We each have all the time there is but never seem to have enough!
During a sales training seminar, I had each participant make a list of their daily activities. They were then instructed to mark next to each activity the percentage of time they spent on it each day. At the conclusion of the exercise, each participant shared the top five daily activities that took the majority of their time.
This proved to be an eye-opening exercise for this group, as no one, not even the owner of the company, was spending the majority of his or her time on the core functions of their job. Most were spending the majority of their day on peripheral work such as:
reading and answering email messages
preparing internal reports
attending staff meetings
planning and organizing
setting appointments
It wasn’t that they never got around to the main functions of their role. It’s that these functions received less attention generally. While administrative activities are meaningful, none of them will keep the doors of your company open or your bank account healthy. Since the sole purpose of any business is to make a profit, the single most important activity is to generate revenue or support those who do.
Time is the great equalizer in life. How a person uses it makes the difference between achieving success and just getting by. Most people go through life believing they have no control over their time; that external demands dictate where and how they use their time. I used to call on a Human Resources Manager who would, without fail, lament the same “My time is not my own” mantra to cancel every meeting I scheduled with her. I hoped she got a good price for it since she gave ownership of her “dash” (the years lived between birth and death) away to others.
“Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.” ― Lao Tzu
It’s a given that we can’t control time. If we could, most of us would stop the clock in our twenties. But you can make a conscious decision to either go through life with a compass or a clock.
Choosing a compass means you view time as a precious gift. You live life with purpose. You spend your days doing meaningful work. You are present in life and you expect a return on your time investment.
The very idea of “spending” means you’re using something up or exhausting a supply. People who “spend” time at work each day may put more emphasis on being busy than being productive. On the other hand, invested individuals will go the extra mile to achieve the results (return on time investment) that they’re seeking. Time investors know that when time is spent, it’s gone.
There’s no better example of someone living this principle than famous television writer and producer, Norman Lear. That is, adopting what he says is a two-word philosophy that allows him to stay present and focused. “I think the two least-considered small words in the English language may be ‘over’ and ‘next”. “When something is over, it’s over. We’re onto next. I live in that moment.”
Time is a gift we receive at birth. You could be born under a lucky star, but the reality is that none of us know how much time is encoded in our destiny. Time is a gift we should all cherish. Any wise man will tell you … “You can always make more money, but you can never make more time”.
The late Stephen Jobs began each day by looking in the mirror and asking himself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” If the answer was ‘no’, he would change something.
At the end of the day, if time is money and you’ve merely spent your time, you’ll have little to show for the effort you’ve made. A good test of time investment is to reflect back on your day and ask yourself, “am I remembering tasks or accomplishments”?
A farmer told his wife he would plow the north field the next day. In the morning he went out to oil the tractor, but he found he was low in oil, so he went to the storage shed to get some. On the way he noticed that the chickens had not been fed. He went to the corn crib to get some corn, where he saw some sacks on the ground. That reminded him that the potatoes needed sprouting, so he started toward the potato pit to sprout the potatoes. On the way, he passed the wood pile which reminded him that he had to take some kindling to the house. He had picked up a few sticks when an ailing lamb passed by. He dropped the wood and reached for the lamb. And so it continued until he reached the end of the day and had not touched the north field.” ─ Source Unknown
We all have days that make that story relatable. But, we would be wise to make those days an exception rather than a rule. As the wise Japanese proverb teaches us, “Spilled water never returns to the cup”!
According to Forbes, 71% of workers are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” from their work.
This signals boredom!
And, boredom, it turns out, can be a dangerous and disruptive state of mind that damages your health – and even cuts years off your lifespan.
Boredom shows up as lack of enthusiasm, low productivity or lack of participation. It’s the feeling of dread one gets when thinking about going to work each day. It’s watching the clock, pretending to be busy but getting nothing done, coming in late or not at all.
We all get bored.
But try to find a job, any job, that doesn’t have boring aspects.
Those we admire the most and who make what they do look easy, have to complete a lot of grueling (and boring!) exercises in order to make their achievements look effortless. Vocalists have breathing exercises. Athletes have drills. Pianists have finger exercises and scales. Actors have readings.
Shortly after I began my career in sales, my sales manager left town for a week-long conference. She left me with a training manual, 4-inches thick, and instructed me to stay in the office while she was away and read the entire training manual.
After only a couple hours into the manual, I found myself falling asleep. Since I would rather do something than read about it, I decided after several failed attempts to get through the manual that I had had enough. I grabbed the map of my sales territory and out I went to make sales calls, without a clue about how to actually make a sales call. I didn’t care. Being bored is far more stressful to me than being fearless.
If you find yourself in a boring job, you’re not alone. Nearly half the workforce experiences boredom and chalks it up as “just part of the job”.
Modern life provides a nearly overwhelming amount of sensory bombardment in the form of noise, crowds, traffic, clutter, and the demands of ever-present electronic devices. Over stimulation is the new norm. Without it, we don’t know what to do with ourselves!
