By Jerry Anderson - email
Posted by Dave Dykema - email
TOLEDO (WTOL) - The lines were long, winding around the Lucas County Rec Center.
It's what happens when joblessness climbs into double digits.
"I'm hopeful. I'm hoping that I can put myself out there, sell myself and find something."
Much of that hope was supplied by some 115 companies, some looking to hire, some looking to train, everybody taking resumes.
Sheryl Cooper wanted to check out the Sunlight Solar Firm and the medical facilities.
"This is my first time navigating a job fair this huge. I've only been to smaller job fairs and this one is huge!"
Having so many potential employers in one place had David Williams hoping that his jobless streak could come to an end.
Williams said it's been "pretty rough. I haven't been able to find anything -- I haven't had work for four months."
At our own WTOL-11 booths, hundreds stepped up and put on their best face for a half-minute ... our "30 Seconds to Sell" video resumes. Many admitted putting away their fears and actually having fun.
"I've been practicing, but you have to believe in yourself," said Jeff Condon. "That threw difficulty right out the window."
The real benefit of the Job Fair won't ultimately be known until resumes lead to interviews, and interviews to jobs.
But a lot of people made a lot of contacts. Some, like Sheryl Cooper and her family friend Danny Ginsburg, did even better.
