Hundreds Visit Danbury's Jobs Fair

As the years of this recession tick by, it appears the annual state Department of Labor Danbury Career Fair is attracting more employers with more job openings.

The , an event and meeting facility located in the former Union Carbide headquarters at 39 Old Ridgebury Road, has openings for chefs, on-call waitresses and waiters and for bartenders.

"It's not just for the corporate job seeker," said Diane Disher, sales and catering manager with the Matrix. "This is a very well attended event."

Among those visiting the Matrix table Tuesday were three Danbury High School graduates who were looking for jobs when they return to Danbury during college breaks.

"I'm mostly looking for a job to come back to," said Brian Wiedl, a 2008 DHS graduate now attending Eastern Connecticut State University.

Wiedl and his brother Kevin operate the Taco Man at Eastern, and they worked as waiters for years at volunteer events. They're hoping to turn that partially-professional, partly volunteer work into genuine paying jobs.

Their friend Chris Green, who graduated from in 2009, isn't attending college right now, but he's looking for work.

"I do landscaping when it's available, but I can do waiting," Green said. What he's working on right now is ideas for getting Taco Man its own website. "That is something I'm good at."

Other companies with jobs to offer include , which had openings for an assistant vice president, an Assistant Loan Servicing Manager, commercial loan officer, loan workout officer and customer service workers.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals was looking for professionals in the area of medical, information services, research and development, scientists, human resources, marketing support and others.

Post University is looking for admission counselors and for tuition planners, among other jobs.

Other firms looking for workers include Home Depot, Manpower, Naugatuck Valley Community College, Orkin Pest Control and others.

"This is definitely a worthwhile event," said Rick Carey, service manager with Orkin Pest Control, which hires hourly workers each spring/summer/fall the company hopes to keep on as the business grows once the winter arrives. The winter is the business slow season, so without enough work, the summer help can't stay on. "I've interviewed some people right here. You get a better group of people at an event like this."

The fair is sponsored by the state Department of Labor, the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce, Cumulus Media.