Thousands attend, hundreds hired at ATL’s job fair

By Anika Robertson
Senior Editor/Assistant Public Relations Manager

More than 2,300 job seekers flocked to the Airport Community Job Fair on Oct. 31 in the hope of landing one of 1,800 positions available at the world’s busiest and most efficient airport.

Early totals indicate 438 applicants were hired on the spot, with more to come pending application reviews and interviews from the 60 participating businesses.

The fall job fair, held at the Georgia International Convention Center, offered opportunities ranging from baristas and digital software engineers to passenger sales agents and security officers.

“We were hoping to hire about 20 qualified candidates,” said Jamaal Campbell, human resources manager with Hojeij Branded Foods. “We were able to double that projection by hiring 54 new employees. I have been a part of job fairs for several years, but this one was our most successful.”

Hojeij positions up for grabs included cooks, cashiers, bussers and shift leaders at the company’s 18 Airport eateries. New Hojeij hire Joshua Gilbert looks forward to showcasing his culinary talents.

“I love to cook, so this was an opportunity for me to go a little bit further, learn a little bit more,” Gilbert said.

Several City of Atlanta recruiters welcomed applicants and encouraged online submissions for 54 open positions across varied fields and divisions.

“We have solid waste, engineers, watershed [and] a lot of public safety people are needed,” said Samantha Graves, recruiting coordinator for talent acquisitions. “I will be helping to pair people’s talents, scanning their resumes and … finding a job that fits well for them.”

Companies weren’t the only ones scouting for talent. Several regional schools offered training and financial incentives for those seeking education and additional skills.

Robert Thomas, admissions representative for Heavy Equipment Colleges of America in Georgia, recruited students by touting the job placement success of the three- to nine-month program.

“We train and certify heavy equipment operators and assist with lifetime job placement across the country,” said Thomas, adding that 85 percent of graduates are veterans.

Historically, Hartsfield-Jackson has held one job fair per year. But the upward growth of the economy, coupled with the Airport’s huge influx of passengers and the launch of the Airport’s capital improvement program, prompted organizers in 2016 to add a second event in the fall.

And with more events, organizers have added more features, including resume printing service, a career coach, interview rooms and daylong training.

Last week, Hartsfield-Jackson hosted training sessions covering resume writing, interviewing skills, job fair success and airport customer service. The sessions were conducted by the Georgia Department of Labor, Aerotropolis WorkSource Georgia and the Department of Aviation.

Janisha Radford moved to Atlanta from Flint, Michigan, in 2015. Seeking additional part-time work, the certified nurse assistant learned of the fair through online research. By early afternoon, she was offered a wheelchair agent position from GAT Airline Ground Support.

“I like to help people. I enjoy it,” Radford said. “[The fair] is a good opportunity for anyone … someone who wants to do something with themselves.”

Chief job fair organizer Chermaine Axam hopes that message of opportunity will continue to resonate.

“Our goal was to provide job seekers with the tools needed to land a position at the job fair,” said Axam, ATL’s assistant manager for community affairs. “And the results paid off for many who were hired on the spot.”