Halliburton expands in Lafayette

The current job climate in Lafayette is one of the best in the nation, with opportunities available in a wide range of careers.

The statistics have grabbed national attention, and businesses such as energy giant Halliburton have noticed. Halliburton will expand its operation in Lafayette this summer with a new 200,000-square-foot facility that will include manufacturing and office space, Halliburton spokeswoman Marisol Espinosa said.

Lafayette's robust economic climate was one of the reasons Halliburton decided to expand here.

"Halliburton has been working in Louisiana since the 1930s," Espinosa said. "Lafayette is one of the fastest growing and populated areas in Louisiana with a large labor pool skilled in manufacturing-related jobs."

About 150 jobs will be created with the facility, and Halliburton is hiring now, Espinosa said.

"Halliburton is hiring several positions, including highly skilled machinists, shop assistants, warehousemen, welders, material conditioners, quality assurance and quality control inspectors and metal fabricators," she said.

Halliburton will expand in a market where growth is plentiful and the unemployment rate is low.

Recent rankings from Forbes magazine list Lafayette as one of the top American cities in terms of job growth and opportunities. Lafayette was fourth among all U.S. cities on Forbes' list of Best Cities for Jobs. Among mid-sized cities, Lafayette ranked first with 5.2 percent year-over-year employment growth.

To compile the rankings, Forbes used employment data from November 2000 to January 2012 and took into account recent growth trends, mid-term growth, long-term growth and the region's momentum.

According to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, a total of 114,221 people were employed in Lafayette in March, the most recent data available. The LWC said 5,782 people were unemployed, for an unemployment rate of 4.8 percent, one of the lowest in the country.

Although some job seekers might have their pick of opportunities, Halliburton hoped people would be attracted to the company's competitive compensation and benefits package, including a savings and health plan.

"Our benefits, our global presence, our state-of-the-art technologies — for all these reasons and more, Halliburton has attracted some of the best and brightest people in a highly competitive industry," Espinosa said.

Currently, the company has about 2,800 employees who work and live in the state.

"There are a vast array of positions held in the state of Louisiana, from shop assistants to warehousemen, to human resources representatives and other support services to operations personnel," Espinosa said.

A good job candidate will apply for a position in the company's preferred method. For Halliburton, it's online at jobs.halliburton.com/lafayette. Espinosa encouraged candidates to provide as much information as possible and said they should not be afraid to "sell themselves" and show a little personality.

"This makes it easier for recruiters to figure out if a candidate has the appropriate experience for a specific role and determine if they are a good match," she said.

"If you have a willingness to work and an aptitude to learn, you will have countless opportunities to grow in the company."