Annual Career Fair on Tuesday in Downtown St. Cloud

ST. CLOUD -- Over 100 companies actively hiring new employees will be recruiting in downtown St. Cloud on Tuesday.

The 23rd annual St. Cloud Area Job Fair is running at the River's Edge Convention Center from 2-6 p.m.

"We're going a little later into the evening than we used to, mainly for job seekers who are currently employed but looking for a change," says Kelly Gerads with CareerForce, formerly known as the Workforce Center.

Gerads says there's a high level of demand for workers in nearly every industry.

"We have a unique situation in central Minnesota right now," Gerads says. "We have a lot of growth potential, but not enough job seekers."

Gerads says many companies are looking for employees who fit with their work cultures and are willing to accept on-the-job training.

"It's a lot of trying to find the right person for the right opportunity. Even if they don't have all of the skills, if they've got some of them, sometimes that's enough to get a them into a position with some upward movement."

Gerads recommends job seekers browse the employer directory, choose five that appeal to them - and keep open minds while they network.

"You don't necessarily know what every employer does," Gerads says. "I think we sometimes make assumptions that, because a particular employer is a manufacturer, those are the only types of jobs they have. But, they may have others. They still have accounting jobs, and office jobs — some even have on-site nurses, depending on how big they are."

The St. Cloud Area Career Fair is free and open to all. For a complete list of registered employers, visit the career fair directory.