Carolyn Carson sums up her job this way: "A lot of people sell products -- we market people."
Carson is the director of placement for a college in Tennessee. She finds work for graduates of two-year technical degree programs.
Carson collects credentials from students who are getting ready to graduate or who have just graduated. She has the students fill out information sheets that ask whether they're willing to relocate. She also helps them with their resumes and cover letters.
A big part of her job is understanding the labor market. Besides reading research in magazines and on the Internet, Carson gets out into the community.
"When a new business moves in, I try and go visit with them and see what kind of employment needs they have," Carson says.
"Recruiters come here, and I will do a tour for them to show them our computer labs [and] our campus, so that they know how well trained our folks are. And then I go out and visit their business to see what they do and exactly what kinds of skills they need. That helps me find a good match."
A key skill of employment and placement specialists is the ability to work with people. Everyone has unique qualities and unique needs.
Being a "people person" is valuable, says Carson. "You have to be able to deal with a lot of different personalities and skill and ability levels. You have to really like people, which I do. I really love my job."
Mike Anderson also enjoys his job. He's an employment counselor with a government-funded center.
Anderson says the most rewarding part of his job is "client success, definitely. If somebody comes in and is unemployed on social assistance, we sponsor them. We use our budget to send them on training. When they graduate and become successful, to me that's a success. It makes me feel that what I'm doing is important."
Who makes a good employment and placement specialist? "I would say somebody who's client-centered," says Anderson. "Somebody who really wants to advocate for the client. I think the employment counselor really needs to be intuitive with the client, to narrow down choices and possibilities.
"I try to be on their level," Anderson adds. "I say to them, 'I can't find the job for you -- I'm someone to bounce ideas off of. I can give you tools and I can give you suggestions, but ultimately you're going to have to do some work yourself.'"
Eric Ritskes is an employment officer. He helps people aged 15 to 30 find employment. He says an important skill is "making them feel at home in our office. Students often feel intimidated by the office."
Part of making them feel at home is being a good listener, Ritskes says.
Janet Lenz agrees. She's associate director of the career center at Florida State University. Listening is one of several valuable skills employment and placement specialists need, she says.
"Certainly, being able to listen is important," she says. "Being organized. Communicating effectively. Being able to work with diverse people. Being creative....Being able to find information and use information. Those are the key ones."
Lenz has been in this field for 25 years. She has a bachelor's degree in sociology, a master's in higher education administration and a PhD in counseling. She sees her career as "a chance to really help people in a positive way.
"It's an office where people go away happy because you helped them choose their major or you helped them find a job," Lenz says.
"It's not like some of the other student services offices where people are unhappy because their financial aid didn't come in or you have to punish them for something they did with judicial affairs.
"So it's a real positive environment," Lenz adds. "A chance to help make a difference in people's lives, help them with a life issue that really goes to the core of their being -- what they're going to be when they grow up. It's just a very interesting topic.
"Everywhere you go, people are talking about their work. So to be able to help people find satisfying work is very rewarding."