The job market in Houston remains a very favorable one, as more companies continue to recruit top talent for key positions. This is true both of large global companies with operations in Houston, and with newer start-up companies.

While the region boasts of a business-friendly environment and all of the various positive business factors and economic drivers that Houston is known for, companies also are facing some significant challenges when it comes to filling certain positions as a result of increased demand, and the strain on the local talent pool.

Kevin Belbin is managing partner for the executive search firm Lucas Group, which specializes in placing transcendent talent in the areas of human resources, accounting and finance, sales and marketing, manufacturing and engineering, IT, legal and military transition. Belbin and his team focus on placing top talent in human resources.

Belbin said that the outlook for the Houston job market remains very strong. There are a lot of oil and gas companies that are continuing to grow, as well as new start-up companies that service the oil and gas industry. The challenges, he said, lie in finding the right talent within a highly competitive environment, especially as companies become more global.

"Companies are looking for the same thing, which is transcendent talent, and that can be defined any number of ways. They might be an expert in their field or work for a global organization. As the companies here in Houston are becoming more global, they need that talent. They are managing HR, engineering and sales programs around the globe. I see that in HR, but it's impacting other professions as well."

For example, Belbin said there is a shortage of highly technically skilled engineers in oil and gas in Houston, which is forcing organizations to go outside of the oil and gas industry and recruit from other areas, such as heavy industry, supply chain, and logistics companies.

"Supply chain is another profession that is growing rapidly because of rapid company growth," Belbin said. "It is a talent pool that doesn't traditionally exist in Houston in large quantities, and it has created a war for talent. Companies are responding to this by looking to other industries."

Another notable trend that Belbin mentioned is one that is happening from within HR as more organizations are moving away from hiring generalists, and recruiting and hiring more specialists for compensation, benefits and total rewards, organizational development, and talent management and training.

He added that there is a big shift being felt in the workforce right now as more Baby Boomers retire and more Millennials join the workforce.

"These changes are impacting companies in many ways. Their knowledge base is leaving and they need to be proactive to capture and transfer that knowledge to the next generation coming in, while at the same time responding to the needs of that new workforce," he said.

Companies also are being more strategic in their recruitment efforts, and their willingness to relocate the right person for the right position.

Belbin said he is definitely seeing more organizations right now that are willing to relocate people from other parts of the country as new hires. He said that this is due to the reduced local talent pool, and the fiercely competitive nature of finding people who have a highly technical skill set at a managerial level or above.

This is all very positive news for those professionals who possess the necessary skill sets that are so sought after by Houston companies.

As for job seekers in today's market, Belbin said he advises candidates about the importance of resumes in addition to having a LinkedIn profile. The two are not mutually exclusive, and both play a vital role in the job search.

"I think a resume is important, because it is a job seeker's personal marketing material. It generates conversation about accomplishments and experience when in the job-hunting process. LinkedIn is a great tool because it allows someone to have his or her work experience in the public eye as a social networking tool. It allows companies or people with similar interests to find each other," he said.

Belbin added that companies also tend to perform Google searches on prospective candidates.

For that reason, Belbin said,"You want to make sure you have a professional image out there, whether you're a job seeker or not. If someone is actively looking for a job in Houston, they should absolutely make sure their social networking profiles are nothing but professional."

Belbin said that as people consider a job search in Houston, that they should make sure that their online image is professional, partner with a good executive search firm, and have a skill set that's in demand.

Michelle Sandlin is a writer and relocation industry expert. She is the 2014 President of Houston Relocation Professionals (HRP), and is a speaker at various conferences and events locally and around the country. Follow Michelle on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HoustonRelocation and on Twitter: @MichelleSandlin. Also visit "On the Move - Exploring Houston Relocation with Michelle Sandlin" at blog.chron.com/onthemove. If you have something to share or contribute, please send an email to michelle.sandlin@me.com. Please look for another Michelle Sandlin "On the Move" relocation article in today's Homes section.