AUSTIN, Texas — Since November of 2024, La Shara Polk has been trying to find a job, working tirelessly to make ends meet.
“It was stressful. My mom had to help me out with some of my bills,” Polk said. “We’re struggling out here. You know with gas prices, groceries, it was supposed to be lower. They’re heightened.”
Finally, Polk saw light at the end of the tunnel when she interviewed for a clerk position with the IRS. But in January, she said she got an email saying her position had been denied as part of President Donald Trump’s executive order to freeze federal hiring.
“It was hard. I cried,” Polk said. “The job was supposed to give me the benefits and the income that I needed to basically move out of my mom’s house.”
To help the federal workers who were laid off or about to be hired, the city of Austin is now launching a campaign called “Get Hired in Austin.” Each year, the city tries to fill about 2,400 jobs. After the pandemic, the city said its job vacancy rate continued to be higher than normal.
Susan Sinz is the HR director for the city.
“I think some of the challenges that we face, there are many employers going for the same talent in different engineering and information technology. There are some fields that are just hard to fill in general,” Sinz said. “The federal employees that are looking for new opportunities are attractive to us because they have a passion for public service.”
For Polk, any opportunity is welcome in a search that is never-ending.
“It’s very difficult, is very frustrating and stressful and tiring, and puts on weight that you really don’t like,” Polk said.
The city of Austin is hosting its 14th annual Career Expo on April 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Palmer Events Center.
If you’re interested in applying for a city of Austin job, click here.