Madden Industrial Craftsmen Incorporated

With the economy sputtering and corporations looking to pare their workforces even more, it’s no surprise that job security is a real concern.  But how do you make yourself “layoff-proof?”  How, in short, do you make yourself indispensable?

While no one really is indispensable, there are a number of things you can do to enhance your job security.

First, you need to look at your department as a corporation and yourself as its CEO.  All of your activities should be carried out with the bottom line in view.  Will they be an asset or a liability?  You need to look at the big picture as well, how your activities and department fit in with the entire company.

You need to take responsibility for your career and moving up the ladder, taking a proactive stance and not just relying on a mentor to help out.

Make sure to keep a positive attitude.  Someone who is always worrying about what will go wrong, or who is overly concerned about failure rather than success, will not be seen as an asset to the company.

Learn how to work in a leaner environment.  Show your superiors you can run your department just as efficiently with fewer people.  Learn how to hire consultants and other temporary staffers to help out.

Find a job that you can do better than it’s being done now, or one that is being neglected, and then take on the challenge of doing it.  And make sure to add the additional duties to your job description.

Develop a plan to make others in the organization aware of who you are and what you do.  Some people believe that if they keep their head down they will be overlooked during a downsizing.  That’s not true.

Find out what in areas your boss is weak and become an expert in those areas.

Become a company spokesperson at community events and other gatherings.  By doing this, you become the face of the company to the community, and you develop more contacts.  Make sure you inform your superiors what you are doing.

And, finally, it’s good to remember the old axiom – be a team player.  You should be seen as someone who supports and promotes the department, someone who finds solutions to conflicts rather than causing them.

When you’re looking for the next position where you can showcase your skills and abilities, contact Madden Industrial Craftsmen Incorporate. We have many terrific positions for skilled craftsmen at great companies throughout the Pacific Northwest. Contact us today.

The good news: It’s very possible to get a raise today, even as the economy slowly recovers from one of the worst recessions in this nation’s history and while unemployment remains stubbornly high.

The bad news: You’ll have to earn it.

That is, before you ever approach your manager about a raise, you already should have earned it. You already should have been making a contribution to your company’s goals above and beyond what is expected of you in your job. You should have been doing the job of someone in a more demanding position and you should have been doing so for several months (at least three or four), not for a few weeks.

But that really is good news, because employers truly do want to reward top workers who do all they can — and more! — to help a business succeed.

However, most employers don’t spend their time noticing which employees are doing more and then automatically giving them hefty raises at annual performance reviews. So, you’ll more than likely have to ask for that raise.

Here’s how to do so:

Document your accomplishments. Prove that you’re going the aforementioned “above and beyond” in your duties. For example, you could e-mail your boss weekly, monthly or quarterly (just do it regularly) with a short report of all the things you’ve accomplished and where you are on major tasks/projects. It could be an e-mail such as “Completed Project A this week, one week ahead of schedule, saving the company several thousand dollars.” Don’t brag, just state the facts, which should speak for themselves.

Keep these reports for yourself. Review them regularly and self-select what you feel are the most important accomplishments. Then summarize them and a) forward them to your boss a few days before your annual review or b) forward them to her each quarter.

Be sure your attitude matches your stellar performance. Don’t complain. Don’t come up with excuses when tasks aren’t completed well or on time (in fact, you should let your boss know as soon as you know about problems or when a project will be late). Own up to your mistakes and work to make sure they don’t happen again. Be pleasant to everyone. Keep any temper you may have in check. If you have a hard time with disruption, work on yourself so that you’re better able to “go with the flow.”

Finally, ask for a raise. Depending on how well your employer is doing financially as well as your relationship with your supervisor, you can suggest yourself the raise amount, or you can ask for a raise and let your supervisor/employer decide upon the amount.

Contact Madden Industrial Craftsmen Incorporated when you’re ready to raise your career expectations. We have many terrific assignments at some of the Pacific Northwest’s greatest employers.  Contact us today.