In stark contrast, your job can seem to offer not enough mental stimulation, and that, just like sensory overload can be quite stressful.
Since most people work to live rather than the other way around, we must find a way to cope. The basic solution to boredom is to keep your mind stimulated.
Consider this –
Are you bored all day or only with certain aspects of your job? If you’re bored all day, you’re not challenged enough. Your job may not be a good fit for you. One of my clients was searching for an outside salesperson. A young lady in her Accounts Payable Dept. was interested in the job, but my client was apprehensive about offering her the role. I tested the candidate for outside sales ability and discovered they had a sales superstar wasting away in AP! With only a little training, this newly appointed salesperson became their top sales producer. This happens often. If you feel that your talents aren’t being utilized, consider the possibility that you may be in the wrong job in the right company. What other job in your company are you most interested in? Speak up! If you don’t promote yourself, no one else will.
Do you enjoy your work but just don’t have enough to keep you busy all day? I can relate to this. My first job out of college was with a local attorney. There were only the two of us in the office. He would be in court for days at a time and I was alone in the office with nothing but deafening silence and a rotary phone that I would beg to ring. Since it’s doubtful that your job description includes, “aimlessly browse the internet for hours at a time,” you don’t want to find yourself occupying your time with mindless distractions or the temptation to interrupt co-workers. When you no longer feel challenged, speak up! Ask to take on assignments from outside your immediate department if necessary, but ask for more. Being challenged is a great motivator. Lack of challenge, on the other hand, can quickly turn you into an underachiever.
Are your expectations too high? Since we are, in many ways, defined by our occupations, it’s only natural that we expect our jobs to be sources of constant stimulation and fulfillment. While we may think our job is nothing more than a source of income, the reality is we expect our work to fulfill more than that singular need. To feel fulfilled, we also need the camaraderie of co-workers and a sense of belonging. We need to feel appreciated, respected, accomplished.
That’s a tall order.
What human being could deliver on those expectations consistently and not crumble under the pressure? Likewise, a job can’t reasonably be expected to deliver on each need all the time.
Boredom is a state of mind. But, generally, a lack of meaning at work is a common refrain among today’s workers.
If you hate your job, hate your co-workers, hate your life; take stock ─ the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
And, by the way, you can dig out of one but not the other ─ there’s that.
A young lady confidently walked around the room with a raised glass
of water while explaining stress management to an audience.
Everybody expected her to ask, ‘half empty or half full?’ Instead, she asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
“The weight doesn’t matter, she said. What matters is how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, no problem. If I hold it for an hour, my arm will ache. If I hold it for a day, I’ll need an ambulance. In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “…and that’s the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes heavier, we won’t be able to carry on.”
Waking up tired, emotionally drained, carrying excessive abdominal fat are just a few signs that you are holding onto stress (the glass of water), and have reached the stage of being chronically (and dangerously) stressed.
Only ten months after starting my first outside sales position in an industry I knew little about, my boss was killed in an automobile accident.
Two weeks after her funeral, I was promoted to her position, which meant managing people, sales, and a multi-million dollar budget. As the company CEO handed me the first budget I had ever seen, he said, “This will put hair on your chest”. That was not on my “bucket list”, but I accepted the challenge.
Four months later, I got married.
Six months after my wedding, I lost my mother to cancer. She was only 64.
Stress finally brought me to my knees. Emotionally, I was spent. Physically, I was walking dead.
According to the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale — a test that ranks stressors on a scale of least stressful to most stressful with the idea the more stressful the event, the higher the likelihood of illness — I should have been dead! I was 77 points over the highest ranking for developing a major illness!
I suspect if we randomly gave the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale test to any worker today, they’d also rank way above a healthy level since 83% of workers say they’re stressed at work. Americans are working longer hours than ever before. Sixty percent use their cell phones to check in with work outside of normal working hours.
My husband used to work in such a toxic environment, he and his colleagues felt compelled to work longer and longer hours, fearing if they were the first to leave each day, they’d look less committed and easily replaced. The pressure was overwhelming. Shockingly, only one of the men in his department suffered a heart attack!
Unfortunately, his former company is more the norm than the exception of what’s happening in our workplaces. This is alarming!
Human DNA has only changed 0.1% in the last 10,000 years. In contrast; the technological revolution we’re enjoying has made the change in our world mind-bending. We simply aren’t genetically adapted to the circumstances we encounter in our lives today.
Although we’re no longer chased by saber-toothed tigers, we live in a time that places demands on us in a way that our bodies think we’re still being chased by saber-toothed tigers. Our genetics don’t understand today’s stressors and haven’t caught up with our modern “tigers”.
I heard a speaker once say, “You don’t get ulcers because of what you’re eating. You get ulcers because of what’s eating you”! My stressors were on a feeding frenzy.
