WILTON -- Jen McEntee has followed her dream career by working herself up the corporate ladder.

The new branch manager at the soon-to-open Barclays customer care center in Wilton started out as a lowly, part-time MBNA call center representative in Orono while in college. She was promoted to management where she worked at centers in Fort Kent and Newark, N.J. and was hired as branch manager in Farmington.

The new branch manager at the soon-to-open Barclays customer care center in Wilton started out as a lowly, part-time MBNA call center representative in Orono while in college. She was promoted to management where she worked at centers in Fort Kent and Newark, N.J. and was hired as branch manager in Farmington.

McEntee, 36, a Topsham native, even bought a house on Wilson Lake in Wilton, fully expecting to settle down for good in Franklin County.

A year later, however, she was among 90 employees laid off when the corporation sold its Maine business to BankAmerica.

McEntee and a team of Barclays recruiters will be hosting a job fair Thursday, May 1 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Wilton CareerCenter at 865 U.S. Route 2 to fill 50 full-time jobs.

Jobs will start at $26,000 with full health, dental and retirement benefits, according to company officials. The center will be at the Nichols-Bass Business and Technology Center at 128 Weld Road in Wilton.

"This is not your typical call center," McEntee said in an interview. "These are not temporary, contractual, no-benefits, turn-over jobs. These are good career-focused jobs with full-time pay and full benefits."

"I am a walking example of how far someone can go in this field," she said.

"These jobs are for problem solvers, whether someone is calling with a billing question or a lost or stolen card. We call it 'one-call resolution'," she said.

"People can have a credit card from anywhere. It is the level of service they get that makes the difference," she said.

There will be a three-week training starting May 15 followed by two weeks of on-the-job instruction. The center plans to open June 15. An additional 150 people will be hired over the next 10 years, the company's chief operating officer, Joe Purzycki, said at a press conference with Gov. John Baldacci on April 3.

McEntee said the company is looking for applicants experienced in dealing with the public and who are comfortable talking over the phone and using a computer.

"And we are looking for people who have an enthusiastic, positive attitude," she said.

The full-time shifts will be staggered between 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday to Friday. Some Saturday hours may be added in the future, she said.

Barclays chose the Franklin County region because research showed there was an experienced workforce; there are nearby educational institutions nearby for professional development; and there is a quality of life that will help attract and retain talented people, company officials said.

McEntee said another key factor was the availability of an existing call center space at the Nichols complex, which also houses an ICT Group call center.

The Wilton facility will be Barclays' only customer care center other than the one at its headquarters in Wilmington, Del. The company, based in London, is one of the oldest and largest financial institutions in the world, with over 27 million customers and clients in 50 countries. Its U.S. credit card business employs 1,200 people and the company is ranked by a leading trade publication, the Nilson Report, as the 11th largest U.S. bankcard issuer.

Depending on the number of people who show up, interviews will be held Thursday or another date will be scheduled. Applications are also available at www.JoinBarclays.com and at www.mainecareercenter.com, where job-seekers can click on the Wilton CareerCenter in the drop-down menu on the left. For information, call the CareerCenter at 1-800-982-4311 or 645-5800.

Betty Jespersen -- 778-6991