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Before you apply for a new job, you generally do a self-assessment, evaluating your strengths and weaknesses, where your knowledge, skills and abilities lie.

But how do you best go about deciding what your strengths are, ones that really show your uniqueness, not just some boilerplate that many job candidates piece together? How can you come up with something new to describe your strengths?

Business consultant Bill Barnett gives an example of someone who did just that. This person was a marketing executive at a company that had been acquired by another firm. He was in a situation that he did not like and needed to come up with a new career strategy. In trying to decide on his strengths, he first came up with some run-of-the-mill stuff – his experience with growth markets, for example. But he needed something that really set him apart. And after several months of searching, he hit on it. Going over his work history, he found that one key characteristic that defined him was his empathy. When he thought about the times he had experienced real success, he found that it was because of his skill at understanding others. It had helped to come up with new products, to make relationships, and put together good business teams.

Eventually, he landed a new job, and there were naturally a number of reasons why he got it, but what really made him stick out, and one of the main reasons he got the job, was his emphasis on empathy.

So, in trying to come up with your strengths, you need to find what makes you distinctive, what led to your success. Barnett offers some tips on how to do this.

First, list what your strengths are. Usually, the first things you come up with here are the skills and knowledge that you’ve gained at work. But also consider your character strengths as well. Think about what you enjoyed the most, what you were good at. Look for surprises, Barnett ays.

Ask other people, men and women you work with now or whom you worked with before, for their opinion. And tell them you want their honest assessment. They might think of strengths you missed, or ask questions that may help you identify strengths.

Look at previous performance appraisals for ideas. Put yourself in the place of a hiring manager and think about why you would hire you.

And then go back to your initial list of strengths. Make changes to reflect what new ideas you have come up with. Make a ranking of your strengths and be specific, the more specific the better. Generalities won’t be very helpful.

If you are looking for administrative jobs in the San Antonio area, Trinity Staffing Services can find the jobs that match your strengths. Contact us today.

The use of contingent workers is much more widespread than ever before, as companies look for flexibility in controlling costs.

But, generally, contingent workers are viewed as outsiders, second class citizens within the organization. When it comes to contingent staff, management is more concerned about making sure the company adheres to legal guidelines so that the workers are not misclassified as full-time.

But some business analysts argue that this thinking is misguided, that companies, if they really want to get the most out of their contingent workforce, and improve the company’s productivity, need to take a different perspective. And human resources can lead the way in doing this.

Companies need to embrace their contingent workers. You need to make your company a welcoming place for freelancers and independent contractors. Doing this is merely acting out of self-interest – by creating the right atmosphere for your contingent workers, you will attract the best and the brightest. You will become the employer of choice.

The rules for attracting the best talent hold true for contingent workers just the same as full-time workers. If you want the best people, you have to pay them well, manage them well, and inspire them. You shouldn’t try to cut corners, to try and get away with paying the lowest rate possible, and your company should work only with staffing firms that treat their contingent workers well.

And you need to manage them well, to set clear goals and expectations, so that they know what they need to do.

And it couldn’t hurt to get them more involved in your business planning and strategy, to get their input on things as well. Many contingents today are well educated workers with a lot of business experience, and it couldn’t hurt to tap this experience. It will make them feel more valued, more a part of the company, rather than just a hired hand.

Your company should do everything it can to try and erase that second class citizen stigma from contingent workers if you want to get their best effort and make your company more productive. 

If your San Antonio area business is growing, and you are looking for contingent workers, contact Trinity Staffing Services. We can provide the administrative personnel you need to keep your business running smoothly.

Conducting a job search is hard work, as anyone who has done it finds out very quickly. And one of the most difficult things to deal with about the job search is being rejected. It is especially hard when the rejection comes after much hard work and preparation.

This can seriously deflate the spirits of even the most resilient person. You can feel like you have failed and sink into a quandary about what do to next. But career strategist Bill Barnett says don’t let this setback get you down. Learn from it.

Instead of focusing on the negative, concentrate on what you have learned from the interview process. Then use that as a springboard to begin again, using the hard won knowledge you have gained. It is important to maintain a sense of optimism. Having optimism and the confidence it gives you is necessary to succeed. It is true that those who truly believe they will succeed have the best chance of actually reaching success. But it is also important to realize that this optimism needs to be tempered by realism – knowing that success also takes a lot of hard work, that it does not come easily.

