by Noah Maravilla, for KUAM News

The Governor’s Islandwide Job Fair took place today at the Rihga Royal Laguna Resort. It’s the largest job fair in 15 years and with over 500 employment opportunities available in different fields of work, island residents headed over to the Tamuning hotel for the job fair.

The event was spearheaded by the Guam Department of Labor, and agency director Dave Dell’Isola gave a rundown on how it went. "Close to 2,000 people have come in and out of here, and I couldn’t be happier."

"I did circle around and talk to a lot of the employers and some people have hired more than 20 people on the spot. Some have had interviews all lined up, some are sending them to drug testing. Everybody I talked to is so happy with the turnout."

Dell’Isola said some companies ran out of applications so they had to make more or go to their office to get more. He added that he got to speak with some of the job seekers and this is what they said.

"They were so happy because they got hired already. We’ve had at least 20 or 40 people come up and said, 'I got hired! I got a job!' and 'We’re ready to go!' We had one applicant that Janela [Carerra, DOL's public information officer] talked to that says, 'Hey, I got a full-time job. I’m looking forward to bringing my family back from the States. We’re ready to move forward', and they were so happy and elated. That’s what this whole thing is about," the director noted.

Along with thousands of island residents looking for a job, one seeker recently arrived on Guam and he’s looking to snag employment while here.

Executive Chef Kyle Russ told KUAM News, "I’ve already had somebody say that they’re going to call me next week for an interview. It’s actually been a really good experience because my resume is mostly off-island, so I think people think I’m still off-island. So being able to come in person and actually speak with people actually goes a long way for getting my foot in the door and be able to talk to people and show my personality."

70 different businesses took part in the job fair, including companies such as Pay-Less Supermarkets, Black Construction, Bank of Guam, the Guam Army National Guard, and many many more.