By Andrew Jason & Erica Rapp
In the next 5 years, the FM area will add 30,000 new jobs. How in the world will we fill those jobs?
Earlier this year, five local organizations teamed up to look at the work force shortage in our community. They discovered that we must attract, retain and educate people in order to fulfill the growing demand of jobs. In fact, in the next five years, 30,000-plus jobs will need to be filled. We look at the different components of this. But first, we have to figure out why Fargo’s economy is so hot right now. So, we must ask ourselves some big questions…
> Related: Meet seven individuals who love what they do every single day. Their jobs are pretty dang cool, after all.
Q: Is Fargo's economy the most diverse in the country?
A:
Talk to any expert on the economy about why the FM area is hot right now and they’ll point out how diverse of an economy we have. What exactly does that mean, though?
“The underlying factor (of Fargo- Moorhead’s economic success) is the diversity of the economy,” said Jim Gartin, President of the Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic and Development Corporation. “If you look at this market, there’s no one sector that would have such a horrible consequence if it, excuse my language, but went down the tank. A lot of communities and a lot of states are so tied to certain sectors like the automotive sector in Michigan or Detroit, when that goes down, it brings the whole economy down.”
Historically speaking, agriculture, which has been struggling recently, has been the top sector in Fargo. However, Fargo’s economy continues to boom. Unemployment hovers at 2.6 percent, three percent lower than the national average. The gross metro product, according to Forbes, is an impressive $14.1 billion, and, speaking of Forbes, Fargo is ranked the seventh-best small place for business and careers. Divide the cake and all sectors are getting an even slice of the economic pie.
One sector that is growing rapidly is technology. With companies like Aldevron achieving international success and the local universities cranking out engineering and other tech-related graduates, the tech field is booming, especially with the help of local entrepreneurial supporters, Emerging Prairie.
“I think they’re (Emerging Prairie) doing a really good job of building a community,” said Lisa Gulland-Nelson, Marketing and Public Relations with the GFMEDC. “That community has become so robust that it’s sort of moving out beyond Fargo. They’re doing a great job of helping people give themselves permission to make changes, tell the story, connect with each other. Don’t wait for permission.”
Q: How do we attract people to Fargo?
A:
How do you brand and market a city? That’s basically what the Fargo- Moorhead Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has to do. One of the major issues with the work force shortage is attracting new talent to the FM area. How do we do that, though? Nicole Holden, Director of Marketing for the CVB, helped us answer that.
With the new North of Normal campaign launched earlier this year, the CVB is actively marketing this area. However, before any rebrand could happen, research needed to be done to find out exactly whom they’re marketing to.
“The research was great because it kind of told us who was interested in our destination, who would visit us, who’s potential visitors, where our top markets are and the things they’re interested in when they do visit,” Holden said. “It showed that we’re very much an urban destination. Shopping, things to do and the arts and culture are really important drivers to creating a destination for people to come visit.”
The North of Normal campaign was created to go after the younger generation. With a young population and a median age of 31.7 years, (the U.S. is 37.1) and roughly 30,000 college students passing through Fargo every year, it’s a natural fit that Fargo is marketed toward that generation. In fact, this is in line with what the Economic Development Corporation believes needs to happen, too.
“We have one of the youngest populations in the United States so it’s really important that we cater to them and make sure there’s programming and things that will make them succeed,” said Jim Gartin, President of the EDC. “We’re seeing some of our most successful tech startups, they’ve been people in their 30s and 40s but it all started in kind of a younger environment that they’ve picked up on and really taken off.”
The brand has taken off. #Northofnormal is popular on Instagram and Twitter, and the video has more than 130,000 views on Visit Fargo-Moorhead’s Facebook page. While it’s geared toward attracting visitors, North of Normal can be something Fargoans are proud of, too.
“We kind of saw that we do things a little bit differently here, yet we’re very hospitable,” said Holden. “It’s still a small town feel. People go the extra mile to give you the hand-crafted experience here. The people here are so proud of the things they do and the businesses they build and the relationships they form.”
So, why do we need to attract people to Fargo? Check out some stats that show the importance of attracting people to our community.
From 2004-2014, Fargo added 38,947 jobs, a 24.2% increase.
From 2004-2014, the number of jobs in health care and social assistance grew by 28%.
