Why You Should Invest in Your Appearance at Work

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Regardless of whether you are currently working or trying to find a job, one of the most significant ways in which other people judge you is through your appearance. To make a good impression, you need to be mindful of your hygiene, clothing choices, and body modification choices. Here are the reasons why you should invest in your appearance:

You Will Feel Better –

It has been proven that when you dress better, you feel better. This improved self-confidence will manifest itself in many different ways, including how you act around your coworkers and supervisors. You will most likely stand up a little straighter, act a little more confident, and be more likely to speak up when you feel good about the way you look.

You Will Attract Respect –

If you are dressing well and have cleaned up nicely, other people at work will respect you. Since you took the time to invest in your appearance, they will feel like they owe you the same professional courtesy. People will also take you more seriously when you invest in your appearance and will respect your opinion. 

You Will Stand Out Amongst Others –

Not everyone takes the time to invest in his or her appearance. Therefore, if you invest in yours, you will automatically stand out amongst others. You can use this to your advantage when you are in job interview settings or trying to impress a supervisor to be considered for a promotion.

You Are Presenting Yourself Professionally –

The most important reason why you should invest in your appearance is that you are presenting yourself professionally. Nice clothes and routine personal hygiene appointments are an investment that will pay off for you in the professional world.

If you have already invested in your appearance and need help finding a job in the light industrial field, contact Award Staffing. We will help you find a job in which your self-investment will be recognized and help you land your next job opportunity. If you are interested in learning other ways When Work Works visit our other blogs.

Seeking Religious Accommodations at Work in Minnesota

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Title VII protects employees from religious discrimination in their workplace. In addition to this federal law, which applies to employers who have at least 15 employees, most states have similar laws with lower minimum-employee requirements. These laws not only prohibit discrimination in word and action but also require employers to make reasonable accommodations which allow their employee to practice their religion “on the job.”

Keep in mind that your employer is also protected from providing accommodations that place an undue hardship in either actual costs or inconvenience. Although they are legally obligated to work toward an acceptable accommodation, they do not have to meet your exact request. Furthermore, your employer also has the right to ask for an explanation of your beliefs and to expect your lifestyle to support your convictions. And finally, while your religious beliefs are part of who you are, and you have the right to share your faith. However, does not permit you to proselytize or harass coworkers. If a coworker asks you not to talk to him/her about your religions – don’t.

How to Seek Accommodations-

So, assuming your religious beliefs are genuine, how do you seek accommodations for these beliefs and practices while at work?

1. Begin with the right attitude. Portraying a spirit of consideration and cooperation will go a long way in obtaining satisfactory religious accommodation. On the other hand, reciting the law or suggesting a potential lawsuit if they don’t honor your request only leads to negative and potentially volatile situations.

2. Take time to research your employer’s policies regarding requests for religious accommodations.

3. Request a meeting with your manager.

4. Open with a statement of appreciation for their leadership (not false flattery, but a sincere thank you.)

5. Explain that you are seeking accommodations that will enable you to practice your religious convictions while on the job. Be prepared to share your beliefs and what activities you desire to participate in during the day. For example, if you have a set time for prayer or desire to wear specific attire, such as a head covering.

6. Come with suggestions for how your employer can accommodate your beliefs but be willing to hear out their response. Perhaps your suggestion will cause undue hardship in a way that you didn’t foresee. Listen to their ideas. The best solutions are usually a compromise.

7. Present your requests in writing, even when the initial appeal was verbal. This will help prevent misunderstandings and confusions later.

8. Assure them that you will fulfill your responsibilities and accomplish all assigned tasks. Present a specific way for you to “make-up” for anytime spent in prayer or other religious activities.

9. Keep a dated record. Include who you talked to, what your request was, and whether it was accommodated.

10. Be flexible and willing to do your part. End the meeting discussing potential accommodations the same way you started – with an attitude of peace and cooperation.

Ultimately, when and how you present your case goes a long way in the end result. Taking the above steps seriously will almost always ensure appropriate accommodation. If, however, you have taken the necessary measures with a cooperative attitude and your employer refuses, you may have to take legal action. In this case, be careful, be cautious, and be certain that you have covered all the bases.

Award Staffing is a diversified staffing company. We hire associates based on skills, experience, education and their fit to a company’s culture. We work with equal opportunity employers, who do not discriminate on religious or other diversities. Contact us today if you are looking for a new job opportunity.

