Look who’s hiring, and we mean BIG time

After 71,000 job cuts were announced on what is now being called “Bloody Monday,” it’s not surprising to feel you may never find a job. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

One huge oversight people are making during the job search involves the availability of government jobs. Any job that is found in the private sector can also be found in the public sector. Currently, the U.S. government employs 1.93 million people, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Just in the first half of 2008 alone, the government added 91,702 new hires.

How can you find one? Easy. Federal agencies are required to post all of their civil service openings on USAJOBS, which can be accessed at http://www.usajobs.gov/. Some federal agencies are classified as excepted service openings, as in the FBI and CIA. This means they have their own hiring system, evaluating applicants with their own criteria. These agencies are not required to list open positions but most often elect to do so. If you are interested in an excepted service position you should contact the agency directly.

Interested, but not willing to move to Washington D.C.? Not a problem. Only 12-percent of federal jobs are located in the Capitol City. In fact, the southeast is actually the second highest employer of federal employees outside the greater D.C. area. For the more adventurous, positions are available all around the world.

Which agency is right for you? There are three easy steps to find a good match.

  1. Examine the agency’s mission statement. Mission statements give you insight into the agency’s philosophy and culture. Look for goals that match your own.
  2. Find a location you like. Maybe you know, without a shadow of a doubt, where you want to live. Look at the agencies with positions in that area.
  3. See what jobs are available. Not all agencies hire at the same time or in the same numbers. If you know you want to work for the Department of the Interior, look where and who they are hiring. If it’s not something you qualify for, look for similar agencies.

The usajobs.gov website can be difficult to navigate. Avoid the frustration and let a career counselor help you with your search. While in the Career Development Services’ office, you can find out what federal jobs are available for your major or how to write a federal resume.

Don’t lose all hope in the private sector, though. Of the 100 companies on Fortune Magazine’s “Best Companies to Work For,” 20 are hiring. These are the best companies in the nation and they want you! All are listed below, in order.

#2 Edward Jones

  • Top 2 locations: St. Louis, MO; Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 1,040
  • What they're looking for: Financial advisors and branch office administrators

#4 Google

  • Top 3 locations: Mountain View, CA; New York City, NY; San Francisco, CA
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 350
  • What they're looking for: Engineering, marketing, product management, people operations, legal, sales

#5 Wegmans Food Market

  • Top 3 locations: Rochester, NY; Buffalo, NY; Syracuse, NY
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 2,000
  • What they're looking for: Store positions.

#6 Cisco Systems

  • Top 3 locations: San Jose, CA; Research Triangle Park, NC; Boxborough, MA
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 500
  • What they're looking for: engineering disciplines and customer advocacy

#7 Genentech

  • Top 3 locations: South San Francisco, CA; Vacaville, CA; Oceanside, CA
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 585
  • What they're looking for: Commercial, product development, manufacturing, CFO group and legal

#8 Methodist Hospital System

  • Top 2 locations: Houston, TX; Baytown, TX;
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 400
  • What they're looking for: Management, nursing, clinical professionals, non-clinical professionals (such as IT and HR), entry level support services (such as housekeeping and dietary) and administrative/clerical jobs.

#22 Whole Foods Market

  • Top 3 locations: New York, NY; Austin, TX; Chicago, IL
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 800
  • What they're looking for: Retail and non-retail like accounting and IT

#38 Microsoft

  • Top 3 locations: Redmond, WA; Issaquah, WA; Mountain View, CA
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): Thousands
  • What they're looking for: software design engineers, financial analysts, human resources, administrative and marketing and sales talent, particularly in online ad sales

#50 Burns & McDonnell

  • Top 3 locations: Kansas City, MO; Downers Grove, IL; Houston, TX
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 400
  • What they're looking for: Engineering, architecture, construction management

#51 Ernst & Young

  • Top 3 locations: New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 2800
  • What they're looking for: assurance, tax, and several of the advisory practices

#52 Booz Allen Hamilton

  • Top 3 locations: McLean, VA; Herndon, VA; Arlington, VA
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 1,046
  • What they're looking for: Software and systems engineers, information assurance and security engineers, and intelligence analysts with access to classified information

#56 KPMG

  • Top 3 locations: New York, NY; Montvale, NJ; Chicago, IL
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): Thousands
  • What they're looking for: administrative assistants, IT associates, tax and audit managers

#58 PricewaterhouseCoopers

  • Top 3 locations: New York, NY; Boston, MA; Tampa, Fla.
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 500
  • What they're looking for: Talent in assurance, tax and advisory

#59 Scripps Health

  • Top 3 locations: La Jolla, CA; San Diego, CA; San Diego County, CA
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 442
  • What they're looking for: Executives, managers, staff nurses (RN), imaging techs, pharmacists, IT and service and support people

#63 Mayo Clinic

  • Top 3 locations: Rochester, MN; Jacksonville, FL; Phoenix, AZ
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 1,000
  • What they're looking for: Nursing, research and lab technicians, health-care professionals

#79 Baptist Health South Florida

  • Top 3 locations: Miami, FL; South Miami, FL; Coral Gables, FL
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 728
  • What they're looking for: RNs, allied health professionals and clerical/administrative staff

#80 Bright Horizons

  • Top 3 locations: Atlanta, GA; Washington, DC; Watertown, MA
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 387
  • What they're looking for: Center and school staff, center and school leadership positions, benefits, client services (sales), payroll, property management, information technology, marketing

#88 Publix Super Markets

  • Top 3 locations: Lakeland, FL; Miami, FL; Jacksonville, FL
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 900-plus
  • What they're looking for: retail, information systems, manufacturing, distribution and other support offices

#96 T-Mobile

  • Top 3 locations: Bellevue, WA; Houston, TX; Austin, TX
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): 2,163
  • What they're looking for: Retail, customer service, sales, engineering and operations, EIT, finance, product development, legal affairs, business operations, human resources, marketing, integrated customer experience, corporate communications

#97 Accenture

  • Top 3 locations: Chicago, IL; Reston, VA; New York, NY
  • Number of job openings (as of Jan. 13, 2009): Thousands
  • What they're looking for: IT, finance and sales development

Courtesy cnnmoney.com

By Kelly Cargill

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