Thinking About Federal Jobs?

- Thanks to guest blogger DJ Bingler for this post.

Are you looking for a federal job that offers national exposure, reliable benefits, and job security? Until recently the federal government was the usual haven for job seekers looking for long-term job security plus great health and retirement benefits. However, with the onset of federal sequestration cuts, federal jobs have been fewer in number and harder to find. But, they’re still there, and there will always be critical federal positions that must be filled. So if you’re looking for a federal job, this may be a good time to expand your job search to include federal contractors.

The ‘go to’ web site for federal jobs has always been www.usajobs.gov. A recent search of the site in my area revealed an interesting mix of jobs with various federal agencies. There weren’t as many jobs as I expected, but they were all offering excellent opportunities to qualified candidates.

To supplement my USA Jobs search, I looked at the state and national labor exchanges. From the WorkInTexas.com home page, I selected “Search All Jobs” and typed in the keyword, “federal.” Between the state labor exchange (www.workintexas.com) and the national labor exchange (http://us.jobs/), my job search yielded hundreds of job possibilities. Some were federal government jobs while many of the others were jobs with well-recognized federal contractors. WorkInTexas.com includes job postings from US.jobs, so all you need is a WorkInTexas.com job seeker account and the Job Posting ID and you can logon and find out how to apply.

Not so long ago, all state agencies required you to submit a State of Texas Application for a state job, and federal agencies required the federal form OF-612. But, that’s all changed now! Federal agencies will now accept either the optional OF-612 or a resumé. This is a big change and a huge benefit for job seekers. However, a word of caution since substituting a resumé in place of the OF-612 means you’ll need a great one, one that is very detailed, current, and that supports your work experience.

So, whether you’re looking for a federal or civil service job or you want to find a job with a reliable federal contractor, I recommend searching www.usajobs.gov as well as www.workintexas.com to find “federal” jobs. Maybe you’ll find the dream job you’ve always been looking for!

WorkInTexas.com Going Mobile

By now I’m sure everyone’s heard the statistics about how many people access the internet from their phone or other mobile device these days, and how by 2014 mobile access will surpass that of desk-top computers. It’s no secret, just look around you, so it’s no surprise why the rush is on to go mobile. That is, anyone with a website worth its salt is working to make sure their site looks and, more importantly, works well on anything someone could use to connect to the internet.

WorkInTexas.com is no different, and with a little luck and some help from our friends, in short order we hope to have available a mobile-friendly version of the site. It will be a paired down version of the full site, allowing you to search for and apply for jobs, maintain a list of where you’ve applied, manage correspondence sent by Workforce Solutions staff, and stay in touch with your local office and their upcoming events, all from your phone or tablet.

We have plans to expand beyond this initial scope, but…one thing at a time. It’s taken a while to get here and we want to make sure we do it right the first time.

Finally, on a related note, the US Dept. of Labor also recently blogged about some of their job search tools they’ve just recently made mobile-friendly. Have a look, you might find something useful.

The Job Search By Age: Rules For Each Demographic

- Thanks to guest blogger Sudy Bharadwaj for this post.

The job search can be tough no matter what a job seeker’s skill level or area of expertise. But taking a look at the competition based on demographics can help job seekers prepare.

While it’s illegal for an employer to discriminate against a candidate based on age, it can be beneficial for job seekers to pay attention to their own demographics to determine where they could be best spending time in their job search. A candidate’s age, profession, and income level will all have an impact on the candidate’s access to new industries and jobs.

Knowing demographics can also help job seekers to have a more balanced day during their job search, as it allows them to block out time for the most important aspects, like networking. Check out the tips for various age groups below:

Millennials: Identify Transferable Skills

Millennials are individuals who were born between 1980 and 2000. Millennial job seekers should evaluate their past experience — whether it be internship experience, hourly work, or volunteer work — to identify transferable skills they’ve gleaned from these experiences. Millennials can then ensure their networking efforts focus on industries that would benefit from their particular skillset.

Millennials should also be encouraged to set up informational interviews with seasoned professionals on a regular basis to glean insight into the skills and experience needed in their target industry.

Baby Boomers: Focus On Networking

Baby Boomers, or people born between 1946 and 1964, should spend the majority of their time focusing on networking efforts, says Andrew LaCivita, author of Interview Intervention. Baby Boomers who are under 50 years old or earn under $100,000 annually have a 27 percent chance of finding a job through personal and professional networks. Individuals who are over 50 or make over $100,000 have a 46 percent chance. That means job seekers in the former group should spend twice as much time on networking efforts with friends or professional colleagues.

The job search can be difficult no matter what, but a keen focus on demographics can help job candidates to focus their efforts on the most important aspects of their search.

 - Sudy Bharadwaj is a co-founder and the CEO of Jackalope Jobs, a platform that helps job seekers find a job via their social networks. Learn how Sudy and Jackalope Jobs obsess over job seekers by connecting with them on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

The Changing Face of the Public Workforce System

I learned a new word yesterday: Rubicon.

Rubicon is a river in northeastern Italy and holds historical significance as the river crossed by Julius Caesar in 49 BC, a forbidden act at the time that led to civil war within the Roman Empire. It also means point of no return, and it’s that definition that makes the word relevant to this post.

