THOUSANDS of people, including some who had travelled from Essex and Hert- fordshire, took a fresh look at their future at the Evening Advertiser career and jobs live exhibition.

Within two hours of opening, the day-long event at the Hilton was already set to top its target attendance of 5,000 visitors.

Buses providing a free travel service from town were crowded, and cars queued for parking spaces at the hotel and at the nearby Lydiard Fields Beefeater.

Allyson Tohme, process control manager at logistics company Gist which helped sponsor the show, said: "It's really busy. People have been looking not only at our local jobs but also at vacancies at our centres in other areas.

Gerry Veitch, branch manager of jobs agency Blue Arrow, said: "The interest has been fantastic. It has been busy right from the kick-off."

Nearly 40 of the area's major employers had stands at the exhibition, which was opened by Swindon Mayor Stan Pajak.

Employers included Rail-track, Swindon and Marlbor-ough NHS Trust, Nationwide, retailers, manufacturers, day nurseries, care organisations, Wiltshire police, the Army, Royal Navy, the RAF Auxiliary, McDonald's, and training providers.

Upstairs there were sessions offering advice on how to compile a CV, write a job application and cope with interviews.

Marks and Spencer staged hourly fashion shows demonstrating how to dress to make a good first impression.

School leaver Zoe Adams, 16, of Grange Park, said: "I didn't get the grades I needed for a child care course but I'm still interested in a job in caring and the exhibition has given me lots of ideas."

Her mum Pauline, a nurse at Princess Margaret Hospital, said: "It's not until you come to something like this that you realise how many opportunities are out there."

Luke Bryce, 18, who has just moved to Swindon from Plymouth, said he had done a building apprenticeship but visited the exhibition because he wanted a wider view of the jobs available.

Swindon College tutor Lynne Ridge, who was with a group of second year students, said the exhibition was a great idea: "We came last year and this year it's even better."

Lesley Powell, a human resources officer from Railtrack, said she and her colleagues had been rushed off their feet.

"Judging by the number of job-seekers we've dealt with, it's obvious there is still a lot of interest in Swindon in working for the railways."

As many women as men were seeking information about jobs in project management, safety and engineering.