Best Practice Self-Assessments for Job Search & Reemployment Planning

Ever wonder what the monthly JOLTS report issued by the U.S. Department of Labor tells the workforce development community and America's job seekers? The following interview with the department's chief economist, Dr. Heidi Shierholz, sheds some light on JOLTS and helps workforce and career development professionals understand why they should pay attention to JOLTS. The interview was recently published in the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly newsletter and is republished here by Career Action Resources:

There are several indications that the job market continues to improve—the unemployment rate is down nearly a full percentage point from one year ago, and the economy has added more than three million jobs in that time. Issued on the heels of the monthly employment report, the Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey—also known as JOLTS—often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. The department's chief economist, Dr. Heidi Shierholz, answers three questions about the importance of this valued indicator.

What exactly is JOLTS? JOLTS is a survey of employers who are asked about their employment activity in the past month. Responses are grouped into three main buckets—job openings, hires, and separations, which includes layoffs as well as people quitting voluntarily.

What can we learn from the report? JOLTS data is really important to understanding where the economy is now and what might happen in the near future. When job openings increase, we know that employers are feeling confident enough about the economy to hire new employees. What isn’t as obvious is the ‘quits’ number. In bad economic times, that number is generally low because people are interested in maintaining their current job. When that number starts to rise, as we are seeing now, it means workers are getting more confident and they are willing to take a risk to quit their job to find a better one. Moving from one job to another may also mean people are finding better paying jobs.

What should we look for in future reports? One of the key data points we’ve tracked since the recession is the ratio between the number of unemployed people and job openings. At the height of the recession, there were nearly seven unemployed individuals for every job opening. That number has come down dramatically—to 1.7 people for every job opening, right in line with what we saw prior to the recession. As that ratio declines, employers will start competing for good workers, not the other way around. That’s a good sign for the economy and may lead to a much needed acceleration in wage growth.

Source and Credit: DOL News Brief Newsletter, Feb. 12, 2015.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration has released a Training Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL 19-14) that lays out the vision for a revitalized, transformed workforce system as a result of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Further, it encourages workforce system leaders and partners to take action now to support successful implementation to fully realize the vision of WIOA.

This blog post highlights the information in TEGL 19-14 but has been trimmed for space by the editors at Career Action Resources, LLC. See the complete TEGL 19-14 here.

Vision for WIOA and the Workforce System

WIOA, which supersedes the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, presents an extraordinary opportunity to improve job and career options for our nation’s workers and jobseekers through an integrated, job-driven public workforce system that links diverse talent to businesses. It supports the development of strong, vibrant regional economies where businesses thrive and people want to live and work.

This revitalized workforce system will be characterized by three critical hallmarks of excellence:

• The needs of business and workers drive workforce solutions;
• One-Stop Centers (or American Job Centers) provide excellent customer service to jobseekers and employers and focus on continuous improvement; and
• The workforce system supports strong regional economies and plays an active role in community and workforce development.

Across the system, continuous improvement is supported through evaluation, accountability, identification of best practices, and data driven decision making.

• The Needs of Businesses and Workers Drive Workforce Solutions: Businesses inform and guide the workforce system and access skilled talent as they shape regional workforce investments and build a pipeline of skilled workers. This engagement includes leadership in the workforce system and active participation in the development and provision of education and training, work-based learning, career pathways, and industry sector partnerships. Jobseekers and workers, including those individuals with barriers to employment, such as individuals with disabilities, as defined by WIOA, have the information and guidance to make informed decisions about training and careers, as well as access to the education, training, and support services they need to compete in current and future labor markets.
• One-Stop Centers (American Job Centers or AJCs) Provide Excellent Customer Service to Jobseekers, Workers, and Employers and Focus on Continuous Improvement: One-Stop Centers and partners provide jobseekers, including individuals with barriers to employment, such as individuals with disabilities, with the skills and credentials necessary to secure and advance in employment with family-sustaining wages. Additionally, AJCs enable employers to easily identify and hire skilled workers and access other supports, including education and training for their current workforce. Further, rigorous evaluations support continuous improvement of AJCs by identifying which strategies work better for different populations; states, local areas, and training providers remain accountable for performance; high-quality, integrated data informs policy maker, employer, and jobseeker decision making; and training providers are accountable for performance using the data and evidence.
• The Workforce System Supports Strong Regional Economies: Meeting workforce needs is critical to economic growth. State and local workforce development boards—in partnership with workforce, economic development, education, and social service organizations at the state, regional, and local levels—align education and training investments to regional civic and economic growth strategies, ensuring that all jobseekers and businesses can access pathways to prosperity.

