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OLYMPIA – Nearly 35,000 government jobs are concentrated in the greater-Olympia area, but successfully landing one of those positions can be difficult for many jobseekers.

“About half of all applications get screened out, often because applicants don’t adequately describe how their skills and abilities match an advertised position,” said Don Chavez, a human resources consultant with the Department of Enterprise Services. “Jobseekers also struggle with supplemental questions often required in the application process.” 

WorkSource Thurston County has partnered with the Department of Enterprise Services to help turn that trend around by offering a monthly Work for the State of Washington workshop on how to successfully navigate the state’s application process.  

The new workshop provides an overview of the www.careers.wa.gov website, shows job seekers how to target their cover letters, résumés and applications to specific job openings, and explains how to approach and complete supplemental questions on applications. Jobseekers also participate in a general question-and-answer period on the state’s application process and will learn the specific methods that state agencies use to select job candidates.

“The key to success is showing that your skills and abilities match the requirements of the job,” said Chavez. “It’s that simple.”

The Work for the State of Washington workshop is offered the second Thursday of each month at the WorkSource center, located at 1570 Irving St. SW in Tumwater. The next session will be Oct. 9, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

To find workshops, dates and times, visit go2worksource.com, click the Calendar Workshops & Events icon and select Olympia for a schedule of local workshops.

WorkSource is a partnership of state, local and nonprofit agencies that deliver a wide array of employment and training services throughout Washington. Most of the services are provided for free.

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Web links

WorkSource: www.go2worksource.com
Employment Security: www.esd.wa.gov

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