Seminar teaches students how to “read” the Rogue Valley job market

Ainoura Oussenbec, workforce analyst, gave insight on the job market and helpful hints during a seminar for the upcoming career fair.
Ainoura Oussenbec, workforce analyst, gave insight on the job market and helpful hints during a seminar for the upcoming career fair. (Kristy Evans/The Siskiyou.)

On Wednesday, April 2, Ainoura Oussenbec, workforce analyst for the Oregon Employment Department, gave a seminar titled “Reading the Rogue Valley Job Market.”

The seminar, along with four others going on over a period of two weeks, was aimed at preparing students for SOU’s Career and Internship Fair on April 16.

“We need to understand what’s going on in the labor market because we are a part of it,” Oussenbec said.

The recession may be recovering slowly but there certain industries that are still growing right now, Oussenbec said, including health care and professional and business services.

“There are many legs to stand on,” Oussenbec explained. “In every recession, employers are still hiring, it’s just tougher.”

She recommends that students looking for a career should prepare themselves for this economy by standing out by being creative and having problem solving skills.

“You will have much more of a platform to stand on if you can offer more to your employer,” she said. Knowing Spanish, for example, is a great way to stand out from a group of people going after the same job.

In Southern Oregon especially, there are many opportunities for jobs in the healthcare, retail and administrative industries, she said. It’s just important to know where to look.

“We just have to be more vigilant and prepared,” said Oussenbec. And with our changing economy, “we always have to be prepared to upgrade our skills.”

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