JOB seekers in their thousands are expected today (Friday) at the first-ever KM Kent Careers Expo - supported by many of the county's largest employers and recruitment companies. Within minutes of the start of the expo yesterday, the event organisers, the Kent Messenger Group, were reporting a steady stream of visitors to the Ramada Hotel and Resort - formerly the Great Danes Hotel and Country Club, Hollingbourne.

The two-day event boasts 27 exhibitors, companies including Kent Police, the RAF, the security firm Securicor, Kent County Council teacher recruitment, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Maidstone Town Centre Management Initiative and Pfizer Global Research and Development.

Among the recruitment companies present are Profile Selection and Recruitment, New Appointments Group, Hayes Personnel Services, JobCentres and Kent Careers Service.

Organisers said the expo was the first-ever truly county-wide careers fair - attracting employers and job seekers from almost every corner of Kent.

KM Expo organiser Jon Chapman said all indications were that the event would be a resounding success. "Everyone seems very keen about the expo," he said. "We have had a huge amount of interest from job seekers who have inundated us with calls."

In the hotel's Southpoint Suite, a room next to the exhibition in the main hall, are seminars on a host of subjects designed to boost the job seekers' chances.

Half-hour sessions, taking place on the hour every hour until 4pm, include advice on CV writing, writing application forms and letters and interview technique. They are led by Kent Careers Service and the Employment Service.