BUTLER TWP — For Amy Nemeth, the honeymoon was over before it started.

“(My employer) let 250 people go the week of my wedding, and I was one of them,” she said.

“It was a whirlwind summer.”

Formerly an outside sales provider for a local university, the Mars resident was one of hundreds of attendees determined to find work among more than 70 businesses, schools and recruiting agencies at Pennsylvania CareerLink’s Fall Job and Career Fair, hosted Wednesday by the Butler Days Inn.

The crowd was a mix of business professionals, recent college graduates, trade workers and military veterans.

Michael Morris recently moved to Butler from Pittsburgh, where he worked in construction, and is attempting to find local work.

“I’m thinking of going back to school to operate heavy equipment, but I’m looking here for work in construction or heavy manufacturing,” said Morris, who served three years in the U.S. Army, most recently with the 101st Airborne Division’s 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

Patty Woods of Cranberry Township has been unemployed for about two months after losing her job as an executive assistant. She said she isn’t picky about her next line of work, despite having some college, a secretarial certificate and 12 years’ secretarial experience working for the state’s highest court under her belt.

“I’m keeping my options very open. I just enjoy working with people. Maybe this is meant to be, and I can jump into something new,” she said.

Woods was covering all of her bases, too, adding that she might look for seasonal work at a retail store on her drive home from the job fair.

“It gets boring sitting at home. It’s just not fun,” she said.

Zack Miller of Warren took a two-pronged approach to the day, searching for prospective employers as well as schools to further his professional aptitude. He said many employers he is interested in are searching for candidates with some sort of official training, especially for positions with advancement potential.

“I don’t have much training, but I have lots of applicable experience,” said Miller, who has done contracting work, painting and demolition work in recent years.

“There’s no work (in Warren). All it has is a refinery, and you have to know someone who knows someone to get hired there. This is a great opportunity for me to reach out, meet some new people and find some businesses who are hiring.”

Terry Williams of Butler, too, brings a wealth of experience to potential employers. He is working a temporary position in housekeeping, but the U.S. Navy veteran brings a variety of skills to employers.

“I’m looking for anything in the customer service field, but I also like the service and air industries,” he said. Williams has operated heavy equipment, has provided customer service and has been a gate agent and ramp attendant for a major airline, in addition to 11 years in the Navy, where he served as a telecommunications operator and ship’s master-at-arms.

Ashley Selfridge of Butler, brought a mix of two worlds to her resume, having recently completed classes at Methodist University in North Carolina, where she studied biology, after serving four years of active duty as a U.S. Army quartermaster.

Selfridge remains a Reservist and said her “military bearing” is an attractive character trait for would-be employers. “Ideally, I’d like to return to school for physical therapy. I like exercising and helping people,” she said.

A circuit of the packed conference room at the Days Inn revealed hiring opportunities in health care, construction professional staffing and customer service, as well as one uncanny coincidence.

Like Nemeth, Laura Bitzer of Cranberry Township got married this year, in April, and was laid off from her job of six years in September.

With an associate degree in communications and years of experience in resource management, scheduling employees and handling claims, Bitzer would like to find work in human resources again.

Nemeth wants to remain positive as she looks for work. “I want to share my joy with the world, not my misfortune.”