Modesto Junior College holds student job fair

Youthful enthusiasm can only get you so far, as many students at the Modesto Junior College Fall Job Fair have found out.

The college had about 25 employers amassed in its east campus Student Center on Wednesday to shake hands, take résumés and collect applications. But many of the students there faced steep odds as the county continues to struggle with its16 percent unemployment rate.

"I've been trying to find work for a year, year and a half, but it's hard with no prior experience," said 21-year-old MJC student Erik Brown. "I haven't gotten any calls back, but I'm still always applying."

Inexperience tends to be the biggest sticking point for young job seekers, who are up against other applicants who are often double their age and have twice the experience. Keith Guerrero, human resources manager at the Sears store in Vintage Faire Mall, said young people can find success by highlighting their positives.

"They just need to be energetic and sell themselves," Guerrero said. "Tell us all the good stuff about you. Brag about yourself."

The store is hiring for part- and full-time positions, and plans to hire more seasonal workers soon. Other employers at the event included Macy's, Best Buy, The Home Depot, Dodge Ridge, and medical,security and government agencies.

Hundreds of students streamed into the fair, stopping at booths and collecting information. The dress ranged from casual student wear such as shorts and flip flops to dress slacks and neckties.

MJC students Christian Robles and Mace Ruiz came in dress shirts and ties to stand out. The 18-year-olds have been looking for work for more than a year — without success.

"I'll do anything to put gas in my car so I can go to school," Ruiz said. "So I dressed up to try to stand out a little today."

They said they each fill out about a dozen applications a month, but rarely get any word back — not even a rejection letter.

Employers such as Dot Foods, a food redistribution company, was hiring for part- and full-time order selectors and truck drivers. But not many of the students qualified for the positions, said Dot Human Resources Director Becky Shokraii. For each open position, she said, the company gets 700 to 1,000 applications.

"The competition is just fierce," she said. "It is a very hard job market for students."

But she said young workers can help themselves by dressing for success at interviews and approaching their job search as if it's a full-time job every day.

A few students at the job fair were lucky enough to have work. Eighteen-year-old Garth Piper Jr. works part time at Kohl's. He was looking for better-paying work and open positions for friends.

"I feel very lucky to have work right now," he said. "I've just been networking with people and looking all the time. I feel blessed."

For those students still searching, many managed to express optimism despite the tough odds. Twenty-year-old Cassandra Gonzalez said if she doesn't find work soon, she plans to start volunteering as a way to gain experience.

"I'm positive, I really am," Gonzalez said. "If you get negative about it, you'll never find a job."

Bee staff writer Marijke Rowland can be reached at mrowland@modbee.com or (209) 578-2284.