Oklahomans Seek New Jobs in New Year

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Many Oklahomans are looking to start the New Year off with a job.

Recent numbers show nearly 80,000 Oklahomans are jobless. That number is likely to climb now that the holidays are over and seasonal workers are looking for new employment.

If you are serious about getting a job the first thing you need to do is update your resume and get an expert to help you. Second, you should network. Sixty percent of jobs now are filled not through the classifieds but through word-of-mouth. And right now there are three areas that are what experts call recession proof.

Many job hopefuls often stand in line for government work hoping to be one of 1,900 to get on with the Oklahoma City U.S. Census office.

"I think it will be a good opportunity for me to make some extra income," Bob King said.

Experts said another area experiencing growth is the medical field, and you don't have to be a doctor or a nurse.

"Even in the health care sector, there is administrative support, people have to work on the loading dock," David Lewis with Express Employment Professionals said.

Another field experts said is recession proof is education.

"In higher education especially, support positions at the local colleges are still strong and career tech institutions," Lewis said.

Lewis wants the public to know there is a silver lining.

"So we want to keep this in perspective," Lewis said. "While hiring isn't as aggressive as it was a year ago, historically we're still in OK shape."

Another piece of advice is to not rely on the national career Web sites. Search out local companies and monitor their Web sites. They are more likely to post there instead of spending money to post positions on the national sites.

Recruiters with Express Employment Professionals said they have about 350 open positions right now in various fields.