Northwest Staffing Blog

As an experienced employment agency serving Seattle and the Northwest, we’ve seen it time and time again. People are at their absolute happiest and most productive when they have a job that’s a good match for their personality. Not only that, they are also much more successful.

So how can you determine what personality type you are – and what kinds of Seattle jobs you will excel in? Use John Holland’s theory of career choice. In his theory, Holland identified six different personality types and the work environments that suit each. Let’s take a look.

6 Personality and Work Environments

#1: Realistic: These people like working with their hands and prefer jobs that are physical in nature. They are doers and both practical and stable. They are also tool oriented and do well in careers such as engineering, information technology, law enforcement, agriculture, and architecture.

#2: Investigative: These people are more analytical and intellectual. They are the thinkers of the world. They like working with theories and information, and are both curious and independent. Ideal jobs for investigative people include economist, mathematician, teacher/professor, pharmacist, and lawyer.

#3: Artistic: These people are the artists and creators. They are both original and independent, but also unorganized. They prefer an unsystematic approach to work and value creative expression. Some examples of jobs that are a good fit for the artistic personality are actor, writer, graphic designer, and musician.

#4: Social: These people are healers and nurturers. They prefer activities that involve helping others. They are friendly, cooperative, and understanding. Jobs that are a fit for social people include therapist, doctor, nurse, teacher, and receptionist.

#5: Enterprising: These are the entrepreneurs of the world. They enjoy competitive work environments in which leadership is highly valued. Status is important to enterprising people and they do well in jobs that require persuasion and selling, such as marketing, sales, management, public relations, journalism, administration, and real estate.

#6: Conventional: These people are organized and detail-oriented. They value precision and practicality and do best when they have a clear set of rules to follow. They are efficient and orderly. These people do well in jobs such as accountant, banker, clerk, and proofreader.

So which personality type are you? Whether you have an investigative personality or a realistic one, please contact Northwest Staffing if you need help finding a job that’s a fit for you. As a leading employment agency in Seattle, we can give you access to a variety of rewarding jobs in Seattle – and throughout the Northwest.

Most employees dread them. But did you know that most managers dread them, too? That’s right. Annual job performance reviews are an unwelcome activity for all involved. However, there are steps you can take to prepare for your review and help ensure it is as painless as possible.

Step 1: Create a list of achievements.

Write down all the achievements you’d like to discuss during your job performance review. You may have to spend a little time thinking about them if you haven’t kept track of your achievements.

Once you have your list going, consider how your employer benefited from all you accomplished in the past year. For instance, did you increase sales, reduce costs, grow the company’s client base, or help to hold onto an important customer?

Be sure to keep your list concise, though. Don’t just detail the tasks you’ve performed everyday.

Step 2: Take a look at last year’s review.

Chances are, you created a list of short- and long-term goals you wanted to achieve. Ideally, you will have achieved or be working on achieving these goals. If not, though, then what are the reasons? For instance, did your boss assign you a new project or task that took up more time than you anticipated? If so, then be sure to present your case so that your boss doesn’t think you just blew off one or more of your goals for the year.

Step 3: Be prepared if you’re asking for a raise.

When the conversation turns to money, know how much of a raise you will ask for and how much you will settle for. Expect to negotiate and eventually reach a compromise.

To ensure you’re prepared, do a little research ahead of time. Find out what the going salary is for people in similar positions as yours. If you don’t receive the raise you want, find out what you need to do to get it.

What should you do if your review doesn’t go well?

If you feel you received unfair criticism, wait a few days to respond to it. Emotions can get in the way if you react immediately. Then ask yourself this question: Was the criticism really off the mark, or were you just upset about being criticized? If you feel like you were being unfairly criticized, then back up your argument with specific examples. However, if you just don’t like being criticized, then now’s the time to start preparing for next year’s review. Develop a plan for applying your boss’ suggestions and start a file to keep track of your achievements.

Bonus Tip!
If part of the reason your job review didn’t go well is because you’re unhappy at work, then now may be the time for a change. Contact Northwest Staffing. We are the Northwest’s leading employment agency serving Everett, Seattle, and Snohomish County.

Many employees are afraid to voice frustrations with their bosses. As a result, they say nothing, letting the negative feelings pile up until they explode or quit. But by being pro-active and communicating openly with your boss, you’ll build a stronger, more mutually respectful relationship.

Here are some tips for effective communication:

Talk to your boss directly.
If your boss isn’t the owner of the company or the top manager, don’t seek out his or her manager. Even though you want to avoid confrontation, going around your boss will only create animosity. So give your boss a chance to solve the problem first.

Don’t talk to your boss when you’re angry.
It’s never a good idea to have important conversations when you are emotional or angry. So let the dust settle for a day or two before approaching your boss. You’ll be more clear-headed and reasonable, rather than accusing and judgmental – which will lead to better results.

