Career fair draws hundreds of potential workers

Jessica Leadbetter may not have left Thursday's career fair with an offer for a full-time job, but it wasn't for lack of enthusiasm on her part.

"I think you have to come in here and look presentable, and give a big smile ... and have confidence. They notice that. You have to really act like you want it," the 29-year-old from Millersville said, as she filled out applications at a table inside the crowded Osage Centre.

During recent interactions with potential employers, she's been told again and again: "You have the experience, but not the degree."

After being out of the workforce for a year and a half and nearly finished with an accounting degree, she said she believes she may have found two good possibilities for local employment at the career fair after meeting hiring managers face to face, she said.

Hundreds of other jobseekers, some in ties, others in jeans and workboots, browsed the 40-plus employer stations, which event host Mike Berry of the Missouri Career Center said was a "slightly different group this year."

"As opposed to strictly hourly jobs, there are professional-level jobs here, too," Berry said. "It's a really nice mixture. There seems to be something for everybody."

Job seekers, many of whom work on resumes and searches with the career center, were encouraged to dress in professional attire and be prepared to fill out applications, submit resumes and participate in on-the-spot interviews.

One station that stayed busy throughout the morning was the U.S. Secret Service, which sent recruiters from the St. Louis office to participate in the event. It was the first time the agency, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, had participated in any kind of local recruiting activity in several years, since budget issues previously caused a hiring freeze for many federal government jobs.

Phyllis Minner, an area director for USDA Rural Development who works out of the department's Dexter, Missouri, office, said she was looking to fill four positions, and in particular someone to work on rural development loans.

Other employers, such as Withers Broadcasting, have returned annually to the career fair looking for new help.

Program director Kevin Casey said Withers has always had luck with the event -- usually hiring three or four people found there each year. The company was looking to fill 10 positions in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.

"This gives our company an opportunity to promote local employment," Casey said.

Also drawing a lot of interest from job seekers was Pepsi MidAmerica, which will open a newly constructed customer service center in the Greater Cape Girardeau Business Park in 2015.

Alan Schoen, a human resources manager for the company, said 75 to 100 people in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson area will be needed with the opening of the center and the growth in accounts Pepsi MidAmerica is experiencing.

Sponsors of the event were the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, Cape Girardeau Area Magnet, the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department and the Workforce Investment Board of Southeast Missouri.

Berry said a main goal of the career fair is to help job seekers get past the basic online application process that many employers offer and connect with people who make the hiring decisions.

"If the employer can put a name to a face, this becomes more than just a chance to drop off a resume for you," Berry said.

Unemployment in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson area during August was 6.1 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Statewide the rate was 6.3 percent. Local statistics have not yet been released for September, but the Missouri Department of Economic Development did report last week that employment in the state grew by 8,100 jobs in September. The report is based on seasonally adjusted data and looks at nonfarm payroll jobs.

Industries that gained jobs in September included construction, accommodations and food services and management of companies and enterprises.

eragan@semissourian.com

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