Job seekers line up for Monster event

The turnout at the event, the 12th stop on the nationwide tour, well exceeded the average for other cities.

Posted 2:53 p.m. Mar 31, 2009 — Updated 10:09 p.m. Mar 31, 2009

RALEIGH, N.C. — Almost 2,000 job seekers lined up Tuesday in North Raleigh for the chance to pass out one more resume, have one more conversation and hopefully land a job.

Bill Harrington was among those waiting to participate in the Monster.com “Keep America Working” tour event at the Hilton North Raleigh on Wake Forest Road.

“I know what it feels like to be out of work, feeling like you're not wanted out there and you have a family that's looking for you for support,” he said.

The turnout at the event, the 12th stop on the nationwide tour, well exceeded the average for other cities. In Chicago, about 650 people showed up for 500 positions; in Cincinnati, 660 came out for 300 jobs. In Raleigh, 1,700 people were vying for just 485 openings from 29 companies.

There were job seekers who have been out of work for more than a year and people who just got laid off yesterday. People from all fields, at all experience levels, all of them looking for work.

“It's like going on a fishing trip,” Harrington said. “You go out ten times. You don't catch fish. Then one day, you go out and get a boat load.”

Dorothy Hager was leaving the event without reeling in the big one. “This is the second job fair I've been to in a week and I left feeling the same thing,” she said.

Suggest A Correction