How to Get Hired in the Industrial Sector

Much of the advice we share on Get Hired is for job seekers interested in white collar jobs. But not everyone wants to sit at a desk or stare at a computer screen for eight hours a day. Plus, the industrial labor force is rife with opportunity. From bustling construction sites to cutting-edge manufacturing facilities, there's a world of possibilities out there for those who want to roll up their sleeves and get out into the world by working in a blue-collar job.

Joanie Bily , president of the professional division at Employbridge and author of Dive in D.E.E.P.: Strategies to Advance Your Career, Find Balance, and Live Your Best Life joins LinkedIn News Editor Andrew Seaman to discuss how to get hired in the industrial sector. Joanie also explains what staffing companies are and how they can help job seekers find, and advance in, their next role.

TRANSLATE: How to Get Hired in the Industrial Sector

Andrew Seaman: A lot of the hiring tips we talk about on this show apply to white-collar jobs. But blue-collar work, such as construction, manufacturing, transportation, is alive and well. So if you're looking for a job right now and you don't want to sit at a desk or stare at a computer screen all day, you might be wondering what's out there for you. Today we're talking about how to find work in the industrial sector right after this break.

From LinkedIn News, this is Get Hired. A podcast for the ups and downs and the ever-changing landscape of our professional lives. I'm Andrew Seaman, LinkedIn's senior managing editor for Jobs and Career Development. Bringing new conversations with experts who, like me, want to see you succeed at work, at home, and everywhere in between. Today on the show, I'm joined by Joanie Bily, President of the Professional Division at Employbridge. Employbridge is a staffing company that connects businesses to talent within the industrial sector.

Joanie's a little bit of a legend in the world of staffing and recruiting. She's the current Chair of the Board of Directors for the American Staffing Association, and she's also the author of the book, Dive in D.E.E.P., D-E-E-P: Strategies to Advance Your Career, Find Balance, and Live Your Best Life. Here's Joanie.

Joanie Bily: I have spent about 30 years in the staffing and recruiting industry. I kind of fell into it haphazardly as many people do. I don't think I graduated college and thought, "Oh, I'm going to be a recruiter." I really didn't even know what a recruiter role was, but I had a degree in social work and I felt like... I knew I wanted to help people, but I never realized that it was going to be helping people with their careers and advancement in their careers.

And then I had this wonderful opportunity to start actually as a recruiter and I just fell in love with the business and the industry because I really believe that the work that we do matters and we really get to make a difference in people's lives.

Andrew: Definitely. And you're at Employbridge. Can you tell us a little bit about their work and what they do?

Joanie: Employbridge is the largest industrial staffing firm in the United States, and we really focus on placing people really in the supply chain. So placing people in jobs, in logistics, in manufacturing, in transportation, also though, in call centers and contact centers across the United States that are supporting that work. The other thing that I will add on that Employbridge has really led the industry in has been upskilling and trying to close that skills gap. So offering training, opportunities for our workers to learn new skills. And I think that's one of the things that kind of makes us unique and really helps make a difference in people's lives.

Andrew: And for people who may not understand staffing companies, I think a lot of people have heard about them, but then there are people who maybe have never interacted with one. So how does the process actually work?

Joanie: That's a great question because you're right. I think many people don't even realize the work that staffing companies do across the United States, and there's so many wonderful companies out there that are making a difference. But we are partnering with employers, small, medium, large-sized companies that are looking for solutions to hire talent. And some of the work could be a company saying, "We need 50 people, or we need 500 people for project work." Maybe they're going through a ramp up, a peak period of time. They're looking for people with certain skill sets to work certain shifts, and it could be in the industrial space, it could be in the professional space.

But we partner with these companies to understand the profile of people they're looking for. We educate them on what they need to pay to remain competitive, and we help bring in a workforce that can offer flexibility for these companies because maybe they only need them for a short period of time, or maybe they want to hire them permanently and we can provide solutions either way. And there's never a charge to the employee or the worker. It's the employers that are actually paying the staffing companies to find them great talent.

Andrew: What I really like about having this conversation is that a lot of people, they think that the workforce has become all white-collar jobs, but there's still so many important roles out there that are in the industrial space. So for you, how is it recruiting in those spaces and what are you seeing across the landscape in the US?

Joanie: Well, I love that you've asked this question because I think sometimes there's a stereotype about working in logistics or manufacturing, and people don't realize what incredible opportunities there are in that environment. Many of the manufacturing companies and the logistics firms, they have really invested in innovation in robotics and technology. And so we're educating people to let them know about the opportunities that they have to really come in, learn new skills, work in a state-of-the-art environment. There's great pay rates in these fields, especially over the last 10 years. Pay rates have started to move up in the logistics and the manufacturing area, so they've become more attractive.

