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Jun 15th, 2010
Houston leads the Southwest with 22 foreign banks from 12 nations and most of the nations largest accounting firms operate major divisions in Houston.
This chapter is designed to assist the trailing spouse who is relocating to Houston. While your spouse’s employer may provide relocation assistance that includes job search services for you, you’ll also want to do your own research and familiarize yourself with the Houston employment market. You’ll also want to develop new contacts and learn about ways to use your expertise. This section will familiarize you with local job search ideas as well as online resources. As many experience when they relocate here, it’s a welcoming region with limitless opportunities.
Relocation Transition Assistance Programs Due to the complexities of the relocation process, many companies today are ensuring the success of the employee’s longevity at the new position by providing Relocation Transition Assistance – a service that supports employees and their spouses/partners and families through a career-related move to a new location. Many companies realize that they must support the entire family in order to ensure the relocation is a success. According to the transition expert firm, IMPACT Group (impactgrouphr.com), relocation transition assistance programs are the only programs that provide support services before, during and after the move. The process addresses both the emotional and practical needs of the family regarding dual-career issues and helps acclimate the family to the new location by providing both coaching and resources about the area. Each employee is assigned a coach who will work with the employee/family throughout the transition. Each coach will identify the needs of the employee, family members and the career-seeking spouse. By identifying these needs upfront, the coach can provide research and information to the family ahead of time – helping with the adjustment process. During the move, the coach is “on call” – ready to provide information on the job market, city demographics or anything the relocating family may need. After the move, the coach works closely with the dual-career spouse by preparing his/her résumé, researching labor market information, helping with networking and interviewing. In addition, the coach will provide any information on living in the Houston region, such as childcare options, school information, clubs and extracurricular activities, utility information, neighborhood demographics and eldercare information. Whatever the need, the coach is a lifeline to support the family so they feel settled and excited about their new move to Houston. If this program sounds of interest to you, the Impact Group suggests you speak with your HR department and determine if such a program is available to you. Houston Employment The Houston region supports a diversified employment base that extends beyond the energy market. Other vibrant market sectors include health care, biotechnology, aerospace and information technology (IT) that supports all of these efforts. Additionally, due to the region’s location, it is a hub for many international companies. As a result, Houston enjoys a competitive advantage in industries such as oil and gas, geology, construction, chemicals, aerospace, information technology and medicine. Here is a brief overview on key business sectors in the region:
Regional Job Growth From 1995 to August 2008, there has been rapid growth in agricultural, construction and mining equipment manufacturing (3.08), support activities for mining (2.54), professional and business services (1.74), accommodation and food services (1.61), educational and health services (1.59) and construction (1.45). Within professional and business services, computer systems design has grown more than 2.5 times as fast as total employment (2.58), followed by employment services (2.29), architectural and engineering services (2.12), health care and social assistance (1.64) and educational services (1.29). Houston’s Largest Employers The list of the top 30 largest employers reveals the diversity of opportunity open to newcomers. For those specializing in the health-care field, you’ll find providers such as Memorial Hermann, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, The Methodist Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, HCA, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System and Texas Children’s Hospital. Representing the energy sector, prominent global players are represented including Shell Oil Company, Chevron, BP America, Baker Hughes Inc., LyondellBassell Industries, ExxonMobil, Halliburton, VetcoGray and KBR. Rounding out the list are major corporations such as Continental Airlines, retail food companies Kroger Co. and H.E.B.; computer firm HP, Aramark Corp., global communications giant AT&T and JPMorgan Chase. The list does not include municipalities, counties and federal or state agencies (with the exception of Johnson Space Center and the universities and community colleges), nor does it include fast food chains and franchise restaurants. Source: Greater Houston Partnership -- The Houston 300 List, 2008 Houston Region’s Workforce Nationally, the region has been recognized for its employment opportunity and for its low cost of living. Consider these recent rankings bestowed on Houston and the region:
Forbes.com – March 2, 2010
The region supports a workforce of 2.8 million in a metropolitan area of 5.6 million people, representing a wide range of skills, training and education. Projections from the Texas Workforce Commission indicate there is an ample supply of area workers from all 10 counties with in-demand skills. A 2010 employment snapshot includes 49,280 engineers and architects; 26,040 engineering and technicians and drafters; 74,240 computer programmers, engineers and analysts; 53,080 licensed, registered and vocational nurses; 59,380 office clerks and 59,420 truck drivers; among other specific skill categories. The Census Bureau’s 2005 American Community Survey showed that 28 percent of adults in our region have a bachelor’s degree or higher, which is in line with the national average. One of the region’s most valuable assets is its wealth of intellectual property and its skilled workforce. In fact, engineers in the region are 60 percent more common than in the United States. Multicultural Region A distinguishing characteristic of the region is that there is its diverse population, one that does not have a major ethnic group comprising more than 50 percent of the population. In fact, more than one-fifth of the area’s residents are foreign-born. More than 90 languages are spoken throughout the region, and the city is home to 89 consulates. Due to the region’s location, infrastructure and pro-business attitude, many area companies do business internationally. In fact, according to the Greater Houston Partnership’s 2008 