Work. Often can’t live with it, always can’t live without it (bills gotta be paid, after all).

But stress at work can be a literal killer. Your body produces a large amount of the hormone called cortisol as part of the fight-or-fight reaction to stress. The body can handle only small and infrequent spurts of cortisol at once; stress-filled jobs mean cortisol is coursing through your body, potentially causing all manner of deadly diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, etc.

Stress on the job truly can be hazardous to your health. But a person has to work, right? So here are some tips to help you relax — and cut back on the cortisol — at work and at home.

Take a minute and think of five things for which you are grateful. Gratitude is a very effective way to appreciate your life and turn a bad emotional state into a more positive one. The things for which you are grateful needn’t be “big” or awe inspiring. Simply taking the time to appreciate the fact that it’s a lovely day outside, the work day is over is in just one hour, how much you love peanut butter, how your cat makes you laugh as she chases a crumpled wad of paper — all can go a long way to cleaning your body of anxiety.

Get rid of the clutter around you. Studies have indeed shown that “stuff” can cause stress. A cluttered desk or home makes for a cluttered and jumbled mind. Just the act of putting papers into neat piles on your workspace can go a long way to a calming mindset. Go a step further and take the time to really organize and tidy up your desk. Get rid of paper, folders, items you don’t need. The same goes for your home. Go through closets, the garage, the basement, the spare room — any room! — and get rid of the stuff. You’ll be amazed and pleased how a clean and organized workspace and home fosters a clean and relaxed mind.

Take 30 deep belly breathes. Sit in a chair with your legs apart and place your hands on your stomach. Using your stomach, breathe in slowly through your nose (you’ll know you’re doing it correctly because you’ll feel your stomach expand). Breathe out slowly through your nose, but use some force so that you’ll feel your stomach pull in slightly toward your back. Do this 30 times and, when done, you’ll be pleased at how calm and centered you feel.

Contact Madden Industrial Craftsmen Incorporated when you’re stressing about finding a great job. We have many terrific assignments at some of the Pacific Northwest’s greatest employers. Contact us today.

For those employees working out of our Portland or Vancouver offices, you can now get you Direct Deposit Pay Stub information by either phone or online.

If you are currently signed up to get your pay check directly deposited into your checking account or pay card you will need to use one of the two methods below to receive your weekly check stub information . If you have email as well you can have your check stub information automatically sent to you. Just sign up for pay stub information at globalcashcard.com and check the box to email pay stub information to your email address. If you have any questions or problems with either of the methods below please call our offices, Beaverton Office 503-690-0641 or Vancouver Office at 360-260-8801 for help.

1. Call 1-866-530-6430. When prompted, you will need to enter your Social Security Number and you will hear your Pay Stub Information for that week.

 2. You can go online to see your pay stub information. You will need to create a login account at www.globalcashcard.com and look for the Payroll Service Center box. Go to the Activate My Pay stub field and hit the Gold “GO” button.

You will then see the following screen:

In the future you just need to go to www.globalcashcard and put your Login ID (Social Security Number) and password in the Payroll Service Center area.

Global Cash Card

Direct deposit for those without a bank account

Making Life a Little Easier for Our Employees

Most of us enjoy the convenience of a checking account and direct deposit. We never think twice about how this convenience simplifies our lives. We never have to scurry around trying to cash a paycheck before banks close or pay exorbitant fees to a check cashing service. Payday rolls around and we magically have money in our accounts. Life simply moves smoother for us.

Between trying to pick up their paycheck during working hours, to cashing it, to managing money by keeping a wad of cash, to having to pay bills via money orders—-it simply is a hassle to cash a paper check anymore. While this is definitely a headache for employees, it can also be a headache for you, the employer. Paper checks mean sometimes employees might want off early to cash a check or pick up a check. Even if you’re enjoy our complimentary check delivery service, you still have to make sure someone’s at the job site to pick up delivered checks. Even worse, some of our clients work out of town, making paychecks even trickier.

