A recently laid off man was trying to get work as a mechanic.

And a student was looking for a possible part-time job in the field she wants to go into.

They were among the over 500 people who attended the Snohomish County Career Fair at the Tulalip Resort-Casino Sept. 10.

Carrie Starr of Everett said it was probably the first job fair she’s been to since college. She worked in marketing before staying home to raise children. She attended the event to get her “feet wet and talk to people.”

Starr said she has been volunteering at school and with Scouts but wanted to attend the event to network with “the laundry list of employers.”

She said she’d like to get back into marketing but that she has “broader interests than when I just got out of school.”

A retired Navy man, Patrick Noaeill found out just two weeks ago he was being laid off as a mechanic. He came because he wanted to find out what opportunities were available in the area.

“On the internet you can only get so much information,” Noaeill said. “This way I can talk to a human being.”

Taylor Smith is a culinary student at Washington State University’s Everett campus. She knows she wants to get into the hospitality industry and wanted to see if a part-time job could mix in with her studies.

She wanted to talk to those at the Tulalip booth about job possibilities and moving up within the organization.

More than 50 employers were at the event, sponsored by the Tulalip and The Daily Herald.

Sgt. 1st Class Christian O’Keefe was recruiting at the U.S. Army booth. He’s been in the service for more than 18 years, adding they like to go to many job fairs to meet people.

“I’ve talked to a lot of people,” he said, about halfway through the event.

Despite a lot of anti-police talk nationwide, Seattle Police Department detective Andre Sinn said he has seen a “lot of traffic.” He has been with that department for 17 years, 10 as a recruiter.

“I love events like these where I can talk to people and educate them about law enforcement,” Sinn said.

He likes to explain what to look for and how to prepare if someone wants to take the test to join. He added that most applications are online now, but people still appreciate being able to talk to him about the profession.

As for the negativity about police, Sinn said he hadn’t heard much of that at the job fair.

“Mostly it’s been, ‘Thank you,’ and ‘We appreciate you,” which is neat,” Sinn said.