OCEAN CITY – Attention all job seekers, the 27th Annual Job Fair will be held next weekend, March 17, at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and is free to all attendees.

“It really started out as a way to have employers all in one place in Ocean City to hire seasonal help,” Events Director for the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce Lisa Dennis said.

There are 12,000 seasonal positions available in Ocean City a year. The job fair was initially directed towards college students to work in the resort during their summer break.

“It has kind of taken quite a different turn,” Dennis said. “The economy has definitely had an impact on who’s applying and what they are looking for.”

Five years ago, the job fair had 800 attendees and since then attendance has increased to 5,000. The job fair has transformed to not only include seasonal employment but also year-round positions.

Besides the usual Ocean City seasonal employers, franchises have now joined the job fair, such as Dunkin Donuts, Five Below, Royal Farms and Food Lion.

“They [seasonal employers] beef up on their seasonal hires but there is also the potential there when people apply,” Dennis said. “There will be companies there that a lot of times those part-time seasonal positions turn into full time.”

Dennis pointed out that the job fair is not just an opportunity for those who live in the immediate area but also people from afar.

“A lot of people have lost their jobs or one person in the family has lost their job due to cut backs … it is a great opportunity to at least have something through the summer that supplements their income and then maybe turn it into something better,” she said.

There will be up to 70 employers on hand looking to fill positions. Businesses will include, but are not limited to hotels, restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores, and Boardwalk businesses. A week prior to the job fair, a list of employers who are attending will be published on the Chamber of Commerce’s website.

The best way to approach the job fair is to print out a job application from the Chamber of Commerce’s website and fill it out beforehand.

Laser Tone will provide a copying service so that job seekers can apply to as many positions as they like without having to fill out a number of applications.

Some employers hire on the spot so also bring identification and important documentation needed in the hiring process.

Greg Eberts and staff of the One Stop Job Market in Salisbury will be on hand to assist job seekers and provide information on availability in employment and transportation between the counties. Information on seasonal housing will also be available as well as on the chamber’s website.

There is still room for employers to sign up. To reserve a space, contact Dennis at 410-213-0144 ext. 104 or email lisa@oceancity.org.

The job fair is a collaborative effort between the Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Ocean City. The town provides the space at the convention center to hold the event.

“That is a big plus with the size of the space that we need and they have always done that,” Dennis said. “With all the people looking for jobs, it’s good to get something, even something that is temporary is better at this point than nothing.”