There is a random element to job searches, Barnett says, and failure is inevitable. So, you need to learn to adapt and improvise. To build up resilience, Barnett says to make sure your preparation is as thorough as possible. Set up a plan and execute it. Develop a statement that summarizes your unique skills, abilities, and experience. Even though your plan may not yield results right away, you can take confidence from the fact that you are doing what you know to be the right thing, and going about it in the right way.

Also, develop a sense of detachment. Do everything you can to prepare for an interview, but don’t become so invested in it that it becomes a life or death situation for you, Barnett says. Remember the aphorism about changing what you can, accepting what you cannot change, and knowing the difference between the two. Then, learn from your experiences and make adjustments. Reevaluate your plan if it isn’t working, and make the necessary changes.

If you are looking for work in the San Antonio area, Trinity Staffing Services can help you find the job that is right for you. Give us a call today.

Most job seekers would be envious of someone trying to juggle and schedule several job interviews around the same time, but it still can pose a problem. After all, if you have several interviews scheduled in the same week, there’s a chance – however small – that you could mix the companies up, go to the wrong firm for an interview on the wrong day or, after the interviews are completed, get the hiring managers and your particular discussions with them mixed up.

• The first thing you’ll need to do is create a plan. This will be logistical, of course (Company A t 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Company B at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Company C at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, etc.). Consider placing your interview schedule on a spreadsheet, with addresses, phone numbers, names of the hiring managers/interviewers, position for which you’re interviewing, etc.
• Jot some differentiating notes on each company on the spreadsheet. Company A, for example, says it’s expanding. Company B was just launched a new product, etc. These can be used as talking points with your interviewer.
• Make notes for yourself about what each company is requiring of you. Company A may want you to bring several copies of your resume. Company B may want a full portfolio. Make sure you give them what they request; don’t give them the same documents just to make your life easier. If hired, it’s going to be your job to make your new boss’ work life easier; no better time to start than in the interview.
• If possible, take some time the weekend before your interviews to drive (or take public transportation) to the interview sites. Jot notes in your spreadsheet about where each is. This will help you remember and differentiate interview locations later in the week, when your energy may be lagging.
•  Finally, understand that having multiple job interviews is a very good thing for another important reason: you just might get multiple job offers, allowing you to negotiate better benefits with the company of your choice. You very well could find yourself something along the lines of “I am already entertaining an offer from another company. They are offering me $5K more than you, plus a company car. I really want to work with you; what room for negotiation do you have?”

If you live in the San Antonio area and are looking for new opportunities, contact the recruiters at Trinity Staffing. We’d love to discuss the temporary and direct-hire openings we have available with some of this area’s best employers. Contact us today.

More companies than ever are using contingent workers, and if your company is one of them, you want to have a good relationship with your staffing agency so that the agency can fill your needs as quickly and efficiently as possible. So, there are a few things to remember to keep the relationship running smoothly.

The first tip for making things go as smoothly as possible is to make sure you notify the staffing agency as far in advance as you can as to when you will be making an order. This is even more important if you are going to be making several orders.

Make sure you get ongoing progress reports on how your orders are being filled and set a specific time when you will get the progress reports, so you will know if you will need to contact other agencies.

Find out if the agency is also filling requests for the same types of workers for other companies, and where your company stands on the list of orders to be filled.

You should also let the agency know how much leeway your company has as far as what the hours are and what skills are needed.

If you are looking for a specific set of skills, you need to be clear about your requirements with the agency, and also be clear that you won’t  settle for anything less. 

Make sure that you have good communications with the staffing agency, and get together on a routine basis with the staffing agency representative to let them know how they are doing.

Check with other staffing agencies to get an idea of what kind of rates you will have to pay to be competitive and to avoid any unnecessary haggling with the agency.

And finally, try to create a welcoming atmosphere for the temporary workers so that they will want to come back, and also so that they will let others know about your company.

There are also things you can do to help develop more temporary workers for your company and your staffing agencies. You can use your own staff to refer temporary workers that they might know of. You can contact job candidates who were not hired to see if they would like to have their names given to your staffing agency. You can also use your company Web site to advertise for temporary workers and then pass those applicants along to the agency.

