BRAD HORN/Nevada Appeal Jessie LaFollette of SOS Staffing juggles during the job fair at the Nevada Appeal on Saturday. Nearly a dozen employers, including the Appeal's parent company, Swift Communications Inc., were present during the event.
Signs of a downturn in economic times were prevalent at Saturday's spring job fair, hosted by Sierra Nevada Jobs at the Nevada Appeal building.
Those who arrived prepared, however, were treated to some valuable face time with potential employers.
Nearly a dozen employers, including the Appeal's parent company, Swift Communications Inc., were present during the morning of resume passing, hand-shaking and schmoozing.
In spite of the smaller-than-usual turnout, both employers and potential employees came in hopeful Saturday.
"I definitely see a thinned-out crowd," said Sam Pennino, a representative of the Nevada branch of Primerica Financial Services. "In the past, these fairs have been packed with (other) companies - you can't get that one-on-one time.
"This way, you can have a real conversation, get to know potential job candidates."
Casino Fandango human resource specialist Sylvia deBravo said Saturday's job fair allowed her "ample time" to showcase the local casino's job opportunities.
"This atmosphere is perfect for us," she said. "I can really show how our benefits, salaries and perks are better than competitors.
"A lot of the time people are intimidated to walk into a casino and look for a job. This gives us a way to reach out to the public."
Carson resident Jessica Lazzarino chatted up company representatives and handed out her resume.
By the end of her first hour, she said she'd "covered a lot of ground."
"I just moved back here," she said. "I'm just getting going on my job search and this is a good way, I think, to get my name out there.
"I'm just feeling around, hopefully something will come up. But yeah, I'm glad I came down here."