North Dakota Job Service shows employment opportunities through podcast

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – According to the Pew Research Center, more than half of Americans have listened to a podcast in the last year. Those looking for a job or thinking about a new career in North Dakota can use their ears to make those moves.

The Job Pod podcast started during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

Dustin Hillebrand, Workforce Center manager, created the podcast when the offices of the North Dakota Job Service closed their doors during the pandemic.

“During that time, I felt like we were losing the one-on-one,” said Hillebrand.

Since then, the podcast has dropped 81 episodes. Hillebrand tries to do two each month, but would like to do more. But with just two people working on it, that is about all he and his colleague can handle while also working on other parts of their own jobs.

The online chat fest fills a huge need since North Dakota employers are always looking to recruit workers to their organizations. Hillebrand invites businesses and different employers to talk about their industries and why they are good places to work.

In the last three months, he has covered careers in bioscience, N.D. Demo Days and Adult Education.

While the state’s unemployment rate is pretty low at 2.50%, Hillebrand talks about possible employment opportunities and touches on skills to help someone get a job, which is not always a straightforward approach.

“How to not get frustrated during a job search and know there are curvy career paths out there,” said Hillebrand.

The podcast is a public service, mixed with a bit of humor.

“I always say you have to listen to me, but my guests are worth it,” said Hillebrand.

The next podcast to drop will be on Veterans Services, just in time for Veterans Day, one of Hillenbrand’s favorites to work on during the year.

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