Employment

Employment Development Department

An Employment Services Specialist is available to Army Community Service (ACS) 831-242-7660; Assistance with Resumes and Job Searches for all Military Spouses. For those military spouses that need assistance navigating the job search web sites, call the for an appointment of scheduled class dates.

The State of California Employment Development Department offers computerized job matching and placement, job search workshops, job listings, a Job Club and job-training programs.

The California EDD website contains information on unemployment insurance, including an informational video on how to apply for unemployment. There is also information on jobs and training, as well as labor market information. The website also contains a link to the California State Personnel Board for a list of current state jobs. For more information, consult the website. The EDD also operates three one-stop centers for employment assistance in Salinas, Seaside and King City. The one-stop career center offers seminars on job searches, resume writing assistance, career counseling and information on employment, education and training resources.

CalJOBS is another program run by the EDD. CalJOBS provides an automated, user-friendly system that can be used on personal computers that assists employers, job seekers and agencies in partnership with EDD. The CalJOBS website contains information on job fairs and events, employment and training and job service locations by city.

Information on county job listings can be accessed through the County of Monterey website. It contains current county job listings and a link to the login screen to logon to the Monterey County Employment Center online registration section to access the online application. A state-by-state unemployment compensation guide is available on the Military Spouse’s Career Network website through the Military HomeFront website.

Employment opportunities on base

Civilian Personnel Advisory Center -- The Appropriated Fund and Non-Appropriated Fund offices are located in the CPAC office in Building 277. They provide job listings for both federal civilian and NAF positions for the Presidio of Monterey. Federal civilian vacancy positions are available online at USAJOBS. NAF job opportunities may be found there as well. Call the NAF office at 831-242-5160 or 831-242-6115. The phone number for the Civilian Personnel Human Resources Office at the Naval Postgraduate School is 831-656-2002.

If employed, these items should be hand carried with you and updated each time you relocate:

• All school transcripts
• Resumes
• Professional certificates and licenses
• Recertification procedures required for all certificates and licenses
• Names, addresses and phone numbers of three references who are not related to you and have never been your immediate supervisor
• List of special awards and honors, dates received and accomplishments
• Letters of recommendation and/or appreciation from your present employer
• Volunteer career portfolio
• Social Security number verification
• Copies of orders and amendments for this move
• If a federal employee, copies of your SF 50 (General Services) or Department of the Army Form 3434 (Non-Appropriated Fund)

The Employment Readiness Program will provide job-search training, but it’s not a job placement service. A professional job-search trainer will help you identify your skills and assist you every step of the way during your job search. The ERP is specifically designed to enhance career, educational and volunteer opportunities for the military family as well as other eligible military identification cardholders.

Programs and services:

• Improve your skills and explore different career options with job-search assistance.
• Three computers are available for resume writing, job searches and self-assessment tools.
• A resource library is available to check out employment-related materials.
• There is a job board and resource binders with current vacancies within the community.

Self-development workshops:

• Writing a winning resume
• Federal Resumix (Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps)
• Interviewing techniques
• Salary negotiation
• Professional development classes

For Class Schedules, Please contact the Employemnt Readiness Program manager at 831-242-7660.

Centralized job bank:

• Federal announcements
• Local, state and contract Non-Appropriated Fund jobs
• Army and Air Force Exchange Service
• Temporary to permanent announcements
• Monterey Peninsula Unified School District

The Army Spouse Employment Partnership currently has 26 different Fortune 500 companies that assist military spouses in finding employment. To learn more, go to the USAJOBS website to save your favorite jobs and searches, upload your resume and documents, make your resume searchable and apply for jobs with the federal government, state or locality.

The Presidio of Monterey’s Army Career and Alumni Program functions under the auspices of the Army Transition Center and provides transition assistance to military personnel exiting the service. The Army Transition Center holds two-hour pre-separation briefings twice a week.

The Transition Assistance Program is the expanded voluntary portion of ACAP, which provides a workshop that includes resume writing, interviewing skills, salary negotiation and other job-search skills and tools.

The Army Transition Center coordinates with the Naval Postgraduate School to provide the quarterly TAP workshop. Information on the location and dates for the NPS TAP workshop are provided during the pre-separation briefing. The first step is to contact your present family center to receive assistance with compiling your resume, completing employment applications and receives suggestions on interviewing.

If you are a family member, contact Army Community Service for job search assistance when you arrive at the Presidio of Monterey. Call ACAP/TAP at 831-242-6691/6695 or Call ACS at 831-242-7660 to speak to the Employment Readiness Coordinator.  
 

My Career Advancement Account

For information on My Career Advancement Account and Military Spouse Education and Career Opportunities visit Military OneSource, Army Emergency Relief, the Air Force Aid Society or the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.

