The atrium of the Flathead Valley Community College Arts and Technology building was packed Thursday with job-seekers waiting for a job fair to officially open to the public. 

Potential employees leafed through pamphlets or the list of employers at the fair or stood on tiptoe to get a peek at the booths. One man nervously straightened his bow tie. 

The job seekers formed a line that wound out the front door and into the sunshine. 

Over 70 employers set up booths, actively seeking applicants for current job openings at the 2015 Flathead Valley Job Fair. 

The employers had openings for part-time, full-time and seasonal positions. Employers ranged from food service to retail to technology companies. 

Synergy Aircraft brought a scale model of an aircraft it manufactures to entice job seekers to take a closer look at the company’s booth. 

“We have a bit of everything open, and we’re actually really flexible with our hours,” said Preston Van Vleet, fabricator with Synergy. “It’s more finding the person with the right skills.” 

The company advertised openings for computer numerical control machinists, computer technicians and solid works technicians. 

The job fair was closed to the public for the first half hour to allow veterans and their families a head start. Those veterans who took advantage of the early entry expressed gratitude that the fair organizers thought of them. 

“Things like this can make the time away from home worth it,” said Mike Jackson, a veteran. “There are a lot of jobs to choose from, and this makes it easier.” 

Another veteran, Don Moody, said he wished more organizations would think of veterans when planning their events. 

The job fair was sponsored by the college, the Daily Inter Lake, Express Employment Professionals, Kalispell Regional Healthcare, Synergy, TeleTech, Welcov Healthcare plus KOFI, The Monster and The Lake radio stations. 

This was the first year for a Job Seeker Support Center, where job seekers could meet with career coaches, receive career readiness support, take career interest assessments and complete online applications for current job openings. 

Reporter Brianna Loper may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at bloper@dailyinterlake.com.