Using their resumes as shade from the blistering sun, hundreds of eager jobseekers braved the sweltering heat Monday for a one-day job fair that for many may be the end to years of unemployment.<\/P><\/p>\n
Crammed in buses and cars, the line of interested persons swelled far past the Kendal G. L. Isaacs gymnasium\uffb4s door to a nearby tennis court, as Bahamians came out in droves to take advantage of hundreds of vacant positions RIU Paradise Island is offering, in preparation for its mid-December opening.<\/P><\/p>\n
The European resort group purchased the former Sheraton Grand Hotel on Paradise Island earlier this year.<\/P><\/p>\n
For many interested applicants, the grueling waiting game started shortly after 5am.<\/P><\/p>\n
\uff93I\uffb4ve been on the line from 5:30am because I knew it was going to be a lot of people coming for job interviews, and I wanted to be one of first ones out here,\uff92 John Moss said. <\/P><\/p>\n
Linda Roker had the same plan.<\/P><\/p>\n
\uff93We came here from early this morning \uff96 a little after 4am. We then left and came back after we were told that what we were doing wasn\uffb4t making any sense because the doors would only open at 9am,\uff92 she said. \uff93But they should have had a lot of people to do the interviews, at least 15 to 20 persons so that the process could go faster.\uff92<\/P><\/p>\n
Kraven Neely said, \uff93I was on the line from about 5:20 this morning. I met about 11 persons here. I\uffb4m really hoping for a new atmosphere. But even more than that, as a young man who wants and needs something in life, I need this job.\uff92<\/P><\/p>\n
Having stood in line for close to an hour, Kehla Johnson said she was encouraged to apply for a job at the hotel after working part-time at a number of establishments over the past three years.<\/P><\/p>\n
\uff93The amount of persons out here is a clear indication that we still have a high percentage of unemployment in the country,\uff92 Deputy Director of Labour Josephine Bennons candidly admitted to the Bahama Journal yesterday.<\/P><\/p>\n
\uff93I think this is the most significant turnout I\uffb4ve seen this year. I\uffb4m actually quite surprised to see so many people. I don\uffb4t know if one hotel property can help, but we\uffb4d have to see until the end of the day.\uff92<\/P><\/p>\n
Equally impressed by the turnout, RIU Human Resources Manager Jacqueline Beneby added that the growing number of persons at the job fair is a clear indication that Bahamians are looking for the kinds of jobs that RIU can provide. <\/P><\/p>\n
\uff93I have to admire a lot of them,\uff92 she said.<\/P><\/p>\n
The hotel is hoping to hire persons to fill close to 300 positions, ranging from front office clerks to housekeepers, cooks to pastry chefs, some of whom would have been hired \uff93on the spot.\uff92 <\/P><\/p>\n
The others are expected to receive a definitive word on Wednesday.<\/P><\/p>\n
Among those determined to get inside the gymnasium are a number of the resort\uffb4s former employees like Cynthia Davis, who had been employed at the Sheraton hotel for the past 22 years.<\/P><\/p>\n
\uff93I liked working at the Sheraton. I had no problems there,\uff92 she said. <\/P><\/p>\n
But according to one irate applicant, the resort\uffb4s hiring exercise was simply \uff93ridiculous\uff92 considering, she said, that many persons were jumping the line and that the process was moving along \uff93too slowly.\uff92<\/P><\/p>\n
But after waiting hours, many applicants were turned away after being inappropriately dressed in tennis shoes, T-shits, jeans, hats and open toed shoes. <\/P><\/p>\n
Others were slipped through tiny cracks of the gymnasium\uffb4s door in groups of 15, prescreened by labour department officials and then turned over to the Human Resources manager.<\/P><\/p>\n
\uff93They\uffb4re required to come with their resumes and dressed professionally. We are interviewing them for a professional organization and we are looking for persons who can fit into what we have going on. We do not want to have to dress applicants up,\uff92 Mrs. Beneby said. <\/P><\/p>\n
\uff93We\uffb4re also looking for persons with a good personality. This is a customer service oriented business and we\uffb4re looking for persons with patience. This is the same patience they are going to have with our customers when they come in.\uff92<\/P><\/p>\n
At 9:30am, RIU executives reported interviewing about 10 applicants, four or five of whom were considered excellent candidates.<\/P><\/p>\n
But according to Mrs. Beneby, despite the number of interested persons, the resort\uffb4s job fair was strictly a one-day exercise from 9am to 6pm.<\/P><\/p>\n
\uff93We cannot extend this,\uff92 she said. \uff93We are going to see everyone that is on the line, no matter how late it takes us.\uff92<\/P><\/p>\n
Once completely renovated, the all-inclusive RIU Paradise Island resort would feature three conference rooms, specialty restaurants, a swimming pool, a gym, sauna and more. <\/P><\/p>\n
RIU Paradise Island is the first RIU resort in The Bahamas.<\/P><\/p>\n
Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal<\/B><\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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