Upwards of 200 people flooded the Manteca Visitors Center Friday morning hoping to get their hands on one of the 30 jobs that Hampton Inn and Suites administrators were interviewing for.
And competition for one of the prime spots among the early candidates was stiff.
According to Convention and Visitors Bureau Event Manager John Heath, people were already waiting in their cars when he arrived just after 7 a.m. – two full hours before the interview process was expected to begin.
For 2009 East Union graduate David Corde, the crush of job seekers was somewhat expected after seeing the massive turnout at the Red Robin restaurant that is scheduled to open at the end of the month just a stone’s throw away from the Hampton site.
“I kind of expected a lot of people to be here today,” said Corde – who is attempting to get his first real job after finishing high school. “I think that events like this are cool because part of what makes job hunting hard is just getting the interview, and they’re interviewing on the spot today.”
Manteca is dealing with a 15 percent jobless rate making the competition for new jobs stiff. So far, Orchard Valley concerns are offering 140 new jobs with an additional 100 expected to become available within a month and hundreds more when the outlet stores start opening this spring.
For John Brown, Friday marked a chance to get into an industry that he has spent the last decade learning from the inside – marking his return back to Manteca after spending 10 years working at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“I heard that they were hiring from my brother, and I just got done unpacking this morning so I thought I would come down and see exactly what was going on,” said Brown. “I’m originally from here, and I’ve worked in this industry for a long time, so I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to find something here.”
According to Heath, the CVB works closely with many new businesses that are planning on either locating or opening in Manteca – attempting to make the transition as easy as possible.
With Bass Pro Shops attracting many out-of-town shoppers and Big League Dreams serving up weekend tournaments that bring out-of-state teams on a regular basis, the placement of the Hampton Inn – the first hotel to open along the Highway 120 Bypass corridor is expected to generate a lot of room stays.
“It’s a business that we’re really excited to have here in the community, and we’re happy to be able to assist any way that we can,” Heath said. “In the current economy, jobs that maybe weren’t as desirable a few years ago are now very desirable, and I think you can see that by the turnout that we have here today.
“But adding another hotel to the community in an area that has been the focal point of business growth is great for the city.”
And competition for one of the prime spots among the early candidates was stiff.
According to Convention and Visitors Bureau Event Manager John Heath, people were already waiting in their cars when he arrived just after 7 a.m. – two full hours before the interview process was expected to begin.
For 2009 East Union graduate David Corde, the crush of job seekers was somewhat expected after seeing the massive turnout at the Red Robin restaurant that is scheduled to open at the end of the month just a stone’s throw away from the Hampton site.
“I kind of expected a lot of people to be here today,” said Corde – who is attempting to get his first real job after finishing high school. “I think that events like this are cool because part of what makes job hunting hard is just getting the interview, and they’re interviewing on the spot today.”
Manteca is dealing with a 15 percent jobless rate making the competition for new jobs stiff. So far, Orchard Valley concerns are offering 140 new jobs with an additional 100 expected to become available within a month and hundreds more when the outlet stores start opening this spring.
For John Brown, Friday marked a chance to get into an industry that he has spent the last decade learning from the inside – marking his return back to Manteca after spending 10 years working at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“I heard that they were hiring from my brother, and I just got done unpacking this morning so I thought I would come down and see exactly what was going on,” said Brown. “I’m originally from here, and I’ve worked in this industry for a long time, so I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to find something here.”
According to Heath, the CVB works closely with many new businesses that are planning on either locating or opening in Manteca – attempting to make the transition as easy as possible.
With Bass Pro Shops attracting many out-of-town shoppers and Big League Dreams serving up weekend tournaments that bring out-of-state teams on a regular basis, the placement of the Hampton Inn – the first hotel to open along the Highway 120 Bypass corridor is expected to generate a lot of room stays.
“It’s a business that we’re really excited to have here in the community, and we’re happy to be able to assist any way that we can,” Heath said. “In the current economy, jobs that maybe weren’t as desirable a few years ago are now very desirable, and I think you can see that by the turnout that we have here today.
“But adding another hotel to the community in an area that has been the focal point of business growth is great for the city.”