Implementing WIOA: Realizing the Vision

State and local workforce system leaders should take immediate action to achieve the vision of modernizing the workforce system and ensuring it operates as a comprehensive, integrated, and streamlined system that expands opportunities for all workers and businesses. Key operational and governing principles:

• States align programs and ensure integrated services through a unified strategic plan and shared governance. Every state collaborates across the core programs (Adult, Dislocated Worker and Youth, Wagner-Peyser, Adult Education, and Vocational Rehabilitation) to create a single unified and integrated strategic state plan. States govern the core programs as one system, assessing strategic needs and aligning them with service strategies to ensure the workforce system meets employment and skill needs of all workers and employers. States also collaborate with One-Stop partner programs and other partners at the state and local levels to produce Combined WIOA plans. States use the certification process and competition to help achieve this vision and ensure continuous improvement.
• Workforce boards focus on strategy. As strategic leaders, state and local workforce boards, in partnership with governors and chief elected officials, facilitate public-private partnerships; support sector strategies and career pathways that advance opportunities for all workers and jobseekers, including low-skilled adults, youth, and individuals with disabilities; foster innovation; and ensure streamlined operations and service delivery excellence.
• States and local areas align workforce programs with regional economic development strategies. Local boards, program leaders, and elected officials share a common vision and design and govern the system regionally; create unified regional and local plans integrating education, training, support services, and other workforce services across the core programs; align workforce policies and services with regional economies; and support sector strategies tailored to their needs.
• The One-Stop Center network and partner programs are organized to provide high-quality services to individuals and employers. State and local boards, One-Stop Center operators, and partners must increase coordination of programs and resources to support a comprehensive system that seamlessly provides integrated services that are accessible to all jobseekers, workers, and businesses.
• States and local areas promote accountability and transparency, and data drives decisions and informs customer choice. State and local leaders ensure investments in employment, education, and training programs are evidence-based and data-driven, and programs are accountable to participants and taxpayers. This includes evaluating approaches and aligning performance accountability and data systems to support program management, facilitate common case management systems, and inform policy. State and local areas provide robust, validated data to inform strategy, operations, and evaluations. Information technology systems are designed to reduce burden and present integrated information to support services, inform customer choice, and guide strategy development. Technological strategies for improving the quality of services are adopted, including advances in digital literacy skills and models for accelerating skill acquisition and credential attainment of jobseekers.

Taking Action Now

Most WIOA provisions related to DOL-administered programs take effect in Program Year (PY) 2015, which starts July 1, 2015. Workforce system leaders are asked to step back and re-envision how they conduct business and restructure activities accordingly. Below are recommended actions workforce system leaders and partners are strongly encouraged to take now to move toward full implementation of the law. The list is not exhaustive.

