The New York Mets are looking to become more engaged with the Flushing community, while at the same time helping themselves.

In partnership with Councilman Peter Koo, the Mets hosted a job fair this past Friday and accepted applications for 700 open positions this upcoming season.

“We thought it was very important to get the community and minorities job opportunities,” Koo said in an appearance at the event. “The economy isn’t good right now but this is a way to get local residents working again.”

According to Mets Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications David Newman, the organization wants its staff to reflect the ethnic diversity present in the community.

“We want the most diverse group of people working here we possibly can,” Newman said. “Folks come to games at Citi Field, and we want everyone to feel welcome here regardless of where they are from.”

Mets officials reported that over 400 people were present for the first day of interviews, with people beginning to line up outside the doors at 11:30 a.m. - an hour and a half before interviews began. Hopeful employees could expect the entire process to take around an hour.

On game day, the Mets will have over 2,300 staff members working at Citi Field, compared to only 1,300 at Shea Stadium. Newman said it is all in an effort to ensure guests have a positive experience at the game.

All positions being filled are part-time, paying between $8 and $12 an hour. These positions are union positions that may lead to full-time work.

The Mets will be conducting further interviews on February 26 and 27 for parking attendant positions, while auditions for the Party Patrol and 2K Sports FanFest staff will be held on March 4 and 5. The team is also currently accepting applications online for its concession and guest experience positions.