Job-seekers Descend on Power Plant Live!
Power Plant Live! was the place to be late Wednesday afternoon for hundreds of teenagers, 20-somethings and middle-aged adults. But the résumé-toting individuals weren’t enjoying a round of drinks — they just wanted to land a job.
On the heels of The Cordish Cos.’ multimillion dollar investment into the popular downtown entertainment and dining district, the developer held a job fair to attract workers for the hundreds of positions that will soon become available when several new establishments open their doors in the coming weeks.
Event coordinators said they needed to reach as many potential employees as possible, and the applicants who steadily poured through the door were certainly not complaining. They filled out applications while crowding around tables inside PBR Baltimore — a country-style bar that opened at 2 Market Place in March — while employers from seven Power Plant Live! businesses conducted rapid-fire interviews to fill hundreds of jobs.
It was an eclectic crowd, each applicant with a different story to tell. There was Esther Young, a 27-year-old substitute teacher from Mount Vernon who needed extra income, convicted felon Tavon Lawson of Northwest Baltimore who said the job market has been less than friendly to him, and Latoya Cunningham of West Baltimore, who just ended a temporary job.
But amidst the saddle chairs, Jack Daniels’ décor and an idle mechanical bull, a common sentiment emerged that reflected the somewhat-frantic nature of the event. Everyone was there for one of two reasons: either they had dozens of jobs to offer, or they desperately wanted one.