• Identify and allocate funding for transitional activities. TEGL 12-14, Allowable Uses and Funding Limits of Workforce Investment Act Program Year (PY) 2014 funds for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Transitional Activities explains that states and locals may use up to two percent of the WIA’s Fiscal Year 2014 Youth, Adult, and Dislocated Worker formula funds to transition to WIOA. The TEGL identifies nine priority areas for transition activities.
• Build new, and strengthen existing, partnerships. WIOA requires states and local areas to enhance coordination and partnerships with local entities and supportive service agencies for strengthened service delivery, including through unified state plans and combined state plans. These plans should include statutorily specified additional partners in the planning process; establish a set of system performance measures that apply to all core programs; strengthen linkages between a myriad of complementary programs within the One-Stop Center system; require co-location of employment services in One-Stop Centers; add One-Stop Center partners, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Jobs for Veterans State Grants (JVSG) programs; enhance the role of apprenticeship; clarify partner programs support for system infrastructure costs and other common costs; and ask the system to work regionally and across local workforce development areas. Additionally, successful implementation of many of the approaches called for within WIOA, such as career pathways and sector strategies, require robust relationships across programs and with businesses, economic development, education and training institutions, including community colleges and career and technical education local entities and supportive service agencies. Robust partnerships will be required to successfully enable our dual customers—jobseekers and employers—to drive solutions, to ensure these customers receive excellent services, and to effectively support economic regions.
• Engage with core programs and other partners to begin strategic planning. Local and state leaders should engage in strategic planning and find new ways to align core and other key programs, such as Registered Apprenticeship, Job Corps, JVSG, TANF, Perkins Career and Technical Education programs, Unemployment Insurance, and required partners under the Act. It is vital to understand the new unified and combined state plan requirements, and assess whether the right partners are at the table, and are participating fully as equal partners in the design and coordination of the programs and services within the workforce system. Strategic planning should include concrete goals as well as a vision of success: how the workforce system should ideally function in each state to best meet WIOA goals. We encourage local and state leaders to include state economic development staff and alignment of workforce and economic development goals.
• Reassess One-Stop delivery system. With your WIOA partners, reassess the One-Stop delivery system and what is needed to achieve seamless service delivery models that place the customer at the center of how programs are designed and delivered. Consider operations, such as “bricks and mortar” and information technology infrastructures in light of new requirements: core and mandatory One-Stop Center partners; co-location of Wagner-Peyser employment services; procedures and policies to transition to selecting One-Stop Center operators through competitive procurement; a Memoranda of Understanding to address One-Stop Center infrastructure funding; physical and programmatic accessibility requirements; and the vision of WIOA and state established goals. These actions will better position states and local workforce development areas to better tailor the state’s plan for infrastructure funding and certification of One-Stop Centers.
• Develop plans to ensure workforce investment boards become WIOA compliant. State and local boards must meet the new membership requirements and be able to carry out new functions by July 1, 2015. Chief elected officers should review the new requirements to reconstitute and certify boards. When establishing standing committees, we strongly encourage focusing on serving youth, low-skilled adults, Indians and Native Americans, individuals with disabilities, and other priorities for the local area.
• Develop transition plans. Transition to WIOA and realizing its vision is complex and will require substantial activities leading up to July 1, 2015, and after. We encourage states and local areas to develop transition plans that will allow for transition preparation and tracking of transition and implementation progress and use these to guide implementation of new WIOA requirements. Also, consider customer impacts, such as how current WIA participants are impacted in WIOA transition.
• Prepare for fiscal and program changes for transition across legislations. There are several fiscal and program changes that have been recently issued that require attention as part of transition planning. Financial staff and other applicable staff must become familiar with the requirements of this guidance and the impact on the state system and the transition from WIA to WIOA. States should also prepare for 100 percent transfer between adult and dislocated worker formula funds.
• Assess state laws. It is important to review state legislation and identify areas that may conflict with WIOA to develop plans and strategies that resolve these conflicts. When state and federal laws conflict, federal laws take precedence.
• Review Eligible Training Provider processes. Review Eligible Training Provider List processes and assess how they need to be updated to reflect new eligibility criteria. Examples include adding new procedures for the inclusion of Registered Apprenticeship programs; taking into account the need to ensure access to training throughout the state, including rural areas; and ensuring the ability of providers to provide training to individuals who are employed and individuals with barriers to employment. States must also take steps to ensure that eligible training providers are in a position to provide required outcomes information for individuals served by their programs by July 1, 2015.
• Ensure new or existing youth service contract operators support the 75 percent out-of-school youth and the 20 percent work experience expenditure rate requirements. States and locals that are not currently meeting the 75 percent out-of-school youth requirement must begin to prepare for this transition.

A solid resume is important in the job search. Notice we didn't say it needs to be perfect. Why? Because a job seeker gets hired only through a job interview. A good resume can prompt a phone call from an interested employer, but it's unlikely that even the most perfect resume, if it exists, will get anyone hired.

In fact, if your job seekers spend too much time trying to create a perfect resume, they will succeed only in delaying the job hunt. Plus, how will they know when their resume is perfect? How can anyone define the perfect resume? Instead, job seekers should develop a good resume and then modify it for every job opportunity.

That said, job seekers should heed several key pointers when creating a good resume. Share the following good-resume tips from Career Action Resources with your job hunters to help them search for a job, not search for perfection:

• Quantify accomplishments. Use numbers and percentages whenever you can. “Resolved 15-20 complex customer calls per day” sounds better than “Answered customer calls.”
• Do more than one version of your resume. Don't make employers guess how your skills fit their needs. Take the time to tailor your resume to each job opening. Although modifying your resume for each opportunity sounds daunting, you may need only to change a few words, highlight a relevant skill, or make other minor adjustments to better fit the job.
• Include key words from job ads to help automated systems find you.
• Keep your resume current. Volunteer, take classes, freelance, or learn something new to enhance your job skills, especially if you are unemployed.
• Be honest but don’t be coy. Tell the truth on your resume, but now is not the time to underplay your background, education, training, and skills.
• Proofread. Don't rely on spell-check alone. Ask a detail-oriented friend to proofread your resume.
• Be concise. Avoid more than two pages for your resume because hiring managers have very little time.

Encourage your job seekers to use these tips but not spend too much time trying to create the perfect resume. Job interviews are where they really need to shine! It makes perfect sense.