We’ve noticed that our employees that DO have direct deposit enjoy a much more reliable method of paycheck access—and in turn, it makes things easier on our clients as well. We now offer direct deposit to ALL of our employees—regardless of whether they have a bank account.

Through Global Cash Card—we offer our employee a no-credit-check debit card where their paycheck is deposited instantaneously. With the Visa logo, they can use it at all merchants where Visa is accepted, and they can even check their payroll stub online. They can easily pay bills via their card versus scrambling for money orders. They can even easily get cash via ATM’s. The card literally functions as a debit card—without the bank account and credit check! Some additional perks are as follows:

 ·  No more check cashing fees.

 · No more standing in line or travel time.

 · No more lost checks.

 · Free cards for family members.

 · Free transaction per pay period.

 · Free monthly card maintenance.

 · Free signature transactions.

 · Free email, text message or voice message to you when your card is loaded.

 · Free multilingual “live” customer service.

 · Free enrollment in our cash rewards program.

 · Over 32,000 Surcharge Free ATMs and over 1 million ATMs worldwide to get your cash 24 hours a day.

 Direct deposit simply makes life easier—and we now offer it to all of our employees. If paper checks are problematic for your employees as well, remember, we can also provide our solid benefits package (medical, dental, vision, paid holidays, direct deposit) to your employees through our pay-rolling options. Call us today about our pay-rolling options, we’ll even work with you and provide these services at a reduced rate! Find out just how smoothly our H.R. can work for you…

Tips for Job Seekers

Whether you are seeking a job with a staffing firm or a Fortune 500 company, the process is pretty much the same. Start by crafting a compelling résumé. This will help you identify your marketable skills. Then, before you apply for a job, make sure that your skills match what the company is looking for. If so, prepare an effective cover letter and send it to the prospective employer along with your résumé. If you get an interview, get ready for it well before you go. There may be more than one. For example, your first interview may be with a staffing firm and your second one with its client.

Craft a Compelling Résumé

Unless you have more than 10 years of experience, your résumé should be no longer than one page. Use a simple layout.

            Know what you want.

Compose a clearly stated job objective. State what you want to do, for whom, where, and at what level of responsibility.

            Stand out from the crowd.

Instead of just listing your job skills, describe the benefits and results of your performance. For each permanent job or staffing assignment, develop a list of major accomplishments, placing the most emphasis on your recent achievements. What problems or challenges have you faced? What actions did you take to overcome them? How did your actions benefit the company? Keep in mind that most companies value workers who enhance profits and save time and money.

            Sell yourself.

You only have one shot to make a great impression. Your résumé is a word picture of yourself. Showcase your strengths and one or two outstanding skills or abilities. List your education, training, and any relevant awards.

            Never list the reasons for termination or leaving a job on the résumé.

The reader can find negative connotations for even the best reason. You’re far better off explaining employment lapses in person.

            Make sure the résumé and the cover letter are error-free.

Proofread, and have others proofread them, too. Make your résumé understandable by avoiding jargon and using plain English.

Prepare an Effective Cover Letter

A cover letter allows you to personalize your résumé. Its main purpose is to emphasize your strengths and assets in a way that will interest employers in interviewing you. 

            To attract the reader’s attention, the cover letter must look good and be easy to read.

Pay particular attention to spelling, grammar, punctuation, spacing, paragraph length, and margins. Address it to a particular person by name, making sure that the spelling and title of the individual are correct. A good cover letter is not too long, so try to limit yours to a single page.                                                        

The first paragraph should arouse the reader’s interest.

State some particular knowledge you have of the reader’s business, or comment on a “timely” issue relating to the company’s operation.

            The body of the cover letter should explain what you can do for the company.

Put yourself in the employer’s position as you write. Present facts that will be interesting and that accurately describe your assets and qualifications. Your prospective employer will be interested in your ability to make or save money, conserve time, and effectively assume and delegate responsibility. Do not stress weaknesses, such as lack of experience

The last paragraph should request action.