If your company is looking for contingent workers in the San Antonio area, Trinity Staffing Services can provide the administrative personnel you need to keep things running smoothly. Get in touch with us to find out what we can do for your business

Many managers complain that they have to spend too much time putting out fires at work, taking care of crises that pop up often without warning, and they cannot spend the time they want on strategy and planning and employee development.

But some business experts say the problem is not what managers have to do, but how they look at it. Managers shouldn’t look at putting out fires as something separate from management, but as an integral part of it, as an opportunity to achieve their goals, to do the work of managing. 

To do this, managers need to look at each situation with a discerning eye.  Before taking any action, they need to prepare, to first figure out what they plan to do and how they will do it and what their goal is.  Then they carry out their plan.  And last, they reflect on what they did and how events unfolded.  They reflect on what they learned from the experience and if there is anything they would do differently. 

This is a simple and not too difficult process, but one that many overlook.  When a crisis looms, many managers just jump right in and make out strategy on the run.  They just want to get the problem out of the way and move on. 

But by using the process of preparing, doing and reflecting, managers can make every event an opportunity to achieve some managerial goal, whether it is taking action toward a goal, developing the skills of workers, or creating stronger relationships. 

Every situation can be a means toward moving closer to a goal and using the process of preparing, doing and reflecting is a way of making each situation a means and giving it direction.  Without doing the preparation, even taking just a few minutes, before plunging into a crisis, managers won’t be able to figure out how it can be transformed into an opportunity. 

And without going through the whole process, managers will continue to be mired in a cycle of putting out fires and not managing.  But if they employ the process, they will be able to use their daily activities as management tools to move their employees and company ahead. 

If your business is growing, and you are looking for qualified people, Trinity Staffing Services can provide the administrative personnel you need to keep things running smoothly. Get in touch with us to find out what we can do for your business

In the course of your job search, you may have received a job offer that you actually are not really happy with. Yes, it’s work, but you are overqualified for the job, and it doesn’t pay as much as your previous position.

But you have to make a decision. What should you do?

Some would counsel passing on the offer. It is not the right fit, they would say. If you don’t like the job, you won’t be happy doing it, and that will show up in your performance. Also, being hired at a lower salary level will affect future earnings and benefits.

But there are advantages to taking the job. You know the old saw, “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.”

The fact is that with unemployment still high, you never know how long you will be waiting until another offer comes along. And there is also the unfortunate reluctance on the part of many companies to even consider people who are currently unemployed. Also, the longer you remain unemployed, the more your skills deteriorate, which will in itself affect your employability.

And sometimes, taking the lower level job leads to something better, along with a better salary. You might be able to learn new skills. Also, you will meet new people, giving you the opportunity to network and find out about other positions. And being employed will make you a more attractive candidate for other job openings.

The fact is that today a steady climb up the job ladder may not be as realistic as it may have been in the past. There may some lateral moves or even a few steps back required to get back on track.

Being employed also has other intangible benefits. It certainly helps your self-esteem. And it also helps if you take a different perspective on the situation – not letting yourself be defined by your job. It may be an opportunity to broaden your life, to try new things outside of work, develop new interests, to become a more well rounded person. In short, in may help you to realize that you are more than your job, and help you to take a more balanced view of your life.

If you are looking for an administrative job in the San Antonio area, Trinity Staffing Services can find something that matches your qualifications. Call us today.

Sometimes job hunting can be more difficult if you have what might be considered skeletons in the closet. One such skeleton is having worked at a company that failed and went out of business, especially if it happened because of poor management.

If you were unlucky enough to be in such a situation, it can be like dragging around a millstone.

Recruiters usually try and avoid having to deal with job candidates like you because of the assumption that you are too risky to deal with, according to business consultants.

What the consultants advise against is trying to talk about the situation with the recruiter directly. If you do, more than likely the recruiter will simply not work with you.

What you need to do, they say, is have someone write a letter for you focusing on your abilities and past performance, telling how well you performed despite working for a lackluster company.

If you do have an interview, you can be sure that your tenure at your former dysfunctional employer is as uncomfortable a topic for the interviewer as it is for you. If the interviewer is willing to talk to you about your former employer, the consultants say that’s a good sign because he or she feels comfortable enough to tell you his or her concerns. But if the interviewer avoids the issue entirely, that can mean trouble.