And this may be a great career for someone. Maybe someone doesn't want the white collar job, the sitting at a desk all day. They want to work with their hands, they want to be moving throughout the day. And I do believe manufacturing is going to have a real renaissance and come back strong over the next few years. Certainly, it's going to be exciting to watch that in the US over the next five to 10 years.

Andrew: And for people who maybe they like what they're hearing us talk about and they say, "I would like to get into something where I'm working with my hands, I'm working more on the front line, where it's a steady job." But also it's not, like you said, sitting at a desk or working on computers all day. For someone who says, "I think this might be for me," what should they do? How do they sort of break into that space?

Joanie: If I was speaking with someone that was in that position where they were thinking about how do I get into this field or maybe do something different, I would think about what skills do you have? What are your interests? And then what industries would be a good fit? Because many times you can take skills that you have today from one industry and transfer them to another industry. Some of those, critical thinking, leadership management analysis. They may have that in the field they're working in, but they want to take it and maybe get into a senior level logistics role. And I do suggest talking to recruiters and staffing companies that work in that space and just start to have some conversations.

They can share what industries are hot, who's hiring, what opportunities are out there, career paths, what you could do to get some experience. Maybe you need to start a little bit more entry level, but then could set that career path to move up. So really taking the time to think about it and setting some goals of where you want to go, then starting to gain some experience in the field and then set your sights on how you can move up in that industry.

Andrew: We'll be right back with Joanie Bily.

Andrew: And we're back with Employbridge's Joanie Bily.

Something that I wanted to talk to you about too is also, like you mentioned, upskilling. Because I think a lot of times when people think about industrial work, they think sort of that a person is there pushing a button or they're working with a machinery, and there's not much more evolution beyond that. But obviously that's not true. AI is part of the equation now. Robotics is part of the equation. So can you tell us a little bit about how Employbridge thinks about upskilling, but also how should someone think about their skills when they're working in the industrial space like that?

Joanie: Many times we see people that come in very entry-level. Maybe they didn't go to college, but they're ambitious, they're a hard worker, they're dedicated and they want to learn. It might even be someone that is interested in learning how to drive a forklift and has never done that before. And that's why we invested in opening up validation centers where we actually train people on how to drive forklifts and eventually work with our customers and can get them certified to be a certified forklift driver, which makes a big difference to someone on a pay scale.

So it comes down to that individual, that do they have the drive and the ambition and the dedication to say, "Yes, I want to invest in myself. I want to learn new things. I want to continue with my training and map out a career path." Where they can move up and really get themselves from that entry-level job into a higher level management role. And there is a strong need for individuals that are willing to put in the work and effort to do that.

Andrew: Even when we look at our data, we look at what are the top jobs, what are the most in-demand jobs? And there's so many headlines all the time about layoffs, about restructuring, and especially lately in the tech world and the media world. So what have you been seeing in the industrial space when it comes to manufacturing and logistics and those things? How is that job market looking?

Joanie: Well, there's still opportunities. It's certainly not as strong as it was in 2021 or 2022. I think last year was a bit more challenging. We saw the demand lessen, even though there is still a demand there. It wasn't as strong as when we kind of came out of the pandemic. So I would say there's definitely been a softening in manufacturing, transportation, even construction, logistics. But the demand is still there. We're still seeing some growth. I think employers have been, what I would say, kind of cautiously optimistic. They're optimistic about '24 and things kind of starting to turn and improve. They're still looking to hire.

So I would say hopefully the second half of '24, we'll start to see a little bit more growth. And depending on what happens, certainly with the overall economy, if the Federal Reserve really will start to look at making some rate reductions. That puts companies in a position where they can start to spend a bit more and make those additional investments. So I'm hopeful that we'll see that in the second half of this year.

Andrew: What I always like to remind people too is that 2021 was such gangbusters' year for the labor market. So I always tell people, if you're comparing now to 2021, it is so skewed because it was just such an anomaly that everyone was hiring everyone.

Joanie: Yes, absolutely. And that's such a good point. I think sometimes people don't realize that, but it still is a good job market. You look at unemployment, record lows, 50-year lows. We're not seeing unemployment claims really jump up that much. The job openings remain pretty strong. There are more job openings and there are unemployed people. So you're exactly right. It's still a good job market, maybe not as robust as we saw from the recovery of the pandemic, but still opportunities. And I always tell people too, looking for a new job or a full-time job. It is a full-time job, right?

