Army ROTC Cadet lands multiple job offers through PaYS program

By Karla L. Gonzalez/U.S. Army Cadet Command

FORT MONROE, Va. (November 18, 2008)—In times where unemployment rates are rising, training and opportunities abound for Army ROTC Cadets.

One recently-graduated Cadet, 2nd Lt. Matthew Karg, 32, has received not one, not two, but five job offers through the Army’s Partnership for Youth Success, or PaYS, program.

Karg, who holds a degree in electrical engineering from the University of South Florida, is the first from U.S Army Cadet Command who was offered a position through the program. All of his job offers came from Raytheon, one of 23 companies who partner with the Army and U.S. Army Cadet Command for this program.

Had it not been for PaYS, Karg doesn’t believe this opportunity would have happened. Because of PaYS he was placed in contact with a Raytheon employee who helped him along the way.

“Marie Totah was my ‘inside man’ who helped guide me through the application process, helped me refine my resume and spoke to hiring managers about me,” Karg said. “I would not have gotten this offer without her, and I would not have contacted her if it were not for ROTC PaYS.”

Totah, the Raytheon University Programs Process manager, acts as a liaison between the PaYS applicant, Raytheon’s business talent acquisition teams and her Army PaYS contact. She spent time with Karg to find what Raytheon positions would be of interest to him and that would utilize his training and skills. She then followed up with her Raytheon contacts and kept Karg apprised of his status during the interview and offer processes.

“The ROTC PaYS program is a tremendous opportunity for Raytheon to match its engineering talent needs with candidates who have leadership skills, security clearances and are closely aligned with our products, services and one of our most important customers,” Totah said.

Karg, who also participated in the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP), is attending the Basic Officer Leadership Course, and begins work at his new position sometime in April after completing his training. The SMP allows members to join the National Guard or Army Reserve, at the pay grade of E-5, while being a Cadet. He believes many of his skill learned in the Army and ROTC are beneficial to his personal and professional life.

“Many of the positions I have held during my military career have involved working on electronics and troubleshooting,” said Karg. “This will be beneficial at Raytheon because I will be able to provide input on the development of new products based on my experience in the Army. As I progress in my career at Raytheon, I will be able to utilize the leadership/managerial skills I have acquired in the Army and ROTC.”

USF Army ROTC Recruiting Operations Officer, Capt. Pedro Torres, introduced Karg to the PaYS program. Torres recommended the incentive to Karg because “I believed he could benefit from it immediately and it would motivate other cadets with Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty contracts to participate and benefit from it.”

Although PaYS has been an incentive for U.S. Army Recruiting Command since October 1999, Army ROTC PaYS didn’t begin until January 2008. It is available to Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty Cadets.

In less than a year the ROTC PaYS program has 23 partners that offer a quarter of a million jobs according to Capt. Shannon “Jim” Peck, U.S. Army Cadet Command PaYS program manager. And for Karg, these job offers are proof that “the system works.”

PaYS is a strategic partnership between the U.S. Army and a cross section of corporations, companies and public sector agencies. Individuals who choose to participate in the program are promised an interview for employment with one of the partnership companies.

The program is a way to bring Soldiers, or employees, with specialized skills and values that corporations might not get from other applicants, according to Peck.

“History has shown that returning Soldiers from World War II made a tremendous impact on a struggling economy. As Soldiers entered American corporations, they applied unique problem solving abilities forged in battle raising the quality of American corporation's products and instilling values,” Peck said. “As the nation, by most accounts faces economic troubles not experienced since the 1970s and in some opinions since the Great Depression, the Army again has a solution. Today the PaYS program offers a systematic way of allowing corporations to obtain those skills forged in battle with demonstrated values that put others and the mission first. ”

For more information on the Army PaYS Program visit www.armypays.com or talk to a recruiter. Cadets can get information from their ROTC recruiting operations officer.