CityCenter to hire hundreds at job fair next week

Range of jobs includes stewards, bakers, cooks, bus persons, managers

Steve Marcus

The CityCenter project on the Las Vegas Strip.

Friday, July 10, 2009 | 12:43 p.m.

Career fair draws thousands for CityCenter, other jobs (5-19-2009)
Jobless claims indicate economy remains weak (7-9-2009)

MGM Mirage is giving Nevada’s unemployed hope in today’s bleak job market.

CityCenter is looking to hire hundreds of employees during a food and beverage job fair next week, MGM Mirage announced.

The company will be interviewing to fill several positions in its food and beverage department, including assistant executive stewards, bakers, banquet management, buspersons, cooks, food servers, fountain workers, kitchen management and restaurant management.

The job fair will be Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at CityCenter’s Career Center, behind the Mirage at 3549 Industrial Road. CityCenter said appointments must be scheduled by Wednesday.

A spokesperson for CityCenter said although the company does not have an exact number of how many will be hired during Thursday’s fair, the company will be hiring for “hundreds of positions.” Start dates for those who are hired will begin in September, ramping up through December.

MGM Mirage announced in December that it was seeking more than 12,000 workers to fill positions at CityCenter and other company-owned properties. In January, CityCenter recruiters said they expected 100,000 applications for the 12,000-plus jobs. The resort has since received nearly 140,000 applications and conducted an estimated 40,000 interviews.

CityCenter made its last appearance at a job fair in May at the Opportunity Boulevard Summer Career Fair, where more than 5,000 stood in line for a chance to speak with recruiters from CityCenter and 50 other companies and schools.

Recent employment announcements from properties like CityCenter and Hard Rock have been rare occurrences in Vegas’ tough economy. Hard Rock held a job fair last month to hire 800 for their $750 million expansion.

Nevada’s unemployment rate rose to 11.3 percent in June, passing the previous record of 10.7 percent set 27 years ago in December 1982.

Discussion: 19 comments so far…

By stevem

7/10/09 at 1:50 p.m.

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i wish everyone luck.

i still can't see any way this place is going to get enough people through the doors after the "let's go check it out" phase wears off to keep it up and running.
By Gregory

7/10/09 at 2:49 p.m.

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MGM Mirage sees City Center through rose colored glasses as the savior for the Southern Nevada economy, when in fact the national economy is looking at 4 to 5 hard years of hard adjustment and restructuring to pay for the sins of Wall Street, CEOS, and the Madoffs of the world, no matter "who" is President or serving on Capitol Hill.

In fact, City Center is overbuilt, and will magnify room obsolescence at other MGM Mirage properities, while pulling down every other mid to upper mid room inventory on the Strip.

If a war existed during the boom between competing properties as each new megaresort was opened, the war became more focused in the downturn, and opening up another 5,800 rooms with big debt service attached, plus the cond anchor, is going to make pricing-perks and direct competition the local public story, when the real untold story is declining revpar, and it's effects on the employees who are stretched at every property on the strip to do much more for less, if they have-keep a job, for four to five years.

The niche in today's market may turn out to be places with long history and better debt structure, like the Riv, which right now does have finance-debt trouble, and the Tropicana, where there could be some good target-market opportunities with a good debt structure. That's if they can attract and keep the right people with the experience and expertise at key places in the company to execute and market strategies and new culture effectively.
By Gregory

7/10/09 at 2:53 p.m.

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Typing Correction:

CONDO ANCHOR (for cond anchor in above post).

Condos, or condo-hotel units, are the first to depreciate in a declining market, and the last to appreciate in a market when it comes time for an upturn.
By revtomperl

7/10/09 at 6:11 p.m.

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Glad there are some opportunities - to call them new jobs may be a stretch - they will absorb some of the unemployed masses who will be staying here while others need to leave Las Vegas.
By Joe_Vegas

7/10/09 at 8:31 p.m.

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History will show CC as the epitome of the capitalistic free market system gone insane with corruption and greed. I suppose when the idea first hit the table and the first shovel turned up the desert sand...it was a good idea and no one wanted to admit to the coming financial storm that was brewing. In hindsight I would have preferred that they had not rushed into such an extravagant development. Two separate Casino/Resorts built on that land over the next several years would have been a better option. I think it takes away more from the strip with all its false glamour representing an opulent period of man's greed, then it has added...but hey, I'm "Old School" Las Vegas and am more interested in the upcoming reno's to the old girl The Trop!
By denro

7/10/09 at 11:10 p.m.

