Former Aloha Airlines employee Maria Chong of Nanakuli hit the bull's-eye yesterday as the first person hired by Target Corp. at the start of a four-day effort to fill 1,200 jobs at two O'ahu stores scheduled to open in March.

"I'm so thankful," said Chong, who was laid off nine months ago when the local airline's passenger service shut down. "It's been a struggle."

The opportunity to work for the nation's second-largest discount retailer drew an over-capacity crowd that included many who have been left jobless this year by layoffs at numerous Hawai'i companies.

So many people showed up at the hiring fair at the Hawai'i Convention Center that Target, which planned to open the doors at 9 a.m., started telling people around 8:45 a.m. that they would have to come back on another day.

The first job-seeker showed up at 11 p.m. Wednesday. But Convention Center officials turned would-be campers away.

At 4:30 a.m. yesterday, there were about 20 people lined up. Because of rain, applicants were allowed in the building at 5:30, and they began to form what turned into an immense line that filled much of the Convention Center's third-floor concourse. The last person was interviewed around 7 p.m.

Target estimated its well-performing but overwhelmed staff of 130 people processed 1,000 jobseekers yesterday. The company said plenty of jobs are still available, but declined to say how many people received job offers conditional on passing a drug test that was also part of the job fair.

Brie Heath, a Target human resources manager, said the turnout was one of the biggest the 1,684-store chain has seen. "It was above our expectations," she said. "We didn't know what to expect."

An unknown number of jobseekers were turned away outside, and were told they could return today as early as 4 a.m. — though the Convention Center doors and parking garage wouldn't open until 5 a.m.

Rob Parke, Target's district team leader, said the initial applicant rush was the largest he's experienced.

"It's just gone nuts," he said. "It's a good group of people we're seeing. We're really pleased with that aspect."

Fred Carahasen, was one of the last to be interviewed at the end of a long day, and said the wait was well worth it.

On Nov. 17, Carahasen was laid off as a service consultant by Servco Pacific after nearly 12 years with the company. Dressed in a blue, long-sleeved dress shirt and a tie, he said his search for a job has been fruitless because of the slipping economy.

"It's been, 'Thank you and we'll call you,' " he said.

FIERCE COMPETITION

Rising joblessness — on O'ahu alone, the ranks of the unemployed have grown from from 11,250 last December to 17,350 as of October — made for a highly competitive atmosphere at yesterday's job fair.

Aleah Makinney, a single mom from Makakilo who works at a bank in Honolulu, was seeking a position at Target's Kapolei store so she can work closer to home.

Reyna Maunakea, an 18-year-old from Kapolei, was seeking a part-time cashier position while she attends Remington College.

Leda Tupinio, 53, was laid off in July as a revenue manager after nearly 10 years with Outrigger Hotels and Resorts.

"What a wonderful company, but unfortunately because of the (tourism industry downturn) decisions had to be made," she said of Outrigger. "The job search has been kind of challenging. I've always had a job. This is a first for me."

Seeking an advantage over the competition, Tupinio donned Target's khaki and red uniform colors in an ensemble that included red ball earings, a red shoulder bag, red watch, red shoes, white button-down shirt and khaki slacks.

"I just wanted to make sure they'll notice me," Tupinio said. "I actually thought of painting a bull's-eye on my face, but I think maybe that would be too much."

It turned out there was no need to impersonate Target's mascot, a bull terrier named Bullseye whose left eye is painted with the Target trademark. Drew Anderson, a Target employee from Minnesota, was dressed in the company mascot suit, flashing the shaka and energizing the crowd with antics and occasionally leading a cheer: "Who's here for a job?"

Anderson's job in Hawai'i will be overnight logistics manager for the Kapolei store.

TRAINING ON MAINLAND

To help manage Target's stores in Kapolei and Salt Lake, the company hired almost 30 people from Hawai'i about 18 months ago and trained them at stores in Oregon, Washington and Alaska.

"We trained them and got them Target-ized, and now they're a big part of our executive team here," said Roger Thomas, a store director from Washington who will head the Target in Kailua, Kona. That Big Island store is slated to open in July after a hiring fair in May to fill 400 positions.

Jennifer Tang, 24, was hired last summer after graduating from the University of Hawai'i, and trained in Oregon before helping open a new store in Wasilla, Alaska. Tang, who returned to Hawai'i in October, will be the executive team leader for guest experience at the Kapolei store. She said she had worked in retail and viewed Target as a great opportunity.

For Chong, the first employee hired yesterday, the job was a blessing. After Aloha laid her off in March, she took classes at Leeward Community College as part of a retraining program.

Chong had been a ramp service worker who did everything from cleaning cabins to driving plane tugs. Through an arrangement with the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, former Aloha workers were given the chance to apply with Target before the general public yesterday.

"This job means the world to me," Chong said.