“Margaret is an example of Placers’ long track record of treating people the right way. Placers would be nothing without the Margarets who represent what we stand for.”
-Alan Burkhard, Founder of Placers 1.0
At Placers, we’re proud of our bold orange letters. Over the years they have acted as a beacon to Delaware job seekers, a sign that help is right around the corner, and a reminder that you never have to feel alone.
This unyielding commitment to our job seekers can be best illustrated with Margaret’s story.
Margaret first connected with Placers in 1989. Just starting out in her career, she stumbled upon an advertisement for an open position at a leading international bank. Above the advertisement the word Placers was printed in bold orange lettering – Margaret called the number, not knowing quite what to expect from a staffing agency. She learned of our mission of connecting job seekers like her with good work. We learned of her passion for helping people and her infectious positivity. And of course, she got the job. Throughout the following years, Margaret worked her way up through a variety of positions at the bank. Starting in the mailroom, she moved to data entry and then to a customer service role. Every position she secured was through Placers.
Eventually, after more than twenty successful years in the industry, a storied chapter was closed on Placers 1.0, and Margaret found work with another staffing agency in the area. In 2017, Margaret was passively searching for a new position that would enable her to take her skills to the next level. Yet again she came across a promising job advisement – this time for an IT support specialist role. Every detail of the position made her sure that this was the role for her, and then she saw them – the bold and familiar orange letters that she had known all of those years before – PLACERS.
“When I came in for an interview, I had to ask, ‘is this THE Placers that Alan Burkhard ran all those years ago?’” Margaret reflected. “When they told me that it was indeed, I was ecstatic! I couldn’t wait to once again be part of the team. Knowing that Alan’s son, Chris, was now at the helm made the realization all the more special.”
Margaret shared that she first met our president, Chris, many years ago during her early days with Placers. She recalls a tall, long-haired college kid working as a sales rep during his summer breaks – a striking parallel to Chris’ son, Josh Burkhard, who now works as a Branch Area Leader in the Newark office. But you don’t have to be connected by blood to be family here.
“Since my first day with Placers, more than thirty years ago from today, the team has maintained a close-knit environment bound together by strong family values,” said Margaret. “They truly want everyone to grow and to live up to their personal version of success.”
Margaret’s collective experiences with Placers stand as a testament to our Coach to the Workforce culture. We make a commitment to each and every one of our associates to be a champion through their journey, to understand them as individuals, not just as job seekers, and to give them the resources and support they need to make their dreams a reality.
Today, Margaret supports a team of more than twenty software developers as she maintains their database. Every day she is exposed to different types of software and this has inspired her to become a self-taught developer in her own right. Margaret says she is well on her way to achieving her goal.
“I would recommend Placers to job seekers without a question,” Margaret explains “Throughout all of these years, they have been great to me. They’ve kept me in positions that I can feel good about, supported my professional aspirations at every turn, and stepped up to support me outside of work on more than one occasion.”
The future is looking as bright as ever for Margaret – you can bet we’ll be there to support her every step of the way.
Every day we live up to the long-standing reputation of our bold orange letters. Whether you’re a job seeker looking for a rewarding opportunity in the Delaware area or you’re a business in need of top-talent – you can count on us. Send us a message and let us know how we can help!
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