Job Hunting 101
There’s an office in town where the people inside are more worried about the people outside.
According to its mission statement, the Department of Workforce Services states that its focus is on providing employment and support services to customers to improve the customers’ economic opportunities.
For JaNae Peterson, she said her work is all about helping people.
“(It’s about) just seeing people make changes and working hard to make those changes for themselves, seeing people succeed and people being self-sufficient and taking initiative,” said Peterson, lead employment counselor. “That’s what makes the job worthwhile, seeing people do that.”
Peterson, who attended USU, graduated in social work in 2002. Before she began working at Workforce, she was required to attend training workshops, which were usually held in Salt Lake City and occasionally via video conferencing. Peterson said technology has pushed the advancement and availability of these local services. For example, Peterson said nearly the entire process of finding a job is now done online. In fact, much of the building is dedicated to provide access to the Internet for the job-searching residents of Cache Valley.
The Workforce Web site is www.jobs.utah.gov, which houses most of the service’s options. Peterson said job seekers can view thousands of current job listings, access information about training services, explore various career options and even search for local childcare. All services are free and available 24 hours a day.
When visiting the Web site isn’t enough, however, people can visit the Workforce office. Scott Clark, employment counselor and local veterans employment representative, said he is used to helping job seekers in person.
Clark graduated from USU as well in 1997 with a degree in natural resources and agriculture. He said he is in charge of handling the Veteran’s Affairs, such as benefits and services, that the government provides. Clark was in the marines for 20 years and now specializes in working with veterans searching for a job through the company.
Clark said he feels he’s done a good job after “knowing that you’ve helped someone achieve a goal … so they feel good about themselves and help their self-esteem.”
The supervisor of Workforce, Scott Balls, is from Cache County and received a business administration degree from USU. Balls said he is responsible for a service that offers many job types. On average, Balls said there are about 32,000 jobs available in the state of Utah, with over 150 jobs usually available in the Logan area.
If students are interested in the services offered by Workforce, they can visit its Web site or office, located at 180 N. 100 West in Logan. Students can also call 792-0300 for more information.