The payment of unemployment benefits depends upon what state you are transferring from and the policy in that state. Unemployment benefits are paid by the jurisdiction where you worked, but you can apply for benefits in the jurisdiction where you live. If you are considering applying for unemployment benefits contact your losing state’s unemployment benefits representative for the appropriate paperwork. When you resign your position include a statement to the effect that you are resigning to accompany your military spouse on his/her Permanent Change of Station. Before you leave your current home/job make sure you read the Employment Checklist below: http://mcdss.co.monterey.ca.us/careers

One-Stop Career Center
Salinas Airport Business Park
730 La Guardia Street
Salinas, CA 93905
Phone: 831-796-3600

https://www.unemploymentoffice.us/california-unemployment-offices/monterey-county-ca-unemployment-career-center-office/

The largest employers in Monterey County are: Dole Fresh Vegetables, Pebble Beach Company, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and the County of Monterey.  Unemployment rate is 12.6%.  The median household income is $85,365 and the average houshold income is $115,071 up since since 2023 by 4.9%.

Monterey cost of living is 46%  higher than the national average and is 12% higher than the rest of the state. 

Federal Civilian Employment Offices

Presidio of Monterey
Civilian Personnel Office, Building 277
Presidio of Monterey, CA  93944
831-242-5160

Presidio of Monterey
Non-Appropriated Fund Office, Building 277
Presidio of Monterey, CA  93944
831-242-6115

Naval Postgraduate School
Civilian Personnel Office
ATTN:  Human Resource Office
Monterey, CA  93940
831-656-2002

Employment Relocation Checklist

Useful items to have on hand with searching for employment:

• Updated resume, Resumix/AAFES/NAF Applications and/or your employment portfolio
• Social Security Card and a form of identification (license/passport/military ID card)
• School transcripts (high school, college or vocational)
• Professional licenses and certifications
• Special awards, honors or recognitions
• Name, job title, address and telephone numbers of at least three employers along with character references
• Letter of recommendation from past and/or present employers
• Volunteer employment portfolio DD Form 214 and similar documents will be required to verify prior military service, disability or other preferences claimed.
• Special awards, honors or recognition.

Economic Outlook

The Presidio of Monterey is located on the central coast of California in Monterey, approximately 120 miles south of San Francisco. Home of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFIC) and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), the Presidio of Monterey has historically been a key military outpost due to its strategic location, and continues to provide significant support to the county economy. The combined economic impact of spending by the DLIFLC and NPS amounts to $140.2 million channeled into the local economy, particularly through its educational institutions. The DLIFLC is regarded as one of the finest schools for foreign language instruction in the nation. The NPS, in addition to offering advanced classroom training for Naval officers, is home to the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, one of the world’s leading numerical meteorological weather prediction centers.

The Presidio is located in a high cost of living area, but most entry level positions, as well as retail and food and beverage jobs, usually pay minimum wage. The current unemployment rate for Monterey County is 12.6 percent. The county has been adversely affected by budget pressures, and currently faces challenges from both local real estate and employment market deterioration. The local housing market is recovering somewhat but has been adversely affected by the subprime mortgage crisis, resulting in weaker property tax collections secondary to the county’s high foreclosure rates.

Employment Opportunities

The economic drivers for the Monterey County economy are hospitality and tourism, agriculture, education, construction, and healthcare. Two key industries are agriculture and tourism. Monterey County is home to the largest vegetable-producing region in the nation.  Tourism provides approximately $2 billion to the County’s economy, employing 36,000 employees. In addition to the area’s connections to the author John Steinbeck, the desirable climate, scenic environment and a variety of events and attractions such as the AT&T golf tournaments in Pebble Beach, the National Steinbeck Museum, the California Rodeo, the California International Air Show in Salinas, and the Monterey Jazz Festival draw worldwide visitors.

Specific high demand/high wage occupations are nursing and healthcare, construction, correctional officers, peace officers, and security guards. This presents a wide array of diverse occupations: professional and paraprofessional; managers and administrators; clerical and administrative support; and services and retail trade industry. 

The current employment market is competitive. Due to the mobile nature of the military lifestyle, individuals with education and/or experience in the health care and education fields often are more successful in finding employment upon relocation than are individuals in other career fields. Opportunities in the local healthcare industry are good. There are also job opportunities for military spouses in the national employment staffing corporations such as Manpower and Kelly Services.

The largest employers for Monterey County include the County of Monterey, which employs 18 percent of the county’s workforce; the Presidio of Monterey; and, in healthcare, Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare Systems and Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Healthcare comprises 9.1 percent of the county workforce. Other significant sectors of the local economy include agriculture, comprising 12 percent of the economy, retail at 11.2 percent; and trade, transportation and utilities, which account for 16 percent of all employment in the county.  Workers in the leisure and hospitality sector, which includes arts, recreation, entertainment, accommodations and food service, comprise up to 12 percent of the county workforce. To learn more information on all official employment statistics and opportunities, go to the Department of Labor website.

Chamber of Commerce

The Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce is another good resource for employment opportunities. You may request a listing of businesses within the area to start your cold contacts and to understand the hiring process. Contact the office at: web site http://www.montereychamber.com/

Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
243 El Dorado St., Ste. 200
Monterey, California 93940
Main: (831) 648-5350
Fax: (831) 649-3502
Email: info@montereychamber.com