3 Quick Ways to Get Ready for a New Job

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If you’ve recently graduated from high school or college, now may be the time for you to get your a new job. If you’ve been out of the job market for sometime, there are a few things you need to do in preparation. Not only do you need to make yourself employable, but you also need to take several steps to make sure you’re ready.

1. Get Your Resume Ready –

Before you start searching for jobs, you need to get your resume ready. This means you must take time to format it and update everything regarding your past work experiences and education. Make sure you have someone look over the resume to spot any mistakes or errors.

2. Secure Your References –

Before you start applying for jobs, you need to secure professional references. The easiest way to do this is to ask people you trust, such as former coaches, teachers or other professionals. Let them know they should be expecting a call from any future employers so they aren’t caught off guard and can speak professionally to your character.

3. Clear Your Schedule –

Make sure you clear your schedule! You’re going to need enough time to hunt for jobs, apply for jobs, attend interviews and start working! If you’re not used to working full-time (or even part-time), this part of the job-seeking process will likely be an adjustment for you.

Award Staffing is here to help you.  We guide you through the job-seeking process and recommend you for several different jobs for which you are a good fit. You’re on the way to your first job with Award Staffing. Contact us today.

5 Easiest Job Interview Tips + Tricks

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A great job interview is just like any other accomplishment; it won’t happen without some real planning and hard work. At Award Staffing we have highlighted 5 of the easiest job interview prep skills that can make the next interview the best.

1. Review the Job Posting:

This cannot be overstated: the company knows exactly what they are looking for, and they state it clearly on the job posting. Review the job post. List point-by-point every experience and skill they are seeking. Go over your own experiences and how they make you a great fit, so all of this is fresh in your mind when you walk in the door.

As Dana Leavey puts it, “Try to remember what’s most relevant regarding specific clients you’ve worked with, types of projects you’ve worked on, similar companies you’ve worked for, and anything else that’s pertinent to the role.”

2. Research the Company:

Google is your friend, and so are social media sites like LinkedIn. Do your research before your interview. See what this company has done to get in the news. Find out what you can about the people who work there, what kind of background and skills they bring to the table and what they care about. Look for points of similarity and points of difference and be ready to discuss them in the interview.

3. Take The Next Step Beyond Your Resume:

When they ask about information on your resume the last thing you want to do is just quote the resume. Share specific examples that illustrate the information on your resume. Be prepared to talk and give the interviewer the extra layer of knowledge they are seeking.

4. Listen to The Interviewer:

Don’t be so focused on what you have to say that you don’t hear what you’re asked. A job interview is like a first date. You need to pay attention, listen closely and ask follow up questions. This makes the interviewer see you as someone who is interested and gives you a chance to find out more about the position.

5. Don’t Ask for A Job – Offer to Help:

The company didn’t put up a job post because they were hoping to give someone a salary or a cool place to hang out from 9 to 5. They put up a job post because they need to hire the right person for the job opening. Find out what they need and discuss the ways you can produce the work they require. This attitude can get you out of the interview on just the right note. As Lam Nguyen says, “It’s then up to you to make your final selling pitch by summarizing what the position is and what you bring to the table. Don’t forget to find out the next steps for the interviewing process. The follow-up item you want to leave in your interviewer’s mind is, “This is the right candidate. I’m ready to make an offer.”

If you’re looking to make your next job interview your best one ever, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to help you find a new position that lets you take advantage of your abilities and prepare you to turn the job interview into your dream job offer.

Don’t Throw Away Job Fairs: Part 1 – Candidates

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There’s a lot of negative vibes concerning job fairs and other hiring events, and some of the reasoning behind those vibes carry a measure of truth. After all, how many companies can a candidate interact with, in a three to six-hour window? Who wants to put the time an effort into preparation and then travel only to be told to upload their resume online? But wait, maybe the issue isn’t whether to conduct job fairs, but rather how to gain the desired result. Job fairs, both traditional and virtual can be a powerful networking tool when companies and candidates approach them with the right attitude and apply commonsense networking principles.

 

Candidates – Benefits of Job Fairs

Whether you are looking for a job following college, returning to the workforce after an extended absence, wanting to move forward and upward in your career, or making a career change; networking with potential employers is beneficial. Job fairs are not only a networking event but also an opportunity to:

· Meet with several companies in one location – and compare what they have to offer.
· Learn more about your industry; how it’s changed, what skills are in demand, how industry players are presenting themselves, and the latest job market trends.
· Face-to-face communication and an opportunity to give your elevator speech to company representatives who are typically difficult to reach.
· Stand out as the person behind the resume – getting feedback on your resume, as well as a jumpstart on preliminary screening and interview.
· Interact with the company’s employees and gain insight into the company culture.
· Make connections with and collect contact information for relevant company personnel. (Sometimes these contacts result in a future career opportunity)
· Get the scoop on types of jobs the company offers, qualification requisites, and in some cases, typical salary and benefits.
· Learn about new opportunities for your skill set.
· Take mini-seminars and sit in on panel discussions and talks.

