Job prospects looking better

By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer

Jake Rideb of Honolulu fills an application form at Job Quest. In all, 75 companies and organizations have sent representatives to meet job seekers at Blaisdell Center this year, compared with only 54 a year ago. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

In all, 75 companies and organizations showed up at Neal Blaisdell Center to offer jobs, or at least take applications. Last January, only 54 companies and organizations came.

The job fair at Blaisdell Center also attracted some 3,500 job seekers — slightly more than last January.

The higher number of applicants didn't bother organizers.

"We found more passive jobs seekers this time — that's people who are looking to improve their careers," Beth Busch said. "Overall, I see business turning around, people thinking more positively."

Busch is the Western region vice president for Success Advertising, a New Jersey-based recruitment ad agency. Success Advertising sponsored the fair with Oahu WorkLinks, a consortium of state and county agencies.

Perhaps the biggest change from some of last year's job fairs was the presence of companies such as Aston Hawai'i, which operates 34 hotels and resorts throughout the Islands, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., which manages Sheraton's four Waikiki properties — the Sheraton Waikiki, Princess Ka'iulani, Sheraton Moana Surfrider and The Royal Hawaiian.

Last January, not a single hotel, tour operator or retailer came to the job fair.

"We're slowly starting to come around with our openings," said Michael Vasper, human resources manager for Hilo Hattie.

Like other recruiters, Vasper said any recovery for Hawai'i's economy could disappear if America should go to war with Iraq.

"We're holding our breath," Vasper said. "That's on everybody's mind right now."

Suzie Wyss, senior human resource assistant for Aston, regularly had job candidates two and three deep at her table, which advertised "everything — soup to nuts," Wyss said. "From management to housekeeping to the front desk."

Aston sent about a dozen recruiters to handle the job seekers buzzing around them. But the specter of war was never far from Wyss' mind.

"We're all extremely concerned," she said. "Tourism would be the first thing to go down."

Many others who came were more concerned with their continuing efforts to find a satisfying, full-time job.

"I'm here because the screwed up economy in Hawai'i hasn't allowed me to have a permanent job since June 2001," said Troye Levin, 27, of Kailua, who has worked as an office temp and bartender.

"Like everybody else, I'm looking for a job that will allow me to stay in Hawai'i."

Levin yesterday considered a wide range of possibilities, from office management to the Honolulu Police Department.

Monny Vijeshwar, 25, owns his own wholesale import business that brings in goods from India, but came to the fair to find a part-time job.

"I have a lot of mixed feelings about the economy," he said.

"We've bounced back pretty quickly from 9/11. But we still have a ways to go."