Looking for work in Utah? Pick the right Workforce Services starting point

Unemployment and job-growth numbers tell you how the market is doing. They do not tell you where to get a résumé reviewed, how to choose a training program or whom to ask about paying for school. Utah's Department of Workforce Services (DWS) covers all three, and the state's pages split them into separate steps. Picking the right one first saves you from signing up for things you do not need yet.

If you are applying for jobs now: start with the tools

The Job Search Tools page is the quickest way in, and you do not need to apply for anything. It collects résumé outlines and examples, a master job application and a standard employment application in English and Spanish, interview practice and a worksheet for researching employers. It also links to job boards, state and federal government jobs and the sites of major Utah employers. ^[1]

Some of the online workshops require you to sign in. A sensible first session is to write one work-history document, mark the gaps in your résumé and work through one interview exercise. Our suggestion, not a DWS rule: do that before you create accounts on every site. ^[1]

If you are not sure what job to aim for: ask about career counseling

DWS says its career counselors may be able to help with a skills and career assessment, job-search help, targeted job referrals and information on occupational license and certificate programs. The wording is "may be able to," so do not expect every service for every person. ^[2]

Before you talk to a counselor, write down the kind of work you want, your experience, your schedule limits and your questions about training. A referral is not a job offer, and a conversation about training is not admission to a program. ^[2]

If you need help paying for training or school: apply, then wait for a decision

You can apply online or at a local employment center. Under the process DWS describes, a counselor contacts you, tells you what documents to provide, decides whether you are eligible and, if you are, sets up an assessment and an individual employment plan. ^[3]

The page lists several situations that can qualify, such as a layoff. It is not a calculator, and we will not guess whether you qualify. Ask which documents you need and which costs have actually been approved before you commit to paying for anything. ^[3]

If you are looking at an apprenticeship: training is not the same as an opening

DWS describes an apprenticeship as an "earn and learn" model that combines work-based learning with related classroom instruction. Its page links separately to apprenticeship job openings and to a list of eligible training providers. ^[4]

DWS says funding may be available for classroom costs and supplies, and for an employer's on-the-job training costs. That is possible support, not an automatic payment to you. Ask the program sponsor whether it is recruiting, what it requires to enter and how the work and class schedule fit together. Ask DWS separately about help with costs. ^[4]

Find a local office

The DWS office locator takes a city or ZIP code. Check the office's services and visiting arrangements before you go. ^[5]

If your goal is a high school diploma or GED rather than a job, see our guide to finishing a diploma or preparing for the GED in Utah, which covers the education side and the DWS help for it.