Originally published at https://carlsbadlifeinaction.com on January 18, 2023.
It doesn’t matter if you are looking for the perfect candidate or you are the perfect candidate; Carlsbad’s “Life in Action” is a one-stop shop to connect talent with opportunities in Carlsbad. Going one step further, it can help you balance a fulfilling career with an active lifestyle.
The city’s Innovation & Economic Development Department launched the initiative nearly a decade ago but relaunched it as a much more robust offering to attract talented professionals to Carlsbad in 2020. Now, the site feels more like a coach, helping talent find the right opportunities in Carlsbad.
Courtesy photo: Life in Action website
“The Life in Action website is a great way for people to understand what’s going on in Carlsbad from a work, industry and quality of life perspective,” said Matt Sanford, the city’s economic development manager.
All personal and professional necessities are accounted for within Life in Action’s dynamic interface: a hiring toolkit for employers to make a case for a job prospect to come to Carlsbad, a neighborhood finder quiz for those looking to relocate, data on commercial properties and co-working spaces, suggestions for places to dine, a commuter resource to navigate getting around town, networking advice and facts about major industries such as sports innovation & design, hospitality, life sciences, and technology.
And of course, you can’t discuss opportunities in Carlsbad without mentioning its active tech and burgeoning startup scene. It was another record-breaking year for investments in Carlsbad startups in 2022. Life in Action success stories reflect the city’s goal to ensure anyone who needs resources to start or grow a business in Carlsbad can access them easily through the site. Suffice it to say, whether you are looking to join a company, or build a company, Carlsbad has the resources to help along the way.
Doubling down on that support, Sanford and his team recently launched a roadmap to address frequently asked questions when starting a company. The tool gives confidence to those entrepreneurs who may have a great idea but need help moving forward.
Responding to calls from business owners for a strong talent pipeline, the department launched a free, nationwide recruiter tool under the Life in Action umbrella. Job seekers who follow “Life in Action” can opt into the recruiting portal by uploading their resume and a timeline for a potential move to Carlsbad, easing their ability to match with local employers. The tool has generated more than 500 leads, a boon in recruiting support for companies striving to find qualified talent. With more than 13,500 unique open positions in Carlsbad last quarter, Life in Action Recruiter is meant to help Carlsbad businesses find talent experienced in their field and ready to move to our region.
“Competition for talent is at an all-time high and with remote work, it’s changing the way companies think about finding workers,” Sanford said. “It’s not just about who is available and already living here. It’s about who the perfect fit is, no matter where they currently live. Through the recruiter portal, we have candidates who signed up as far away as Florida and Pennsylvania, ready to work for Carlsbad companies.”
Courtesy Photo: Helena Lopes
“Carlsbad was the first city of its size in the country to offer this type of citywide recruiting effort that captures candidate information and pairs it with businesses across our key industries, all at no cost to the candidate or the employer,” Sanford explained.
Life in Action Recruiter is now being used as a model in other regions for businesses to reach job seekers and skilled professionals who want to separate themselves from the general pool of applicants.
Beyond business, the Life in Action initiative gives a preview of what life can be like during the 16 hours each day people spend outside of work, evoking many “I could live here” moments for people thinking about making Carlsbad home.
“You can hang out at the beach, go hiking, play golf, or sit back and enjoy inspired cuisine and award-winning craft beer,” Sanford said. “In Carlsbad, we have it all.”
Whether you want to find a job or supercharge the growth of your existing company with awesome talent, take advantage of the depth and breadth of Life in Action resources that can help recruiting efforts, including collateral, imagery, stats, facts, and of course, the recruiter tool! For those interested in launching a Carlsbad business this year, email the city’s economic development team at business@carlsbadca.gov.