Candidates – Job Fair Success

Yes, there are multiple reasons to attend and benefits to gain, but success is up to you. Output depends on input and that’s oh-so-true with job fairs. The following steps will help you to succeed.

Preparation

· Obtain a list of the participating companies and prioritize them in the order of importance to you and your career. Starting with the first company on your list, do your The more you know about a company going in, the more you will gain from your conversation with the company representatives. Make a list of the questions you want to ask. Customize your resume to the positions that interest you – and mark them, you certainly don’t want to hand a resume customized for company A to company B.
· Get ready for the job fair in the same way you get ready for an interview.
· Plan your route and leave in enough time to arrive early.
· Be well rested and eat a low carb, protein-rich breakfast.
· Dress professionally – choose cool and comfortable.
· Wear shoes that fit and support
· Keep your load light – a folder of resumes, pen, and paper for notes, your wallet . . . fill in the rest, but keep a short, light list.

At the Fair

Be confident, professional, and friendly. Smile, keep eye contact and give a firm handshake. Be ready with your elevator pitch but listen to cues; the company representative will often “lead” the conversation.

· Give them your resume as quickly as possible. Communicate your interest and why your experience and skills are a prodigious fit for their company.
· Ask questions that show your knowledge of the company (this is where your research pays dividends) and your interest in working for them.
·  Pay attention to culture cues and share your personality via your communications.
· Treat your connection like a preliminary interview; ask them the next step. Ask for their business card and give them yours – if you have one.

Follow-up

· Follow-up begins immediately – when you leave a company’s booth, take a couple minutes to make notes about your conversation and your impressions. When you get home and try to write 6-10 thank you’s, these notes will be invaluable.
· When you get home – send your thanks immediately. Whether you take the time for handwritten or send emails, do it. This is rarely a time for texts. Thank them for their time, express your interest in going to the next step, and reiterate why you are the right fit for their position.
· Even if you are not interested, send a note of thanks for their time. You never know where your connection may lead to in the future. That’s the beauty of networking.

With committed preparation, focused participation, and swift follow-up, candidates can build their network, gain career advice, and either win a job opportunity or open the door to a future one via Job Fairs. Explore our open positions and find a job that aligns with your goals. In Part 2, we’ll discuss how job fairs are also beneficial for companies.

5 Ways to Boost Your Resume

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When you submit your resume to most companies, the first person who sees it is a recruiter who sees dozens of resumes a day. You have one chance to make the kind of first impression that gets you to the next step. Here are five ways to boost your resume past the first stage and move you on to more face to face interviews:

Make It Clean and Readable.

Want your resume to be read? Make it easy to read. No wall of text sections. Use short, punchy bullet points, clear, concise information and sufficient white space. This makes it easy for your resume to be scanned quickly.

Focus On Success.

You want to include your full toolbox of applicable skills and experiences. Don’t forget to show off these attributes as part of past accomplishments. Tie a skill with the way you used effectively and give specific results.

Use Relevant Keywords.

A good resume is like a good Google search: You get better results when you use the right keywords. Robin Ryan says you should “make a list of the “buzz words connected to perform your type of job. Look through employers’ job ads to uncover the major ones. Incorporate these keywords into the sentences describing your previous work experience.”

Tailor Your Resume for Each Application.

Every job post will clearly state what the company is looking for regarding skills and experiences. Make sure you include matching information using the same keywords as the job post every time you send out your resume. A short intro that has the exact info the recruiter is looking for is also a good idea.

Less Is More!

Remember your resume isn’t being read like a book, it’s being scanned like an outline. According to Nancy Collamer, “we all skim more than we read, so to reward that reading style. Also, add white space between paragraphs to provide “breathing room.”

Excessive words are just clutter. Check your word count when you write your resume and see if you can cut 20% of the words without losing any essential info. You will be surprised how much cleaner and more professional this makes your resume look.

If you’re ready to get your resume out in front of prospective employers, contact Award Staffing. We will be able to help you find a new position that lets you take advantage of your abilities to take the next step you in your career.  There are new job opportunities every single day from Award Staffing. Find your future…today!

