What is an Employment Specialist?
An employment specialist is a professional who helps match the right people with the right jobs. They share certain skills and duties with human resource practitioners. Employment specialists work in a variety of settings and may serve either internal or external clients. They make an average of $35,000 per year.
Technical School Employment Specialists
Community colleges and technical schools use employment specialists who ensure that graduates find jobs by preparing and coaching students. They train students how to conduct online job searches, fill out applications, interview, create resumes and follow up with employers. They use internal databases, such as information systems that contain partner employers, to match available opportunities with the student’s abilities and preferred geographical areas.
They promote successful employment outcomes by developing and maintaining relationships with various local employers and community organizations. They actively solicit job opportunities for current students, maintain updated job postings for current openings and ensure high placement rates by continually following up with unemployed students. This means they must have excellent communication skills because they will conduct classroom presentations, student surveys and one-on-one meetings.
Department of Human Services
Almost all state’s Departments of Human Services (DHS) provide employment services as part of their self-sufficiency programs. These employment specialists work as members of employment teams who make a meaningful difference in the lives of adults who seek any type of employment. They must follow established protocols for assisting, training and communicating with clients. They provide individual coaching, vocational assessments, job readiness workshops and career development training.
This means that they may provide public seminars located in DHS self-sufficiency branches. They must have experience working with clients who are disabled, have special needs or face chronic unemployment. Most employers expect these specialists to have a bachelor’s degree in education, psychology, social work or human resources. They must know how to develop and maintain positive relationships with local companies.
Industry Specializations
Some employment specialists only work with certain employers or in certain industries. For example, one may only recruit employees for production and manual labor positions, while another may only work with office-based companies. Industry experience in the target field is sometimes required by employers. This is important because matching job duties and employee qualifications together can be quite challenging.
Employment specialists will also need to maintain knowledge of their client’s hiring, screening and training processes. Some employers will require drug testing and background checks, but others may only require a high school diploma and basic work skills. Employment specialists who work in staffing companies who find temporary workers will need to be familiar with employment laws, salary ranges and benefits packages. Regardless of the industry, they must all know the federal and state labor laws regarding hiring and firing practices.
Some employment specialists work as job recruiters who visit job fairs, professional associations and colleges and high schools. They usually work in highly specialized fields, such as science, technology and business. An employment specialist sometimes may not have contact with clients, but will spend their time reviewing electronic resumes and applications against current job openings.
