Thursday marks the first of a series of job fairs in the Chicago area, and for those eager and looking that means opportunity.
It's a line with the hope of a job at the end.
"I bundled up, I got my resume and I came on down," said Clifton Gregory.
Some with past grocery store experience, others not.
Michael Tuitman worked for Dominick's before.
"I am feeling a little nervous," he said. "I really want a job, need a job, so I'm hoping I'll get a call."
Mariano's supermarkets, with its parent company Roundy's, expects to hire about 250 people for each of the 11 Dominick's stores its acquiring here in the Chicago area.
"Really customer experience is what we're looking for, and really, the attitude," said Jess Terry, V.P. Roundy's Supermarkets. "We can train a lot of other things, but those are kind of key to our brand."
Cynthia Thomas thinks she fits the bill.
"I brought my resume, brought a lot of love and a lot of people skills," she said.
These are short initial interviews, 10-15 minutes.
Nerves a bit on edge, but a good impression here, can lead to a call-back.
"They might be invited back as well then, for a secondary interview process, that we'll start to work through starting next week," Terry said.
"I want them to utilize and enhance my personal skills and my positive energy," said Markia Carter.
There are two more job fairs this week: One Friday in Skokie and Saturday in Burr Ridge.
Mariano's says it will add 5,000 jobs in our area by the end of next year.
