Aliya Cancela is excited to be starting her very first job in the coming months, and it's a pretty good fit for her.
“As a kid, I used to play with Legos, so this is kind of like a dream job," Cancela said.
She, along with plenty others, were leaving LEGOLAND's socially distanced job fair with an offer from the amusement park, needing only about an hour of interviews and paperwork before they were officially employed.
What You Need To Know
- The LEGOLAND New York Resort hosted a socially distanced job fair Saturday
- Some in attendance received a job offer in about one hour
- The amusement park is expected to open later this year
“This can really be the gateway to a career. You can start as a ride operator," said Matt Besterman, public relations manager at LEGOLAND. "And then they’ve worked their way up to different managerial positions, and they’ve really worked their way up the ladder. So this can really be a great start.”
LEGOLAND expects to employ about 1,000 people when it opens later this year, with jobs at both the theme park and resort. They’ve been having these fairs for several months now, not letting the pandemic stop them from helping first-time employees find work.
“All the precautions are in place. They interview with members of our team, and based on the outcome of those interviews, they can walk out of here with a job offer," Besterman said.
As for Cancela, this is a vital part of her growth as a young adult. She’s hoping working at LEGOLAND can help her save up for her own car.
“Now that I know that I’m going to be making my own money soon, it feels good. So that I can be independent, basically,” Cancela said.