Don’t storm out or threaten to quit.
Even though it can be tempting in the heat of the moment, your boss just may take you up on your offer to quit – even if you just said it out of anger. So don’t make a foolish threat you will regret or that makes you look unprofessional. Simply tell your boss that it would be best if you both cooled off and walk away.

Realize that some blame probably rests on your shoulders.
With most conflicts involving the boss and an employee, both parties are usually somewhat to blame. Therefore, talk with someone who can offer you some objective advice before meeting with your boss, like a colleague or friend. They may be able to offer you a fresh perspective for looking at the issue, which can lead to more positive results.

Don’t talk badly about your boss to co-workers.
Bad mouthing your boss is never a good idea – and it can be something that comes back to bite you. If you have an issue with your boss, take it to him or her directly. Don’t lower yourself to gossiping and trash-talking.

Regardless of whether you’re a business owner in Everett, a manager in Seattle, an employee in Edmonds, or a job candidate in Mill Creek, effective communication skills are essential for your success. If your communication skills need a little work, don’t despair. Good communicators can be created as well as born.

Here are a few tips to get you started.

• Even if someone lashes out at you, don’t take their anger personally. They may simply be stressed out and taking it out on you.

• It’s ok if you don’t have all the answers. If someone asks you a question that you don’t know the answer to, tell them you’ll have to find out and follow up with them.

• People don’t necessarily care whether you agree with them or not; they simply want to be heard. So, to show that you’re listening, respond with a statement like: “Tell me more about your concern.”

• What someone else says and what we hear can be two different things. Our own filters, assumptions, and beliefs can distort what we hear. So be sure to repeat back or summarize what you think the person just said to ensure everyone’s on the same page.

• Acknowledge frustration or inconvenience and offer a timeline, particularly if you need someone else’s cooperation or your activities will have an impact on them. Also, be sure to tell them how what you’re doing will benefit them.

• Even though it’s hard, don’t offer advice unless you’re asked.

• Look for common ground instead of focusing solely on differences.

• Most people (including you) have a self-serving agenda. This isn’t a bad thing because it helps us achieve our goals. However, don’t assume that someone else has the same agenda as you.

• Become a better listener. Most people think they’re good listeners; however, they’re usually thinking about what they’re going to say next when someone else is talking. Gooding listening means clearing your mind of distractions and asking pertinent questions.

As a staffing agency serving Everett, Mill Creek, Martha Lake, and Lynnwood, we get all sorts of email from all sorts of people. Sometimes it’s surprising, even to us, that not everyone follows the basic rules of email etiquette.

But, whether you’re an employer, or a job seeker, the email you send is an important component of your professional image – much like your wardrobe and voicemail greeting. If you want to impress, then you need to steer clear of these top eight email etiquette mistakes:

Not including a subject line.
Most business people receive a huge amount of emails on any given day. Therefore, it makes no sense to omit a subject line. If you want your email read in a timely manner, you need to include a subject line that is pertinent to your email message.

Failure to change the subject line with each reply.
If you’re going back and forth with someone regarding a project, don’t just hit reply every time. Rewrite the subject line so it reflects the issue discussed in each email. This way, you and the recipient won’t have to go searching through dozens of emails with the same subject line for one piece of information.

Not personalizing your email.
Email is an informal means of communications. But in the business world, it shouldn’t be too formal. Therefore, be sure to include a greeting in each email you send out, such as “Dear Mr. Smith,” or “Hi Mike.”

Not thinking about tone.
Choose your words carefully because the recipient can’t see your body language or hear your tone of voice. You may be kidding around about something, but the recipient takes it seriously because you didn’t take tone into account.

Failure to check for spelling and grammar.
Some people seem to think that they don’t need to proofread emails. But would you send out a business letter without proofreading it? Absolutely not! If you repeatedly send out emails with spelling and grammar mistakes, people will begin to question the quality of your work in general.

Writing long emails.
Email is supposed to be brief, so write only a few paragraphs at most. When you need to write something longer, then it’s probably time to pick up the phone or schedule a meeting.

Including sensitive information in emails.
Once an email leaves your mailbox, you have no idea where it might end up. So if you want to keep something more private, don’t include it in an email. Use other means to communicate such information.

Completing the “To” line first.
Write the subject line and email, and then proofread it before even thinking about filling in the “To” line. A quick hit of the wrong button can send out an embarrassing, half-finished mass email to all your colleagues. And it can never be taken back.

In this day and age, proper email etiquette should be a no-brainer for everyone. But as a staffing agency in business serving Everett, Mill Creek, Martha Lake, and Lynnwood for over 20 years, we still get lots of emails from people who make many of the mistakes mentioned above. Whether you’re a business owner sending an email to a client, or a job seeker submitting your resume, make sure you follow proper etiquette. You’ll establish more positive relationships and make a better impression in the long run.

