Hundreds of job seekers are anticipated to turn out Tuesday for the largest career fair in northwest Missouri.

The 12th annual Career & Resource fair will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 19 at the Civic Arena in downtown St. Joseph.

The event is free and open to the public.

Nshan Erganian with the St. Joseph Employment Coalition said 78 employers, 10 schools and 15 social service agencies are anticipated to take part in this year’s event.

All employers are looking for candidates to fill job openings.

“You actually get to talk to a person and make a first impression,” Erganian said. “You may still have to go back and file an online application…but it’s definitely a way to get an individual noticed.”

Job seekers are urged to bring multiple copies of their resume to hand out and to dress for success.

Erganian said there will be a variety of businesses looking for candidates at the fair.

“Every major manufacturer or just about every one in the St. Joseph area.  Heavy presence of healthcare, there’s a real shortage of nurse aids and home health aids, a lot of telesales and telemarketing, customer service and then it really runs everything from insurance companies to media and retail,” Erganian said. “There’s really something there for everybody.”