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I agree Joe. I think City Center is way overbuilt and too much. Perhaps like you, I hark back to the old days. I remember when the Stardust sat as an unfinished concrete hulk month after month (history now repeating itself with Echelon), and when the Riviera opened as the first high rise on the strip. Those were the days on Las Vegas boulevard. I think it has been ruined through so called progress. I am glad I saw it the way it was in the beginning. In fact my first visit with my parents of course, we stayed at the El Rancho, then the Last Frontier, then we would be at the DI. It was amazing then.
By fremmasmind

7/11/09 at 5:49 a.m.

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I hope City Center becomes the first hotel/casino to use e-verify in its selection of employees.
By richardmchale

7/11/09 at 8:50 a.m.

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I think City Center will do well, although the trip to viability will be a bit long and arduous. There are two critical factors to keep in mind.

One, people in or out of recessions want to come to Vegas to play and gain relief from their many stresses back home. That won't stop, and in fact will only increase as the nation recovers from Wall Street's most recent madness.

Two, Vegas veered to far toward the high roller, clearly forgetting the value crowds that built this town. That emphasis on value is returning and will be rewarded. The fact is, there are only so many high rollers who want to visit our fair city at any given time, but there are vast crowds of average folks who covet the experience.

Lets also not be too harsh on the delusions that led to the overbuild, or too quick to gauge the future. Things have a way of working out our way (in Vegas' best interests) as long as we stay positive and are ready and willing to create a good experience for our visitors.

That is the point, is it not?
By davidwayneosedach

7/11/09 at 10:11 a.m.

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This will be extreme competition. How many hundred(s) will apply for each job?
By tbvegas

7/11/09 at 3:47 p.m.

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Hire 12000 employees at $10-12 an hour, lay off 12000 making $50 an hour.
By its2hot

7/11/09 at 8:57 p.m.

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Here we go again, another casino opening; the influx of illegal Mexicans and affirmative action hires will be at an all time this week. 12,000 jobs and 140,000 applicants. Let the good times roll, our taxes are going up again to pay for the future 100,000 illegal babies and affirmative action welfare recipients. The sad part about this is the profits go to Dubai United Arab Emirates not the USA and we're stuck paying to support the off spring of these people. Welcome to America!
By cisko213

7/12/09 at 2:45 a.m.

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I see more Asians and europeons working in the casinos than I do mexicans. Besides that I say some dude open a new Vegas strip casino in the desert old school style. Start all over and bring back some class instead of a corporate machine joint. Oh and from what I hear Dubai is hurting big time. I'm not sure they will get their billions back. I say nobody apply for a job there.
By Vulcan

7/12/09 at 6:50 a.m.

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Dont blame the Mexicans for taking a low paying labor job. Maybe if the lazy American pulling in $350 a week on unemployment got off the couch to apply it wouldnt be an issue. Food stamps, wellfare and unemployment checks....welcome to America!
By cisko213

7/12/09 at 10:30 a.m.

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Don't worry Thumper I won't be in line. You can have them jobs.I can say Vegas is the only place i've seen a white boy have a job at a car wash. Where I come from it's always been a wet. Good luck there though Thumper 140,000 applicants for 12,000 jobs.
By dollarbillz

7/12/09 at 11:47 p.m.

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12,000 entry level jobs means 12,000 more illegal mexicans applying for them. you dumbass Democrats wanted HOPE and CHANGE, well here it is.
By MAGSNY1999

7/13/09 at 8:38 a.m.

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its2hot...how bout you LEAVE VEGAS INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING ABOUT MEXICANS AND "ILLEGAL WELFARE RECIPIENTS"? LOLOL Your hatred pours out considering thats how you chose to comment on the article??? Lets face its stop watching Fox News and glenn beck...Get a job and YOU WILL SEE THAT MEXICANS WORK MUCH HARDER THAN THE WHITES. (And I am a white guy) They work 5 days a week and show up everyday. The "aMEricans" complain, are lazy, have no respect for authority the list goes on. Now thats not all americans but mexicans as a % work harder. And if you dont see that your racist bias is BLINDING your from the truth. Mexicans that come here, come here to WORK ITS THE SAME THING WHEN EUROPEANS CAME HERE IN DROVES IN THE 19th and early 20th century. The people that come here WANT TO WORK that is why they leave there GIVE ME SOCIALIST SOCIETIES IN THE FIRST PLACE
By cisko213

7/13/09 at 11:03 a.m.

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Las Vegas is a spanish name. In fact half of west coast was Mexico. Just consider Las Vegas North Mexico.