The public workforce system is in the middle of a redefinition; one might even say at its Rubicon. The system as a whole is quickly approaching the critical point where it either re-invents itself or risks becoming irrelevant and/or redundant to employers and job seekers. And specific to that Rubicon, I was fortunate earlier this week to sit in on a presentation given by two Texas workforce boards who excitedly talked about how they’re reinventing themselves in ways that matter to their customers.

Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas (@SETWorks) and Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande (@WFSolutions) talked passionately about implementing things like Live Chat, mobile applications, social media, job mapping, customer service tools, push notifications, and more. And even more exciting than the presentation was the electricity the conversation generated in the room. All the things discussed were low or no cost solutions, and in most cases easy to implement: Real solutions that solve real problems in realistic and tangible ways, at a time when, now maybe more than ever, is exactly what the public workforce system needs.

There are far too many good things being done by workforce boards across Texas, and the nation, to relate here. I encourage you to reach out to your nearest office or board and tell them what you need, or let us know via a comment to this blog. As we approach our Rubicon, what do we have to get right to ensure the public workforce system is providing real solutions that matter to and benefit you? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Searching for State of Texas Jobs

- Thanks to guest blogger Joe Ettle for this post.

Using the Search for State Jobs feature in WorkInTexas.com, a job seeker can search for jobs with the State of Texas. Job seekers can search by agency name, job title (classification), or view a list of all the agencies and their postings.

If you already know what kind of position or which agency you want to work for, you can narrow your search to just those fields. But for someone looking to get a job in state government, viewing all the agencies is a great place to start. While viewing all of the agencies can take a little bit longer, it gives you the time to discover the different types of jobs available at each agency.

The number of job postings differs by agency and not all agencies have open positions. For agencies with a large number of postings, you can sort the location of the position alphabetically to find one in a location that you desire. To apply for any postings found in this part of WorkInTexas.com you will need to complete a State of Texas Application. This application covers education, training, licenses, and employment history.

These job postings can potentially be updated every day, so a persistent job seeker might want to check back frequently for new postings. A good trick is to look for the Veterans Only symbol. All postings are reserved for veterans for the first 48 hours that they are posted. If a job seeker comes back often enough they can quickly identify newer postings by looking for this symbol.

While this site is a good start for looking for employment with the State of Texas, a diligent job seeker might also want to visit the website of the agency for which they are applying. Some agencies (ex. OAG) require you apply through WorkinTexas.com, while others (TXDOT, HHSC) prefer that you apply through their online systems. Also, the job posting on the agency’s website might have additional details about the position including job responsibilities, travel requirements, and experience needed.

With this and other WorkInTexas.com tools you can be on your way to finding a career in no time.

WorkInTexas.com Hits Milestone

I was fortunate to be part of the project team that designed and built WorkInTexas.com, and when it launched in 2004 I remember talking a lot about the benefits we hoped the system would provide. But I don’t recall ever talking about a specific number of hires (job to job seeker connections) we hoped it would facilitate. A lot was obviously the goal, but back then just getting the site launched was enough of a milestone that any success beyond that was icing. And that makes today that much more exciting.  

Over the weekend, WorkInTexas.com reached a very significant milestone – two million jobs filled. 2,000,000! Cut it anyway you want, that’s a lot of jobs. And while it’s a good testament to the site, it’s also a great reflection of the value of the public workforce. I’ll say it again; 2 million. That’s a lot of fulfilled customer need.

There’s no resting on laurels here, we’ll keep working to make it even better. But in this moment it’s important to consider the weight of the accomplishment. There are many employers and job seekers who have found value in the public workforce system and we thank you all for your time and patronage. And, a big thank you also to the many WorkSource staff across the state, without whom none of this would have ever been possible.

Thanks again to everyone who’s touched WorkInTexas.com. We hope you continue to support it and here’s hoping for 2 million more!

I Will Win. Why?

There’s a scene about halfway through the movie “The Company Men” that finds the main character unemployed and attending a job search workshop-type event. In the scene the workshop facilitator is trying to prepare the group for the difficult task of finding a job, and as part of the exercise to instill some self-confidence has them repeating the mantra: “I will win. Why? I will show you why. Because I have faith, courage, enthusiasm.” Everybody, this time: ‘I will win. Why?

Leave it to Hollywood to hit the nail on the head. For all the great things you might have going for you, your passion and enthusiasm will be what do or don’t put you over the top with an employer. If you aren’t excited about the opportunity you’re applying or interviewing for, an employer will know it.

Few groups exude a positive outlook greater than the National Federation of the Blind Texas. I had the pleasure of talking with the Austin chapter over the weekend, and while they face unique challenges that could understandably be a hit to their enthusiasm for looking for work, that is happily far from the case.

WorkInTexas.com has 150,000 available jobs; a lot by any measure. And while it’s easy enough find jobs based on a match of experience, education, skill set, location, pay, etc., your job search will start and end with your attitude no matter how qualified you are. That’s a (life) lesson that was reinforced to me last weekend, and one I’m sure we can all benefit from.

And that’s why we will all win. Because we have faith, courage, and enthusiasm!!