Most people who land a great job in Seattle, heard about it through networking, not through reading the classified ads or surfing the web. So when you’re looking for an opportunity to get ahead, don’t overlook the power of networking. Here are some tips to follow:

Stay connected.
Social media tools like Linked In and Facebook make it easy to stay in touch with everyone – colleagues, former co-workers, people you used to volunteer with, college classmates, etc. Someone from within this network of friends and colleagues may know of a great job opportunity in Seattle.

Talk to people.
Whether you’re at a business function, on a plane, or at a wedding, talk to people wherever you go. You may meet someone who can help you land your next job interview.

Ask questions.
When chatting it up, ask lots of questions. Most people love to talk about themselves and will gladly oblige. Be sure to ask what they do for a living.

Be a better listener.
Don’t ask someone a question and then start looking around the room for someone else to talk with. Listen to their answer with interest.

Practice your elevator speech.
When someone asks, “what do you do?,” you should have a quick and clear answer. So create and practice a little 30-60 second overview of who you are and what you do for a living.

Keep lots of business cards on hand.
In today’s digital age, sometimes we forget that traditional approaches – like business cards – still work. Always have a supply on hand and get comfortable with handing them out.

Get involved.
Hate networking events and public speaking? Then take a class where you can hone your speaking skills. Also, you may want to consider joining an industry association or business club.

Follow up on every lead.
Even if they seem minor, make sure you follow up on every job lead. You never know what may come of it.

If you’re looking for a new job opportunity in Seattle, please contact Northwest Staffing. As an employment agency serving Seattle and the surrounding area, we know many of the leading employers and can give you access to a variety of opportunities that you won’t read about on the classified pages.

The only way to know for sure whether you’re earning what you’re worth is to do a little digging. You need to find out what employees with similar backgrounds (i.e. work history and education) in similar positions as you earn.

Why determine your worth? So when you’re negotiating a salary for that new job in Everett, or ready to ask for a raise at your existing job, you’ll have the facts to back yourself up. Here are some places you can find out the going price for an employee like you:

Online BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has gathered comprehensive information for specific jobs and specific industries. The data provided offers information on median earnings, as well as outlooks for particular kinds of positions – for instance, whether or not hiring for administrative assistants will be on the rise, or the decline, over the next few years.

With that said, the information is based on national averages and doesn’t take into account your geographical location. So salaries for positions you are qualified for in Everett may be higher or lower than the national average.

Salary websites
There are lots of websites out there that specialize in salary information – just Google the word “salary.” You can do salary searches by job title, education, location, and years of experience.

Professional association websites
Websites for professional associations might be one of the most accurate sources for salary information. Many times, they conduct salary surveys and are able to offer a detailed breakdown of salaries for different positions within a certain industry. The only downside is that in order to access the information, you may need to become a site subscriber.

If you’re searching for a job in Everett and wondering what you’re worth, please contact Northwest Staffing. Not only can we help you determine the salary you should be asking for, but we can also give you access to a variety of rewarding job opportunities throughout Everett and beyond. Contact us today to learn more.

There are certain people in this world who make success look easy. They make more money, climb the corporate ladder faster, and become the “go to” person at their company regardless of the poor state of the economy – all without batting an eyelash. So what are they doing differently? And how can you achieve that kind of success? Here are some tips:

Add value.
By far, adding value is the most important characteristic that successful people have. What does adding value mean? It means that instead of fixing an error in the company’s filing system, you create a new system that eliminates future errors. It means going a step further (or a few steps further) in order to make life easier for your employer.

Become an expert.
Whether it’s going back to school to get your MBA, or simply reading a new trade journal every week, it’s critically important to always be learning – another mark of a successful person. So what subject can you become an expert in for your employer? Just pick one – and pick something you are passionate about. This will make your pursuit of knowledge a lot easier. Also, don’t be shy about letting the boss know about your endeavors. A little self promotion never hurt.

Be consistent.
This sounds like a no-brainer, but so many employees fail to be consistent in their performance. So make sure you’re on time at work and consistently deliver when it comes to the tasks you are assigned. By being consistent, you will stand head and shoulders above the crowd – and your employer will surely take notice.

Stay positive.
A successful individual sees an opportunity, where somebody else might see a problem or an issue. So why the different perspectives? It’s all about attitude, really. A negative attitude can be limiting. But a positive attitude keeps the doors of opportunity open, no matter how difficult the challenge.

By following the advice above, you can make yourself more valuable to your employer. The benefit? It could lead to a bigger raise and faster promotions down the line.

