MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- The Depot Transition Assistance Office helps family members new to the Beaufort area find jobs through its many programs and resources.
Through programs like the Career Accelerator Spousal Employment program, Betsy Archer, family member employment counselor, assists individuals in the job hunting process.
This program represents a partnership between Adecco, an international employment agency, and the Marine Corps to help family members with the process of finding jobs.
"We are in contact with employers in the local area," said Cheryl Monroe, Adecco representative. "That fact enables us to place people easier than if they were trying to find jobs on their own."
Not only does the agency help with finding jobs, but they offer added benefits for those who stay with the program.
"This program allows them to transfer their benefits," said Archer. "Usually when spouses have to start over somewhere, they lose their 401k plan. If they have vacation time built up, they will lose that as well."
Adecco affords individuals an advantage by allowing them to maintain whatever benefits they have established and carry them over to the next place of employment. The transferable benefits and the timely job placement make Career Accelerator an appealing solution for family members looking for work.
"I had been looking for six months before I found a job," said Karen Ford, project control assistant with Korte Construction. "I filled out the paperwork and then Betsy called me and told me that Adecco had a job for me. I went for an interview and had the job the next day."
While Adecco is one program family members should consider when looking for a job, the Transition Assistance Office also offers a variety of ways to improve an individual's chances of getting hired.
"We have placed a couple of people with Adecco, but that is only one of the resources I use," said Archer. "I go directly to employers and I keep a database of jobs and people.
When I see a job opening I try to match that up with someone that I have and if they say it is OK, I fax over a resume."
Finding the job is important, but the preparation done before going on a job hunt can be the deciding factor.
"Our program offers other things aside from finding jobs," she said. "We are full service. We try to help them from the beginning with their resume. I will sit down with them, one-on-one to go over it. We also help them with interviewing skills and we have a class on resume-writing skills."
A federal employment class and a full library of books on careers are also available to anyone needing assistance with job finding skills.
"We have a library of books on careers for military spouses," said Archer. "We have a federal employment class, an interviewing skills class and of course the resume writing class."
For more information contact the Transition assistance office at 228-3377.