If you want to find a job in Portland (aka City of Roses, Stumptown, Beervana) you will realize something rather quickly: Portland looks like a big city and gets a lot of press like a big city, but it is really a small town and career opportunities are driven by who you know. Finding those opportunities is all about getting to the person who can point you in the right direction and make that introduction.
It can be frustrating as an outsider to crack the code and despite Portland’s stated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion this system works against those without the privilege of an existing network.
To help you create that all-important local network and expand your connections to find hidden jobs, I’ve created a list of job seeker resources with a focus on female job seekers.
Explore networking and job search groups
Many job seekers absolutely dread the thought of networking, but it’s not as terrible as you think! There are lots of people out there who actually want to help you, but they can’t do that unless you connect with them. There are also lots of job seekers out there having the same discouraging experiences you are, and the moral support can be uplifting. Give it a shot! Even an introvert like me can learn to love networking.
PDX Women in Tech (PDXWIT) is a nonprofit organization offering networking and training opportunities for women in the technology sector, including events for job seekers where you can get resume reviews and mock technical interviews. They also have job postings. This is a tremendous local resource.
Mac’s List is a wonderful organization with training and job search resources. Mac’s List is much more than a list: look for their online courses, podcast, job postings, and job seeker events. Highly recommended. They also published a list of additional networking groups.
pdxMindShare has networking and career education with a focus on job postings, workshops, and events for Portland job seekers.
Emerging Professionals of Portland is a networking group sponsored by the Portland Business Alliance (our local Chamber of Commerce). They offer programming on educational and professional development, as well as civic engagement and networking opportunities.
Young Nonprofit Professionals of Portland is the local chapter of a national organization that promotes professional development in the social impact space.
Women’s Business Networking Groups on Meetup Prior to the pandemic there were numerous groups on Meetups scheduling in-person events. A few have pivoted to virtual, and many may come back in the “after times.” Join groups that seem interesting or start your own!
Oregon Job Seeker Resources from our local workforce development coalition has training opportunities, hiring events, job search coaching, and more. Not just for the unemployed!
Lake Grove Job Seekers is a nondenominational job search group based in Lake Oswego that offers speakers, workshops, and access to 1-on-1 mentoring from professionals with years of experience – all FREE.
Facebook Groups and subReddits: Search “Portland Oregon” to see if there are any that you relate to.
Search local job boards to find positions you may not find elsewhere
With only a few large employers like Nike and Intel, most jobs are with smaller companies, or in local offices of companies headquartered elsewhere. Sometimes local jobs are more hidden because smaller companies don’t advertise as broadly. Depending on the job board, they may have a small radius when you search for “Portland.”
Be sure you search a broad enough radius to encompass relevant jobs. Locations like Wilsonville, Canby, Forest Grove, Salem, and Vancouver, WA might not be on your radar, but might be worth a look. This is especially true if companies have the flexibility for you to work from home more often. Do keep in mind that Portland has terrible traffic. Don’t forget to consider the massive backups on bridges when you are calculating commute times as mileage alone doesn’t tell you much.
Searching within company career websites is always a good idea. You may find jobs not posted elsewhere, and you will get the most current information since the posts on job boards can be outdated. Even if you find something on a job board, go to the company site to see the original listing and apply from there. You need to explore it anyway to get a deeper sense of the organization’s culture and how they talk about themselves.
Private Sector Jobs – General Sites
Start with Google for Jobs (click here for a detailed tutorial), Indeed.com, and LinkedIn.com for visible (widely advertised) jobs, but augment with smaller, more local job boards to potentially unearth more hidden jobs
Worksource Oregon: This workforce development coalition has a very old and clunky job search system but they do have jobs you might not see elsewhere. Your best bet is to visit a local WorkSource center for help. WorkSource Portland Metro Hot Jobs | WorkSource Oregon Job Fairs | WorkSource Washington Jobs in Portland
Reddit Portland Jobs: This social media platform has a group (subreddit) where members help each other find a job in Portland.
Tech Jobs
Silicon Florist Jobs: The “Silicon Forest” is Portland’s answer to Silicon Valley. Get it? This site has tech job listings.
Women in Tech Jobs Page: The same great organization that brought you training and networking opportunities also has jobs.
Nonprofit and Government Jobs
Mac’s List: There is a strong focus on the nonprofit sector, which is quite large in Portland.
USAJOBS: The U.S. Government’s official and only system for federal jobs and employment information. It’s a myth that federal jobs are all in Washington D.C. and there are quite a few locally.
GovernmentJobs.com: One way to find a job in Portland is to look at government jobs. This site has local public sector jobs, including city, county, and state jobs that may not show up on the bigger job boards.
Healthcare Jobs
Some large local healthcare organizations are Legacy Health, Kaiser Permanente, Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), and Providence Health and Services.
Consider additional training or a career pivot
You may find that your existing degree or experience is not enough to help you find a job in Portland that works for you. Additional training can help.
Portland Community College’s CLIMB Center offers help to launch health careers, a small business development center, remote career training, and professional skill development. PCC also has multiple campuses offering career-focused education.
Worksource and CareersNW also offer training, including some paid on-the-job training opportunities. If you are a military veteran or under-represented in your industry, they sometimes have additional programs for you that include funding – definitely worth checking out!
Toastmasters is a great way to become more comfortable with public speaking and presentations, and you learn in a supportive group of peers. I even had a client who found a job through a connection in his Toastmasters group! It’s a national organization with many chapters in the area. The link is for the Portland chapter but there are many others. Try Googling [your location]+Toastmasters, or check out Meetup.
The Portland area has many other opportunities for additional training. Here is a search engine for traditional colleges and universities, and you can also find non-traditional boot camps and certificate programs, many focused on coding, data analysis, and IT. There are also other creative training solutions like Treehouse which offers a subscription plan to learn coding with the added benefit of a strong network of fellow students.
Create your own job and start a business
You can find coaching and information about how to find a job in Portland by creating your own gig through the Women’s Business Center and PCC’s CLIMB Center. There is a strong entrepreneurial spirit in Portland and you will find lots of help and support. Also, check out this list of networking groups that includes many opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Ask for help if you are stuck
Portland is a DIY town but if you aren’t getting the results you want, seek out some help. You may be able to get free assistance from your college career center if you attended one, and I offer reasonably priced assistance as well via resume reviews and career coaching appointments (schedule a free 15-minute introductory call today!). If you can shave just one month off your search it will be well worth it!
Good luck in your efforts to find a job in Portland – it’s a wonderful place to live and there are a lot of opportunities if you know where to look!
