Hundreds of people flocked to the Oxford Job Fair in a bid to find work or move up the career ladder.

The event, organised by the Oxford Mail at Oxford Town Hall, featured 37 exhibitors ranging from fruit and vegetable wholesaler Fresh Direct, the current Oxfordshire Business of the Year, to the police and armed forces.

Organiser Trudy Thomson said: "As usual it has been very busy with people of all ages coming through the door. There are lots of employers here with a variety of positions available for the right people.

"People value job fairs because they get to meet each other face-to-face.

"Jobseekers can meet the people who own the company and speak to them in person."

"Feedback from many of the exhibitors suggests the calibre of the candidates has been extremely high."

The Job Fair, sponsored by Champion Recruitment, also invited experts to advise people on the best way of securing the career of their dreams.

Information was available on educational courses and funding for further training and how to write CVs and complete job applications.

The Oxford Job Fair has been running for 12 years and is held twice a year.

The award for the best stand at yesterday's event went to Oxford-based recruitment agency Office Angels who festooned their display area with pink balloons, ribbons and streamers.

Shane Hodgson, group advertisement manager for the Oxford Mail's publisher, Newsquest Oxfordshire, said: "Office Angels really went the extra mile with their stand -- it was very eyecatching, but co-ordinated at the same time."