What you need to do is ask the interviewer what he or she knows about your former employer. If the interviewer knows little about your former company, you can approach the issue in any way you like.

If on the other hand, the employer is familiar with the company and gives you his opinion, which is likely to be critical of the business, let him have his say – don’t try to interrupt or refute him, the consultants advise.

When the interviewer has finished talking, agree with what he said. Then distance yourself and the department you worked in from the rest of the company. While the company as a whole was floundering, you tell the interviewer that your department was doing some innovative and exciting things, the kinds of things you would like to do for his company.

If you are looking for administrative positions in the San Antonio area, Trinity Staffing Services can help find the job that’s right for you. Contact us today.

Today, when looking for a job, you need to network, hone your resume and cover letter to perfection, prepare for an interview, and possibly be ready to take a few tests.

To find out more about job applicants, employers more and more are relying on assessments such as personality tests, cognitive ability evaluations, and other types of skill assessments.

According to a research firm, more than half of the companies in the United States are now using some type of evaluation tool in the hiring process.

For employers these tests are an inexpensive way to determine if the applicant would be a good fit for the company, because if the person does not work out, it can be an expensive mistake. Employee turnover costs companies a lot of money. They have to go through the hiring process, and then once the person is hired, there is training involved. Plus, when an employee leaves, there is the turmoil that is created within the company, as processes and procedures are changed as other employees are tasked with taking over some of the duties of the person who left.

So, these assessments are a way to get a better idea of who the job applicants are, to find out more information than employers  may be able to get from just a resume and an interview.

But these tests have drawbacks as well. As with any psychological evaluation instrument, it takes someone with a certain amount of expertise to interpret the tests properly, expertise hiring managers seldom have. Another problem involves the desires of the hiring managers themselves. The kind of personality traits they are looking for may be entirely subjective. They may just be relying on their intuition about the kind of person who would fit in their department. Or they may not be clear in their own minds about the kind of person who would be the best fit.

Many companies, aware of the drawbacks of instruments like personality tests, use them as only one piece of the puzzle in reviewing an applicant. This is especially true for higher level jobs like executive positions, where there are many factors to consider in making a hiring decision. Often, the results of personality tests are considered only after the list of candidates has been narrowed down to a short one, and it is weighed along with all of the other information about the applicant, not used as the sole deciding factor.

If you are looking for administrative work in the San Antonio area, the recruiters at Trinity Staffing Services can help you. Contact us today.

Online compliance  training is now widespread, and many argue that it can be an effective way of learning. But do you know how well your online programs are working?

Compliance specialist Stephen Paskoff tells the story of someone working at a financial services firm who had to complete 17 online courses covering financial transactions to ethics and discrimination and harassment in about one day. The man said he clicked his way through the courses but learned little. He just tried to get through it as quickly as possible to get his bonus.

Another person who works at a manufacturing firm says he clicks through the courses as fast as he can. Everyone looks on the courses as pretty much of a joke, he said. Once the courses are completed, management never mentions them again.

Paskoff says when the courses are delivered this way – without any context or follow-up – they really are little benefit to employees. These type of click-through courses are set up just to give employees some legal information and document that they received it. But just getting information in this way really doesn’t do much to change behavior.

To change problem behavior in the workplace, employees really need a strong motivation for change, and with that, simple guidelines to follow.

The information cannot be conveyed simply as a one-time event, without any follow-up or emphasis from management. The company leadership needs the tools and the know-how to continually reinforce the messages delivered in the online program.

The problem isn’t with the online compliance training, which can be very effective, but with the delivery of the message. The way these online courses are handled tells the employees that the company really doesn’t value them and what they have to say all that much. They come across as some unthinking ritual.

The leadership of the company needs to provide continual support for the messages in these courses, and the messages themselves must be clear, simple, and direct, so that they can be easily followed. Otherwise, the courses will continue to be mostly a time-wasting exercise, providing merely the legal cover the company needs in the event of employee claims against the company.

If your San Antonio business is growing, and you are looking for qualified people, Trinity Staffing Services can provide the administrative personnel you need to keep things running smoothly. Get in touch with us to find out what we can do for your business.