center on Saturday afternoon for a chance to meet with representatives of two dozen companies at the Nets' first Career Fair.

The booths with the longest lines for much of the 2 1/2-hour event appeared to be those for the Yankees and the National Basketball Association but some came away a bit disappointed after waiting behind 30 to 40 people.

That group included attorneys David Stand of Long Island and Myrna White from central New Jersey, who spoke with the Yankees simultaneously.

'They have mostly administrative stuff part time, maybe moving to full time, with everything right now seeming to be in ticket sales,' said White, who is mulling a switch to media relations or legal work with a sports franchise. 'That's OK I tried not to come in expecting too much.'

Stand said that while employment possibilities at the fair were plentiful, 'it's a high-end group, and I'm not sure all the jobs correspond with the crowd.'

White and Stand were among the attendees who already have jobs, although the event was mainly designed to help unemployed Nets fans find new positions in a dismal economy. Enterprising college seniors also were in evidence, with Mike DeFilippi traveling to the event from the University of Massachusetts and Ivan Lagares visiting from James Madison University in Virginia.

Lagares noticed the great disparity in the length of the lines.

'It seems like people are focused on the Yankees table or the NBA table, while others are being overlooked that might be more practical,' Lagares said.

Potential positions included baggage handlers at Continental Airlines in Newark Airport; sales positions with Aflac insurance; and internships for college students next summer at The Barclays, a PGA Tour golf event at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City.

Some companies, such as The Valley Hospital Health System in Paramus, offered a variety of options. Recruiter Katie Miceli said Valley is seeking to hire nurses right out of nursing school, while also offering to train other applicants interested in entry-level clerical positions.

Vanessa Beiro, the maintenance recruiter for Continental, said she directed those seeking sales, management, or similar opportunities to the company Web site, where they can set up automated alerts that inform job-seekers when certain types of jobs become available.

Jennifer Nyeste, an assistant admissions director at Rutgers University, said she was at the fair to discuss whether this was a good time for job seekers to burnish their education.

'I've had a number of people who said they have an associates degree, but they want to finish up [for a four-year degree],' Nyeste said.

Staff Sgt. Anthony Baxter, a recruiter for the U.S. Army, said he has not yet noticed a greater level of interest in joining the military since the economy began sputtering in September.

'For us, the higher education you have, you come in at a higher position, better bonuses, better choice of jobs,' said Baxter, whose booth included a virtual shootout game. 'And we have 100 percent tuition assistance, and you can take classes while you're in the Army.'

Aflac representative Robert Brunson said the insurance company was offering commission-based sales jobs, and that a lack of previous sales experience isn't necessarily a negative.

'We can teach people how to sell,' Brunson said.

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Participants

Companies at the Nets' inaugural Career Fair on Saturday:

Sports-oriented:

The Nets; the NBA; the Yankees; Madison Square Garden; The Barclays/PGA Tour; minor league baseball teams the Somerset Patriots and Atlantic City Surf; WFAN Radio.

Non-sports oriented:

AFLAC; New York Life; Coca-Cola; Continental Airlines; Control Point Solutions (telecommunications); Excel Orthopedic Rehabilitation; Hackensack University Medical Center; Emblem Health; Valley Health System; Rutgers University; Monmouth College; Manhattanville College; William Paterson University; Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA); TD Bank; Rymax marketing; Turnstiles Ticketing; U.S. Army.

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E-mail: brennan@northjersey.com

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Illustrations/Photos: PHOTO - KEVIN R. WEXLER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER - Maurice Qualls of Holmdel meeting representatives from The Barclays at the Nets Career Fair at the Izod Center in East Rutherford on Saturday.
Keywords: EAST RUTHERFORD, EMPLOYMENT, FAIR

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