Jackson, Ky. – Rebecca Campbell’s job as a merchandiser kept her busy for most of the year, but still there were times when the work slowed and she found herself looking for something else to fill in the gaps. When she heard about the employment services at a nearby Teleworks USA Hub in Booneville, it sounded like just what she needed.

“My job slows down a lot during summer and winter, so I had to pick something up,” says Campbell, who lives in a community in Breathitt County approximately 25 minutes from Booneville. “I was looking for something part-time, and it worked out perfectly for me because I still do both jobs.”

An initiative of the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP), Teleworks USA identifies and develops legitimate remote-work job opportunities with multiple national and global companies. Teleworks USA’s team of expert managers also helps prepare people for the jobs by upskilling them in customer service and technical support workshops, helping them craft strong résumés and hone their interviewing skills, and assisting them in applying for available remote-work positions they can work within their homes or eight Teleworks Hubs.

Campbell’s past work experience includes a stint as a supervisor at a local call center, so when her niece – who was working remotely as a customer service representative for an insurance company – told her about Teleworks USA during the fall of 2018, she visited with Hub Manager Carla Gabbard. Within two days she would land a new job in customer service with itelbpo, a global company headquartered in Jamaica that contracts with a variety of other companies to provide customer service.

“I just lucked out when I came over here that they were looking for somebody that day,” Campbell says. “I did the interview, it took maybe 10 minutes, and I found out I got the job the next day.”

Campbell began her new job in October 2018, and credited Gabbard and the services at Teleworks USA with helping her connect with her new employer so quickly.

“Carla has the knowledge to tell you about the jobs and what they’re looking for and expecting from someone,” Campbell says. “That helps a lot because it takes a lot of pressure off you from having to go out and seek these jobs yourself and then worry about the interviews.”

Campbell works her shift for itelbpo from a workstation at the Booneville Teleworks Hub. She says it’s convenient for her since she doesn’t have a computer at home and it’s a shorter drive than her past job as a call center supervisor. The Hub also provides a good working environment, she adds, and because it’s a part-time position, she’s able to continue her work as a merchandiser. 

She adds that the job itself is rewarding and her employer is great to work for. She noted that she’s earned employee of the month several times since January, and the extra income is certainly nice.

“It’s a job that as long as you can talk to somebody on the phone, you can pretty much do it,” she says. “You have to learn the technical side of it, of course, but as long as you can provide help to people and be compassionate toward them, it really is a pretty smooth job to do every day.”

Campbell says she would certainly recommend anyone looking for a job to at least give Teleworks USA a try since the Teleworks Hubs can be a valuable tool for jobseekers in the region.

“They’re a big resource because you can look online for jobs all day by yourself and apply and never hear from any of them,” she says. “Having someone on your side saying this will be a good person for your company, and this is what you can expect this company to ask during their interview, it’s a great resource. It really is.”

To find out more about Teleworks USA and how you can get connected with a legitimate work-from-home job, log on to teleworksusa.com or contact your nearest Teleworks USA Hub today. As an initiative of EKCEP, Teleworks USA’s employment services are completely free of charge.

Since 2015, Teleworks USA Hubs in Hazard, Hyden, Annville, Beattyville, Booneville, Harlan, Louisa, and Pike County have helped bring jobs to nearly 2,400 Eastern Kentuckians, and those positions carry an estimated $52 million in economic impact in new annual wages to teleworkers across the Eastern Kentucky Coalfields.

EKCEP, a nonprofit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Ky., serves the citizens of 23 Appalachian coalfield counties. The agency provides an array of workforce development services and operates the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network of workforce centers, which provide access to more than a dozen state and federal programs that offer employment and training assistance for jobseekers and employers all under one roof. Learn more about us at http://www.ekcep.org, http://www.jobsight.org and http://www.facebook.com/ekcep.