Be Flexible in the Workplace

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In today’s market, you need be flexible and adaptable. Why? Technology is ever-changing creating a constantly evolving workplace. Being versatile and flexible will help you succeed in more than one way.

You Could Get Promoted

Employers greatly appreciate employees who are flexible in the workplace, because it makes their jobs so much easier. You might find that your flexibility and ease of adapting means that your employer ends up promoting you so that you can take on and shoulder more responsibility amongst your peers who maybe aren’t as flexible.

You Will Be Appreciated by Your Superiors

You will remove a lot of stress on behalf of your employers by being flexible. When you are cooperative and flexible, adapting to the decisions of those above you, it removes some of their stress load and results in an increased appreciation of you as an employee.

You Will Help Boost Your Company Morale

It’s great to be flexible because that means that you can direct your energy to where it is most needed. This ends up translating into you supporting your colleagues whenever one of them is assigned to a particularly grueling project or task. Overall, this will help boost your company morale, which is an excellent aspect of being more flexible!

If you’re looking for a new job, contact Award Staffing. We can help place you in a job that is a good fit for your career goals and matches up with what you’re currently seeking. There are new job opportunities every single day from Award Staffing. Find your future…today!

Resume Tips: Why Resumes Need a Monthly Update

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Today in your job search it’s pretty common to have a resume, but did you know that you should update it monthly? Here’s a resume tip: job seekers should update their resume monthly.

Update Your Resume to Stay Aware of Your Surroundings

What do we mean by “staying aware of your surroundings?”HINT: it’s not what you think. By staying aware of your surroundings we mean to know how your past work experiences, skills, talents and abilities fit within different work environments.

Ultimately, if you can both act and speak confidently about your workplace experiences and contributions you’ll be well equipped to nail that interview or better yet, you’ll be able to take advantage of unexpected job opportunities. Read more

Standout on the Job: Show Humility at Work

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Is it worth showing humility at work? Many people will tell you the best way to advance at your current jobs is to stand out. This may be the case, but on the other hand, sometimes the best strategy is to show a little humility while letting your work speak for itself. Here are some strategies we’ve found to work that show humility at work:

Humility Starts with Being a Great Listener. 

Being a great listener is a skill that for some, takes practice. Being able to listen effectively means you’re able to better understand others. In the workplace, this means you’re more likely to learn new skills quickly, complete tasks more effectively while having constructive conversations with peers and leaders about possible areas for improvement.

Here are seemingly simple ways to practice becoming a better listener, but sometimes are actually quite difficult to do: Read more

Star Tribune’s 2018 Top Workplace in Minnesota

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Award Staffing Named One of Star Tribune’s Top Places to Work in Minnesota

Bloomington, MN June 25th, 2018—Award Staffing has been named one of the Top 150 places to work in Minnesota by the Star Tribune. A complete list of those selected is available at StarTribune.com/topworkplaces2018 and was also published in the Star Tribune Top Workplaces special section on Sunday, June 24.

Top Places to Work In Minnesota

Top Places to Work In Minnesota

Produced by the same team that compiles the 27-year-old Star Tribune 100 report of the best-performing public companies in Minnesota, Top Workplaces recognizes the most progressive companies in Minnesota based on employee opinions measuring engagement, organizational health, and satisfaction. The analysis included responses from over 71,000 employees at Minnesota public, private and nonprofit organizations.

The rankings in the Star Tribune Top 150 Workplaces are based on survey information collected by Energage, an independent company specializing in employee engagement and retention.

Award Staffing was ranked 31 of 70 on the small company list.

Star Tribune Publisher Michael J. Klingensmith said, “The companies in the Star Tribune Top 150 Workplaces deserve high praise for creating the very best work environments in the state of Minnesota. My congratulations to each of these exceptional companies.”

Why Award Staffing as a Top Place to Work in Minnesota?

Over 30 years ago Award Staffing started with only one office and a couple of team members with a signature approach; providing its clients with unsurpassed service and their associates with the clear career path, all the while serving the communities in which we work and live.

Today, Award Staffing has grown to a nationally recognized staffing agency with six locations all throughout the Twin Cities. Even though times have changed, their approach to service with a local focus has not. By using innovating technologies and processes, they have been able to grow the quality of service that has made us a premier staffing company.

To qualify for the Star Tribune Top Workplaces, a company must have more than 50 employees in Minnesota. Over 2,400 companies were invited to participate. Rankings were composite scores calculated purely on the basis of employee responses.

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