Comparing ‘a? Career to the classified section of the paper is like measuring the difference between off-the-rack and tailored suits ? ‘a? Career provides custom fit employment opportunities.
‘We get such a wide variety of people walking in the door. We want to find their talents and put them to good use with a company,? said Judi Crawford, owner of ‘a? Career. ‘That’s the beauty of Oakland County, there is a lot of employers here, and you can work close to home. Most of our people work within 15 minutes of where they live.?
For the past 13 years, ‘a? Career has been putting people to work in Oakland County. Last year alone they helped over 300 people draw a paycheck rather than receiving an unemployment handout.
‘When you are knocking on doors, you are going to one company, you’re talking to one person. We can talk to hundreds of employers and get results faster ? we know who to talk to,? said Crawford. ‘Already this year we’ve had a 50 percent increase in job placement.?
From office manager positions to carpentry work, ‘a? Career has the contacts necessary to place people in positions for sustained employment.
‘You name it, all fields. We’re well rounded. We’ve learned to be that way because of the diversity of our employers. They need one source they can go to, to help fill whatever their need is, and that’s us,? said Crawford.
Sometimes finding the right job is more complicated than knowing the right field of work. For everyone who may not have a resum? or is not as prepared as they would like to be prior to entering the job market, the staff at ‘a? Career can mean the difference between ‘we’ll be in touch? and ‘you’re hired.?
‘Depending on skills and abilities, we can send people out to work the very next day or within 12 hours,? said Crawford. ‘Sometimes people don’t realize the skills that they have. Sometimes they just need help putting their skills on paper.?
A unique wrinkle recently added to the plethora of placement opportunities is private home assignments.
‘If someone needs a personal secretary, a driver, a nanny for the kids, a gardener or a companion for an older parent while they’re going away ? We’re doing all of that. We’re covering everything, either at home or at work,? said Crawford.
Even individuals who have been out of the workforce, or need seasonal employment can benefit from a trip to ‘a? Career.
‘There’s a lot of guys like me, who don’t want to sit around the house. I have to be out doing things. They find stuff for me that I really enjoy,? said Jim Shellenberg, who has been with ‘a? Career for eight years.
‘A? Career has built partnerships with over 600 different businesses over the years and these companies rely on them for their staffing needs. This expansive network of clients allows ‘a? Career to not only help businesses by providing custom fit employees, but in other ways as well.
‘We network for our employers too. We want to keep them busy, because when they’re in business, we are in business,? said Crawford. ‘We’ve got a gentleman who runs a canoe rental, and during the downtime his vehicles are not being used. We work with him to get him out delivering cars for the dealerships, driving around handicapped people or taxiing people to the airport.?
The proof of ‘a? Career’s success is reflected by their clients.
?(The workers) have been screened by ‘a? Career first. They know who we are; subsequently, we are going to get somebody who is a good fit,? said Michael Chevrie, whose business, M. Chevrie’s, has relied on ‘a? Career the past five years for their staffing needs.
To make things even easier for their partner businesses, ‘a? Career takes care of all payroll services and routinely checks that everything is going all right with their workers.
Conveniently located at 9155 Highland Road (M-59), ‘a? Career is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. They can be reached by phone at 248-698-0097 or visit their website at www.acareer.net.