Recruitment Requirements for PERM: Professional vs. Non-Professional

By: Samantha Collins

The Department of Labor and the PERM process have distinct recruitment requirements for professional and non-professional job positions, primarily based on educational criteria.

Professional Jobs:
These roles require at least a Bachelor’s degree and involve a more comprehensive recruitment process compared to non-professional positions.

Required Advertising:

1. Newspaper Ads:
   Place ads on two different Sundays in a widely circulated newspaper within the area of intended employment. The publication should be suitable for reaching qualified U.S. workers for the specific occupation.
   • For rural areas without a Sunday edition, use the newspaper with the widest circulation in that region.
2. Job Order:
   Post a job order with the State Workforce Agency (SWA) serving the area of intended employment for 30 days.

Additional Recruitment Methods (Choose three from the following popular options):

• One newspaper ad in a local or ethnic weekly newspaper.
• Online college campus recruitment via platforms like Handshake or Symplicity.
• Online or print ads in trade journals (e.g., IEEECS, BPMI, IEEE Computing Edge, JAMA).
• One or two radio spots.
• Online job boards (e.g., Jobvertise, Metrojobs, Bayjobs).

Examples:

1. Senior Software Engineer II in Chicago, Illinois – Requires a Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of experience, or alternatively a Master’s degree and 3 years of experience:
   One potential route for this advertisement with Park could include:
   • Two Sunday ads in the Chicago Tribune.
   • One weekday ad in the Chicago Sun-Times.
   • A 30-day online posting on Jobvertise.
   • Two radio spots on WIND 560 AM.
   • A 30-day posting on the Illinois State Workforce Agency website.
2. Senior Strategic Marketing Manager in Cincinnati, Ohio – Requires a Master’s degree and 5 years of experience, or alternatively a Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of experience:
   One potential route for this advertisement with Park could include:
   • Two Sunday ads in the Cincinnati Enquirer and a 30-day online posting on their job board.
   • One weekday ad in the Cincinnati Business Courier.
   • Two radio spots on WKRC.
   • A 30-day posting on the Ohio SWA site.

Non-Professional Jobs:
These roles do not require a Bachelor’s degree and involve a simpler recruitment process.

Required Advertising:

1. Newspaper Ads:
   Place ads on two different Sundays in a widely circulated newspaper within the area of intended employment. The publication should be suitable for reaching qualified U.S. workers for the specific occupation.
   • For rural areas without a Sunday edition, use the newspaper with the widest circulation in that region.
2. Job Order:
   Post a job order with the State Workforce Agency (SWA) serving the area of intended employment for 30 days.

Examples:

1. Nanny in Washington, DC – No education requirement:
   • Two Sunday ads in the Washington Post.
   • A 30-day posting on the Washington DC State Workforce Agency site.
2. Truck Driver in Fresno, CA – No education requirement:
   • Two Sunday ads in the Fresno Bee.
   • A 30-day posting on the California SWA site.

If you have any questions or would like a quote, feel free to reach out to [email protected] for your next case.