Carlene Vaitones established her career before moving to New Hampshire from Washington D.C. in 2000. Then she partnered with staffing agency Career Connections (later acquired by Leddy Group) to find a new job, because it was the perfect way to find out what businesses and opportunities were near her new home. Carlene quickly landed a successful permanent role, but when she and her husband adopted their children in 2002, she was interested in employment options that fit her family’s needs.
“I wanted to be a full-time stay-at-home mom,” says Carlene, “but I also needed to contribute to our income, so I chose short-term assignments.” Her husband is a teacher, and during his school vacation weeks, Carlene would take on quick one-week or two-week positions. Thus began a long list of interesting job experiences for Carlene over the course of 20 years, as her daughters grew to adulthood. She worked in various data entry, administrative assistant, and receptionist positions. She lent a skilled hand to help corporations and small businesses complete special projects and tackle busy work that had piled up for their in-house staff. Carlene completed 31 assignments, each of which she saw as a “refresher course” for maintaining and expanding her skills. Alie Wood, Senior Staffing Manager of Leddy Group’s Administrative & Accounting division, and Regional Director Jessica LaPaglia both supported Carlene over the years. Jessica shares, “Every employer was so pleased with Carlene, and many asked for her back for projects.”
Carlene’s latest temporary assignment began in November 2022. She was assigned to scan and digitize company records at a small company in Manchester, NH for an anticipated two weeks. The project was more in-depth than previously thought, but Carlene was the perfect person for the job. She says, “I have worked with several different types of databases in the past, and this project definitely drew on those skills.” Carlene quickly devised a system to streamline the process. The company was so appreciative of Carlene’s performance that they kept finding new things for her to do, and they gladly accommodated her preferred part-time schedule.
Those two weeks turned into eight months, and Carlene became a permanent employee in August 2023! Having worked short-term assignments with Leddy Group for so long, Carlene wasn’t initially looking for a permanent role, but her new employer’s work environment was one-of-a-kind. She shares, “It is the most positive office I’ve ever worked at, literally, in my 40 years of work experience.” The business also organizes worthwhile activities that benefit the staff as well as the community. For instance, employees volunteer regularly, such as painting at a non-profit home for youth in Manchester, and go on fun outings together, like attending local sporting events.
The employer is elated to have Carlene on the team. Jessica says, “They essentially created this position around her!! Carlene has such a nice way about her – she is warm, kind, reliable and great to work with! She is so detailed, excellent with her follow through and communication, and very reliable.” Carlene acknowledges, “Even though technology keeps changing, and how people do things keeps changing, my soft skills that I developed over the years are what enabled me to be hired as a permanent employee – like organization, project management, and effective communication.”
Carlene is excited to have found a permanent role, but she really enjoyed being supported by Leddy Group throughout the years, saying “they’re so accommodating and very worker focused. They want you to be happy on an assignment. I worked with different agencies in another state, and sometimes when they place you, there’s a lot of pressure to stay whether it’s a good environment or not, or whether the job actually fits your skills or not. I never felt any pressure with Leddy Group.”
Carlene has referred others to Leddy Group and recommends it highly to anyone who has taken a break from their career, or for those who are just getting started. She shares, “Both of my daughters signed up with Leddy Group when they finished college because they didn’t have a good idea of what kind of work environment they were looking for, and this gave them office experience in different environments. Working with Leddy Group really helped them get their feet wet in the work force. Also, for women who go back to work after or during raising their children, it gives you an idea of what you like and what’s not quite a right fit. When you do find something that’s right for you, you have the freedom to take that instead of feeling stuck. It’s ideal if you’re not sure what you want to do!”
