IF YOU were looking for a new job or a change of career, then The Gazette Jobsfair was certainly the place to be this week.

About 500 jobseekers from across north Hampshire and further afield attended the event at The Anvil on Tuesday.

Dozens of positions were up for grabs at companies including the likes of De La Rue, Hammer, Capricorn Automotive, GAME and Vista Healthcare. And many firms reported that they were able to set up interviews with promising candidates.

As well as the employer stands, staff from the National Careers Service were on hand to give jobseekers advice on writing CVs, effective job searches and interview techniques, with support coming from colleagues at the Basingstoke office of jobcentreplus.

Gazette Newspapers advertising manager Tessa Reid said: “The day went very well considering the wet weather.

“The feedback we got from every single exhibitor was that it was worthwhile being there. It proved to be an ideal opportunity for jobseekers to come in and meet prospective employers in a more informal environment. We’re already planning for a similar event next year.”

The De La Rue stand was literally the last stand standing by the end of the busy afternoon.

Rosanna Muggeridge, who is an HR manager at the world-leading Basingstoke-based banknote printer, was delighted with the day.

She said: “It’s definitely been hectic. We’ve a mixture of roles at our two sites, at our head office in Viables and at our Overton facility, including key roles in project management and in engineering.

“We have met some really good candidates, and there are several I really want to get back in contact with.”

The day was busier than Kate Bark, senior HR adviser at Sentinel Housing Association, thought it would be.

“We had people coming constantly to our stand,” said Kate. “We met very enthusiastic people who are keen to learn new skills.

“People were interested to know more about the company and not just about jobs, which I think is quite important.”

Emily Pye, a casual administrator at growing video games retailer GAME, said: “We’re looking for customer service agents and casual warehouse operators at our head office and distribution centre here in Basingstoke, and we’ve had a fabulous response.

“We’ve been very pleased with the calibre of people we’ve seen. It’s also been lovely to get out and meet people here at The Anvil.”

HR assistant Bev Nurse, from Hook-based Vista Healthcare, which provides specialist care and support to people with learning disabilities and mental health issues, said: “We have met some potential health care recruits.”

Her colleague, NHS liaison manager Alyson Hammond, was also very satisfied with the event and its location.

She said: “The Anvil has been ideal. I think it’s been a productive day and we have got a good return on our investment.”

Phillip Browne, a sales manager at dedicated storage distributor Hammer, was also very upbeat about the fair.

He said: “We’ve had a nice steady footfall and we’ve met five or six strong candidates who we are looking to take to the next stage.”

Steve Cowley, also a sales manager at the firm, based at Intec Business Park, in Wade Road, Basingstoke, said: “We’ll be back next year.”