Were you the “go to” person or in-house expert at your company, but recently laid off? Let us know. At Northwest staffing, we help candidates from in and around Seattle find rewarding job opportunities.

View our current job openings or contact us today to learn more.

Many job seekers are hesitant to work with a staffing company. However, their opinions of staffing companies are, many times, based on myth vs. reality. Let’s take a look:

Myth #1: Staffing companies only fill temporary jobs.

Reality: There are some staffing companies that do only specialize in temporary employment. However, many firms offer a variety of positions, from temporary to temp-to-hire to full-time.

In addition, many of the largest employers in the Northwest use staffing agencies to fill open positions. As a result, staffing companies can give you access to positions that you may not otherwise learn about.

Myth #2: Jobs available from a staffing company are all low paying.

Reality: Different positions mean different wages, salaries, and benefits. The amount a position pays is really dependent on the skill level and experience required for that position. So while some positions pay better than others, that has nothing to do with the staffing agency since the hiring company sets the wages and benefits.

Myth #3: Staffing firms only fill entry level or administrative positions.

Reality: This may have been the case a couple of decades ago. But nowadays, it’s no longer true. In fact, there are hundreds of staffing companies around the country that specialize in recruiting for executive level positions only. Likewise, there are countless firms that focus solely on recruiting for industries such as IT, healthcare, and financial.

At Northwest Staffing, we fill an assortment of job openings in many different industries. So whatever your skill level or experience, chances are, we can find positions that will be a fit for you.

Myth #4: All jobs are short term, only lasting a few weeks.

Reality: This may be true for certain temporary or contract assignments. But staffing agencies like Northwest Staffing also fill many long-term temporary positions that may last months, as well as many full-time, permanent positions.

Myth #5: Benefits aren’t available when you work with a staffing company.

Reality: This is not necessarily true. Many staffing companies offer a comprehensive benefits package to their temporary or contract workers that includes things like health insurance and paid vacations.

If you’re unemployed and uncertain about your job prospects, consider getting in touch with a staffing company. We work with some of the leading employers in Seattle, Spokane, and throughout the Northwest. As a result, we can give you access to a variety of rewarding opportunities. Contact Northwest Staffing today to learn more.

The Northwest job market is more cutthroat than ever, which can make the task of finding a good position seem overwhelming. It can be done, but don’t sabotage your efforts by making these common job search mistakes:

Mistake #1: Ignoring the basics.
Be sure to include your name, address, phone, email, work history and education on your resume. These are the basics and every potential employer is expecting them.

Mistake #2: Using an inappropriate email address.
As an employment agency serving the Northwest, you’d be surprised by the number of resumes we see with emails like pookybear102@aol.com. Don’t make this mistake. Instead, create a simple and professional email address that includes your first and last name.

Mistake #3: Sounding unprofessional in your voicemail.
If you’re sending out resumes and know that employers will be calling you, make sure that your voicemail greeting reflects the professional that you are. “What up?” doesn’t cut it.

Mistake #4: Not proofreading your resume.
Proofread your resume every time you send it out. Don’t simply rely on spell check to do the job for you. Why? Because your computer’s spell check program will ignore mistakes like using “untie” instead of “unite.”

Mistake #5: Posting unflattering photos online.
Nowadays, many prospective employers will receive your resume and then Google you. If that’s the case, then you better hope there’s nothing racy or inappropriate posted about you, like those drunken pictures from your bachelor party. Either set your profiles on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace to private, or better yet, use this rule of thumb – if you don’t want an employer to see it, don’t post it.

Mistake #6: Using just one tool, like big name job search engines.
Big name job websites are a great way to search for a new position; however, you shouldn’t depend 100% on them. Many smaller companies don’t advertise on these sites, so you could be missing out on some rewarding opportunities. It’s also important to take other steps to finding a job, like attending a job fair, networking with others, and working with a staffing agency like Northwest Staffing.

Mistake #7: Sending your resume to every company and recruiter under the sun.
You’re setting yourself up for failure if you do this. Instead, take a targeted approach to submitting your resume. Only submit your resume for those positions that you truly qualify for and be sure to tailor your resume and cover letter for each position.

Mistake #8: Not following up.
Once you’ve had an interview, send a thank you note or an email to the person that interviewed you. Even if the interview didn’t go so well, or you realized you are unqualified for the position, you always want to make a good impression. After all, you never know what could happen in the future. A position you are qualified for could open up at the company or the person that interviewed you may refer your resume to a colleague at another company.

Whether you’re just beginning your job search, or you’ve been at it for a while, the employment recruiters at Northwest Staffing can help. We work with some of the leading companies in Seattle and Spokane and can give you access to a variety of exciting opportunities. Best of all, our job search service is free for candidates.

Contact Northwest Staffing today to learn more or search our current job openings now.