Ask for an interview, and state specific times and dates when you will call to arrange an interview (allow at least three business days from the day you send the letter). In all circumstances be courteous, but be direct.

           The letter should end with the formal salutation “Sincerely.”

Below the salutation, type your name and then add your signature.

Sending Your Résumé and Cover Letter Via E-Mail

As a 21st-century jobseeker, it’s important to have an electronic cover letter and résumé to send at the click of a mouse. Here are some steps for converting your cover letter and résumé from Word or WordPerfect documents into electronic ones.

            Remove all formatting, including lines, boxes, bold, italics, and underlining.

Change the font to Courier, size 12. Convert your page margins to 1 inch on the left and 3 inches on the right. When you save the cover letter or résumé, choose “Save As” and change the type to “Text only with Line Breaks.” A warning box may come up informing you that you might lose some formatting. Click “OK” or “Yes.”

            Launch Notepad (PC) or SimpleText (Mac) to reformat and clean up your résumé.

Move all centered items to the left margin, and make sure all text is flush left. As you scroll through your document, remove all Tabs, replace all bullets with asterisks (*), and change bolded words to all caps. Increase white space by hitting Return twice between sections.

           Make sure your cover letter and résumé are e-friendly.

Do not send them as attachments, but, rather, pasted in the body of the e-mail. Practice sending them via e-mail to yourself as well as a friend who uses a different Internet service provider—to ensure the documents are clean and professional-looking. Once you’ve made any required adjustments, your cover letter and résumé are ready for a prospective employer’s inspection.

            Words matter.

Always include keywords in your résumé. Recruiters use keywords to search for résumés. So choose some of the basic, important keywords in your field and pepper them throughout your résumé. For example: Web designer, account manager, communications specialist, to name some.

Deliver a Knock-Out Interview

Your carefully prepared cover letter and résumé paid off. You’ve landed an interview. Get ready—in advance—to make a good impression.

           Confirm the interview appointment.

Do this one day before your interview. Know the date, time, and location of the interview. Try to find out how long you’ll be there. And make sure you have your contact’s phone numbers in case you have to call.

            Clear your calendar.

If possible, keep your schedule free of any other commitments. The interview might run over or you could be asked to stay longer. Explaining that you have to be somewhere else could create an awkward situation.

            Say their names correctly.

If you know the names of interviewers in advance, confirm the pronunciation and spelling.

            Be on time.

Don’t arrive more than 10 minutes early and, most important, don’t be late. Arriving late not only labels you as rude, it also makes you seem unreliable. If unforeseen circumstances arise and you must be late, do everything you can to call ahead of time.

            Dress to impress.

How embarrassing to come to an interview and discover you’re underdressed. If possible, find out in advance what attire works. If you’re still not sure, wear a suit. There’s no such thing as overkill when dressing for an interview.

            Let them know you’ve arrived.

Walk up to the receptionist, smile, shake hands, introduce yourself, and state that you have an appointment. Offer your résumé or business card and wait.

            Shut off the cell phone.

Unless there’s a bona fide crisis, turn off your cell phone or pager.

            Use your mouth for talking only.

Unless the interview is scheduled with a meal, nothing should be in your mouth but words. Drinking, eating, smoking, and chewing gum don’t work during an interview.

            Prepare a short information statement.

Be ready to answer the dreaded question, “Tell me about yourself and your background.” Your statement should include some information on the types of companies and industries you have worked for, your strengths, your transferable skills, and some of your personal traits. Practice saying this statement until it feels natural.

            Be prepared to talk about your successes and experiences.

The employer will want to find out about your past experience—successes and failures, your work ethic, and your track record. Be able to amplify every item on your résumé.

            Be nice.

Everyone you meet during your interview—from the receptionist to the interviewer—should be treated with respect and courtesy. The receptionist might not be conducting the interview, but his or her opinion of you might be solicited.

            Follow up.

Send a thank you letter within a day of the interview. Provide any documents that might have been requested, such as references, an employment application, or samples of your work. A few days later, call to express your continued interest and to see if you could offer more information.