FBI Agent And Other Illinois Job Openings

ILLINOIS — Unemployment remains at historic highs, both in Illinois — where more than 44,000 new claims were filed last week — and nationally — where a 13.3 percent rate rivals unemployment seen during the Great Depression. But employers are still hiring, in Chicago and across the state.

Here's how to find those jobs.

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The state has launched Get Hired Illinois, a new website with more than 60,000 job postings, as well as free vocational courses and virtual jobs fairs. Some jobs listed there include industrial electrician, cook, and customer service associate.

The employment site Indeed.com also has scores of job listings, including patient advocates, rural mail carriers, cannabis control investigators, career counselors, FedEx package handlers and fire inspectors. You can search for other local job openings on Indeed here.

Of note, the FBI is hiring special agents in Springfield, Illinois. The federal law enforcement agency is, in particular, looking for people with STEM backgrounds, linguists, lawyers, cyber security experts, accountants, people with law enforcement experience, medical specialists, psychologists and counselors, according to the job posting. No word on access to the x-files.

The state of Illinois is also hiring human rights investigators to counsel those who say their rights have been violated, ascertain jurisdiction and investigate charges of discrimination. Seems like there could be some use for that. Starting salary is $45,648 a year.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still hiring doctors, disease specialists and contact tracers to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.

The listings are worth a look, even if you're not a doctor or a specialist. For example, contact tracers, who are just required to have a bachelor's degree and a positive attitude, are being hired to call every person who has been in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus. So, if you can use a phone, read a script and manage Microsoft Office, you're probably qualified.

The CDC says it may hire up to 300,000 contact tracers nationwide, and the pay goes up to $65,000 a year.

You can also search the Patch classifieds for jobs. And, if you're a small business owner in Illinois, you can post your own job openings on Patch by following these instructions.