When you want to find a new opportunity, you really need to invest yourself and dedicate time to that. It takes hard work. It's a lot of hard work to find the right role, and I really encourage everyone to do that, whether it's a good job market or a little bit slower of a job market.

Andrew: Got it. And then obviously you have seen over your career and in your work, a lot of people who want to work for different employers want to work in specific industries. What are the best ways to position yourself to succeed in those interviews in that job search? What would you say is your maybe top three tips?

Joanie: I would say my top three tips are, number one, you want to network. Who do you know at that company or know someone that knows someone at that company that can make introductions? That's certainly important. The second thing I would say is you kind of have to sell yourself and build your own personal brand and get yourself noticed that you are interested in working for that organization. So in everything though, the best advice I could give overall is be positive. You don't want to go into any interviews with a negative attitude or "I'm having a really difficult time."

You have to be positive. People want to hire someone that they feel are going to make an impact and make a difference and will contribute to the organization. So let people know that you are that person through every interaction that you have with a company, and hopefully someone will give you a chance, and then you can show them what you can do.

Andrew: I think that is such wonderful advice because when I hear from people who say they're struggling with their job search, or they can't seem to get ahead. And I tell them, "Oh, are you telling people that you want X, Y or Z? Are you being enthusiastic?" And once they sort of say, "Okay, I got to go into it with that mindset." It seems like doors start to open for them. So you've written a book on careers, the intersection of people's professional and personal lives, and in your opinion, what is really the secret sauce to finding a career that someone really enjoys and that would actually work with the life they want?

Joanie: Well, on a firm believer that you do have to love what you do, or at least like what you do. And if you're in something that you don't feel that you can say, "God, I really love this or like what I'm doing." I would really encourage people to think about what else is out there that would be a good match for them. And thank you for mentioning the book. I did just release a book last year called Dive in D.E.E.P., and it is about a process. I call it the D.E.E.O. process. And D.E.E.P. stands for design, experience, execute, and persevere. And so for someone that's trying to end up in a career that they love and enjoy and find fulfillment and also be successful, I'm really trying to encourage people to kind of dive in.

You need to think about in that design phase, what's most important to you? What do you want to achieve? And I think some people kind of hold themselves back. I don't know if they're cautious, they're afraid to take a risk, to try something new. And what I really try to encourage people is embrace the fear and dive in any way. What's the worst thing that's going to happen? Maybe you make a couple of belly flops and things don't work out the first time, but then you try something new. I think the one thing that I heard recently is sometimes people look at a job description, and I will say from the research, women are worse at this than men.

But if you look at a job description and you read it and you say, "I don't really hit 100% of what they're looking for, maybe I'm only 70%." Don't hold yourself back and don't sell yourself short. If it's a job that you feel in your heart and in your head that this is an opportunity that's a good match for you, even though you might not check every single box on what they're looking for, don't be afraid to apply for the job. Go after those opportunities aggressively. There was an article that just came out that said men are a little bit more likely to say, "Yeah, I'm going to go for that even if I only meet 70%." And I encourage women particularly to go after it as well.

Andrew: I think that is such wonderful advice. Thank you so much, Joanie.

Joanie: Thank you, Andrew. It was a pleasure to talk with you today.

Andrew: That was Joanie Bily, Division President at Employbridge, Chair of the Board of Directors for the American Staffing Association, and the author of Dive in D.E.E.P.:, D-E-E-P, Strategies to Advance Your Career, Find Balance and Live Your Best Life. If you're leaving today's conversation with a new learning to apply to your job search or career, I'd like to invite you to write about it in a review on Apple Podcasts. Our team really enjoys reading what you learn from our shows, plus it helps other people discover our community. Speaking of community, remember that we're always here backing you up and cheering you on.

Connect with me, Andrew Seaman and the Get Hired community on LinkedIn to continue the conversation. In fact, subscribe to my weekly newsletter that's called, you guessed it, Get Hired to get even more information delivered to you every week. You can find those links in the show notes. And of course, don't forget to click the follow or subscribe button to get our podcast delivered to you every Wednesday because we'll be continuing these conversations on the next episode right here, wherever you like to listen. Get Hired is a production of LinkedIn News.

This episode was produced by Alexis Ramdaou. Grace Rubin is our associate producer. Assaf Gidron engineered our show. Joe DiGiorgi mixed our show. Dave Pond is head of news production. Enrique Montalvo is our executive producer. Courtney Coupe is the head of original programming for LinkedIn. Dan Roth is the editor-in-chief of LinkedIn, and I'm Andrew Seaman. Until next time, stay well and best of luck.