There are currently 6,700 job openings in Fargo-Moorhead.
Over the next five years, there will be 30,000 more job openings.
The unemployment rate hovers at 2.5%. Economists believe full employment is between 5% and 5.5%
Q: How are local colleges getting their alumni to stick around for work post-graduation?
A:
We met with Sara Johnson of Concordia College’s Employer and Alumni Relations in the Career Center to find out the two biggest things the college is doing to keep their grads around for work in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
1. Working with alumni.
Concordia has engaged with the GFMEDC to help support the initiative to get alumni informed about the opportunities in the Fargo-Moorhead area and to also provide services for those interested in a career transition back to the area.
Johnson explained that she also has an event planned with Charlie Johnson from the Visitor’s Bureau to talk with alumni during Concordia’s homecoming weekend this year.
“He’s (Charlie Johnson) partnering with us at Concordia to reach out to alumni who will be coming back to campus for homecoming week to just talk about why Fargo is great and what we have to offer,” said Johnson.
2. Active engagement with employers.
As the Work Force Study committees will be forming, Johnson herself will be engaged with the “cultivate” committee, which is designed to help strengthen the pipeline of local talent to appropriate employers in the region.
The college is also launching new technology for career opportunities and job postings and is also designed for alumni to easily use as well. Johnson explained that the college is actively involved with looking closely at job qualifications and matching it with potential candidates out of interested students. Other technology includes the Periscope app, which allows employers to interact with students on campus from their office in real time.
“I think that basically the engagement of our students with the employers and offering quality internships is highly beneficial. A lot of the time it’s seniors looking for it, but if you start building up and pipelining down to the juniors and sophomores… it’s brand-building and awareness on campus for the employer and students can get the experience needed,” explained Johnson.
AREA STATS
26.5% of Concordia graduates are living and working int he Fargo-Moorhead area six months after graduation.
36.7% of employed NDSU graduates are employed in Fargo, Moorhead, Dilworth and West Fargo. (2014 annual employment report)
Out of 1,863 students that responded in a 2014 NDSU employment report, 1,120 graduates (60%) reported that they were employed and 93% of those graduates stated that they were employed in relation to their studies.
Q: Are you looking for a job?
A:
Are you one of the few in Fargo without a job? Well, there are plenty of national websites for finding a job out there, but we found some localized sites and companies that can help you land your dream job.
5 Tips to Landing That Job
Becky Swoboda, Placement Consultant at Preference Personnel, filled us in on some top tips to finding a job.
1. Start with a self-assessment.
The better you know yourself, the more likely you will find a career that provides you with greater satisfaction. If you are unsure of your strengths and where they can take you, consider taking a strengths finder assessment to help provide direction in your search.
2. Write a customized resume and cover letter.
First impressions are key in a job search. Customize both documents to the positions you’re applying for. Remember, the purpose of your resume is to land an interview, not the job.
3. Don’t count just on job boards.
They are great tools for conducting research for employers, but you may need to utilize other resources as well. Consider attending job fairs, social events, employer-specific websites or reaching out to local employment companies, such as Preference Personnel.
4. Tap into your network.
Build, cultivate and utilize your contacts. Everybody knows somebody. Network both in person with personal contacts and online with social media sites such as LinkedIn.
5. Prepare for all job interviews.
The more prepared you are, the more comfortable you will be in the interview and the more likely you are to succeed.
About Preference Personnel:
Preference Personnel helps businesses and job seekers. Job hunters can sign up with Preference Personnel and they’ll do the legwork finding employees. Find out more at preferencepersonnel.com.
How to find the job:
Jobs Service North Dakota
The resource for all things jobs, Jobs Service North Dakota has job listings, help for veterans looking for jobs, information on the labor market and more. jobsnd.com
Staffing Consultants
There are a variety of companies in town that can help you find your career.
Preference Personnel
Spherion Staffing Services
Kelly Services
Express Employment Professionals
Fargo Resumes
Unsure how to create an engaging and effective resume? Janelle Bradon with Fargo Resumes can help you create a resume that will land you that job.
fargoresumes.com
betterfargojobs.com
You probably recognize them from their commercials, but betterfargojobs.com actually has plenty of job listings too.
The post The Inside Scoop On Jobs In Fargo-Moorhead And The Booming Workforce appeared first on Fargo Monthly.