Hundreds seek mall jobs

Published 9:00 pm Saturday, September 25, 2004

LYNNWOOD – Anna Dotson of Everett believes what you wear makes a big difference in a job hunt.

So, Dotson, 20, showed up in black heels, black slacks and a brown jacket at a job fair at Alderwood mall on Saturday.

Dotson also believes that ultimately it’s confidence that lands you a job.

And she has it.

“Within the next two or three weeks, I’m sure I will have a job,” she said.

The mall and WorkSource, a partnership of business, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and colleges, organized the free fair to help fill 1,200 to 1,500 full-time and part-time jobs created by the shopping center’s expansion. About 40 new retail stores and restaurants are scheduled to open in November.

By the time the fair started at 10 a.m., a section of the mall was full of job seekers of all age groups, including high school students. Organizers expected the daylong event to draw 1,500 to 2,000 people, said Lindsay Nagel, an organizer.

“It’s a fun and relaxing atmosphere,” Nagel said.

Some participants were dressed casually, while others wore business attire. After registering, they were kept busy filling out job applications on their laps, tables, walls and the floor.

Although some employers may interview and hire people immediately, it was up to each of them how to proceed, Nagel said.

Island Soap &Candle Works will open on Nov. 4 and is looking for three to five employees, said Barb Doyle, an owner. The store will be the Hawaii-based company’s first in the Pacific Northwest, she said.

Doyle said she planned to make appointments on Saturday with promising candidates for later interviews.

But, she added: “We’re playing it by ear. We don’t know what to expect today.”

Frank Roll of Everett prepared different resumes to apply for a variety of job openings.

“I’d like to find some kind of full-time job with reasonable pay,” said Roll, 44, who has been looking for a job since April.

Public officials say the economy is slowly improving, but Roll, who earned about $16 an hour in his previous job working for the U.S. Navy, said he will probably have to take a pay cut if he finds work at the mall.

“I have to lower my expectations,” he said.