International Business Survey, more than 3,000 firms and organizations trade more than 259 types of products and services in more than 17 regions of the world. Clearly, employment opportunities abound across a wide array of industries requiring skills representing the professional, technical and skilled workers as well as students. Job Search Tips Job leads can come from many sources, including talking to people, checking out personnel services, answering newspaper ads, searching the Internet and inquiring about local professional associations and hotlines in specific industries. — Networking - Virtually and In Person The ability to network is considered as important in finding a job as combing through classified ads. To network, job seekers should contact everyone they know in their professional life. Job seekers should be prepared to explain quickly about their skills and recent experience. Commonly referred to as a the “15-second elevator speech,” being prepared with this speech can make a big difference. To learn more, visit 15secondpitch.com, where you can discover ways to focus your thinking on what is most important. Another useful online tool that has become essential to networkers and job seekers is to join LinkedIn (linkedin.com), an online network of more than 25 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries. By staying linked in with your professional network, you’re always connected to people who may know of open positions or know of a contact at a company you might be interested in approaching. It’s about being more effective in your daily work and opening doors to opportunities using the professional relationships you already have. Professionals also can find contacts by attending seminars, conferences, community meetings, volunteer groups, hobby clubs and professional association activities. Houston is home to local chapters of professional associations in almost every field. Search online to find out if there is a Houston chapter affiliated with your profession. For example, Houston supports local chapters of these associations, among many more:
Contact professional organizations in fields of interest through the telephone directory or the Encyclopedia of Associations, which is found in most libraries. Many activities are listed in the Houston Chronicle business section’s “Calendar of Events” each Sunday. Job hunters also may contact people who work in a specific field to inquire about professional associations in the Houston area. Read publications from these associations and contact their job hotlines and Web sites. Attend meetings and exchange business cards. Later, contact the people from the meeting and inquire about job openings. Employment Resources — Texas Workforce Commission In Texas, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is the state government agency charged with overseeing and providing workforce development services to employers and job seekers. For employers, TWC offers recruiting, retention, training and retraining and outplacement services, as well as valuable information on labor law and labor market statistics. For job seekers, TWC offers career development information, job-search resources, training programs and, as appropriate, unemployment insurance benefits. Information on the Texas Workforce Commission’s resources is available by calling local offices listed in Houston area telephone directories or on the Internet at twc.state.tx.us. — Gulf Coast Texas Workforce Solutions Servicing the Gulf Coast region, and as part of the statewide Texas Workforce Solutions network, The WorkSource provides comprehensive human resource services for businesses and residents of the 13-county Houston-Galveston Gulf Coast region. WorkSource helps employers solve workforce-related business problems and area residents build careers, so that both can better compete in the changing worldwide economy. Among its services, include:
— Online Resources Today, many resources are online and include the following that are worth checking.
Other avenues for job hunting include the Web pages of large and mid-size companies, and local librarians are very helpful in assisting job seekers to find directories that list companies in specific fields. University alumni magazines and directories often list current companies and titles of their graduates. In addition to the Houston Public Library, job seekers can visit libraries at Houston’s colleges and universities. Personnel placement Services Throughout the Houston region, particularly in active business districts, you will find many personnel placement agencies. They typically place employees in full or part-time assignments that can last for a short time or much longer. Typically, employment placement agencies make their money by charging the company that is looking for someone, or they may take a percentage of your wage. Be sure to ask each agency how it operates before you decide about going forward. You should never have to pay any agency in advance. You’re usually paid each week by the agency and not the company where you perform the work. If you’re interested in working with an agency, do preliminary research online to determine if the agency specialized in a specific industry, such as oil and gas. It it’s not immediately clear from the agency’s website, call and find out, as the more targeted you are in you search, the better chance of finding a good position, which could lead to a full-time position. There is no penalty to apply with many different agencies at the same time and by doing so, you’ll have more resources helping you find a job. It’s also a good idea to stay in phone contact with the agencies to find out what jobs are coming up or might be available. optimizing your Résumé Not so long ago, résumés were printed on quality paper and presented in an envelope to potential employers. While it still is a job seeker’s most important sales tool, the rules of the résumé game have changed. Yes, it’s still critical that you create a quality and accurate document that emphasizes your skills and experience and that you customize each cover letter you send. What has changed is you’re not longer presenting a résumé appealing to the human eye, now it needs to be computer optimized using important key words. To ensure your résumé gets noticed in a search, use as many key words as possible. Here are some tips to get you started.
According to experts, after résumés are scanned into applicant tracking systems, they will be searched and ranked. A hiring manager determines the key words that best identify the skills needed in a candidate for a particular position, and several key words will be mandatory while others will be desirable. Based upon those key words, the system performs a search and résumés are ranked according to the number of key word matches. A resume that has more of the desired key words ranks higher and will get reviewed. |
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