On-the-spot hiring

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is sponsoring an unprecedented hiring event in St. Paul next week to attract veterinarians to federal jobs. The department's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the largest employer of veterinarians in the country, and needs more of them to replace retiring workers and keep up with expanding businesses. The vets are responsible for overseeing the effectiveness of food safety systems, often by enforcing federal meat and poultry inspection regulations at processing plants around the country.

A three-day veterinarian recruitment fair will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 24 to 26 at the Warren E. Burger Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse located at 316 North Robert Street in St. Paul.

At the event, veterinarians may apply for jobs, be interviewed and medically examined, and potentially be provided a tentative offer – all within the same week. Same week job offers are very unusual for the federal government, said a spokesman, but that's the goal of the fair.

As with other career fairs, applicants need to bring a resume, photo ID, and academic and employment history to complete the required documents. They are also encouraged to log onto www.USAJobs.gov in advance of the event to inspect FSIS vacancy announcements.