I used to work with a fellow that broke out in hives when he was stressed. Another would walk down the hallway, red-faced, banging his fist against the wall with every step, screaming at the top of his lungs and causing general disruption throughout the office. Still another, who sat in close proximity to me, would signal distress with uncontrollable (and highly audible) belching.
As a biofeedback coach once pointed out to me, the word “disease” simply means “dis-ease” or the absence of ease (calm) within the body. Is this state of un-ease becoming the new normal?
If you’re a manager, you’re in a position to ease the day-to-day stressors your employees experience by minimizing:
overtime, working through breaks or taking work home
lack of support by supervisors, managers and/or co-workers
a sense of job insecurity
lack of role clarity and expectations
lack of communication
conflict among colleagues or managers
after-hours communications
Some of the obvious advantages to eliminating stressors in the workplace are happier and more productive employees and less turnover.
If you’re a contract employee constantly adapting to new environments and people, make the decision to accept the initial stress of starting a new job. Since contract work is a conscious choice, view the initial stress as a positive to enjoying varied experiences.
Minimize stress by …
Gaining clarity of what’s expected of you
Arriving on time
Coming prepared to do the job
Communicating with co-workers and supervisors
Avoiding conflict with others
Listening and following instructions
Avoiding unnecessary “noise”. (i.e., constantly checking emails and phone messages, spending hours on social media looking at what other people do).
Stress is a fact of life. But you can become less stressed if you remember that in order to take care of others; your oxygen mask goes on first!
ASHEVILLE, NC – Friday Services is pleased to announce a new addition to the company’s Professional Division; Mark Sternal joins Friday’s as the newest Professional Consultant.
Mark Sternal Professional Consultant
Mark will be specializing in the sourcing and placing of hospitality professionals with top organizations in the restaurant, casino, hotel, resort, spa, and country club industries.
“The move to Friday Professional Services allows me to combine my skill sets and draw upon my deep regional connections,” said Mark. “This is the perfect opportunity to add value for our clients.”
For the past four years, Mark has worked in the executive search field. He now brings his expertise as a recruiter back to his roots, based on 30 years of running restaurants, clubs, bars, and catering companies. Mark also works as an Entrepreneur and Business Coach for a local Asheville non-profit, assisting start-up restaurants and catering clients.
In addition, Mark is deeply involved in the community. Since moving to Asheville in 2004, he has served on the Board of Directors for the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (A.I.R.) and the Asheville Lyric Opera. He is involved with the Asheville and Hendersonville Chambers of Commerce, the Asheville Downtown Association, Go! Green Opportunities, and Mountain Bizworks.
“Given Mark’s extensive background in the hospitality industry, coupled with his previous experience as an Executive Recruiter, it is a wonderful opportunity for both Mark and Friday Services,” stated the company’s Chief Operating Officer and Vice President, Deborah Pressley.
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”
Like most people, I spent my entire career working for and with other people. As I retired and left corporate America, it occurred to me that what I would miss most and least about the past 50 years of my working life was one and the same: people.
Russ*, like me, worked in the sales department for an international importer. He appeared well liked by everyone in our department. I liked Russ.
Unfortunately, he didn’t like me.
At times, he would treat me cordially and cooperatively, and at other times, asking him a simple question would result in conflict. Approaching him for information became a game of tiptoeing across eggshells without breaking one. Since there was absolutely nothing I could pinpoint that had caused a rift between us, I was forced to conclude that I was that “one in every four people you meet that you won’t like” person for this man. I was happy when he left the company for another opportunity.
In your career, you’ll encounter someone that just rubs you the wrong way. You’re going to encounter egomaniacs, gossipers, complainers, manipulators, slackers, divas, enviers, finger pointers, know-it-alls … and the list goes on. The point is─ it’s inescapable.
We all come into life a “Tabula rasa “ or “clean slate” and are molded into the adult person we become based on personality and life experiences. It’s our uniqueness and experiences that shape how well or how poorly we develop relationships and interact with other people.
It’s virtually impossible to know what will stir up old feelings of resentment, self-doubt and deep-seated anger in another person, or what old wounds someone will stir up in you.
It’s hard enough to work with someone you don’t like. Try working with someone who doesn’t like you.
When you work with people you like and who like you, you’ll be more productive and happier in your job. If you’re dealing with someone who doesn’t like you, they’ll find ways to sabotage your success, even if it’s merely bringing down your morale.
We don’t all have to like each other, but we do have to all get along. Conflict is counter-productive and costly. It’s in everyone’s best interest to create an environment that promotes cooperation and goodwill among coworkers, regardless of title or status in the organization.
If you’re a hiring manager, selecting the right employee becomes more than just identifying a particular skill or ability.
A quick exercise I used to make this point when training owners and managers was to have them list all the attributes of their best workers. Each time, we’d fill up several sheets of easel paper with attributes called out randomly by participants like, honesty, trust worthy, confident, professional, competent, cooperative, team player, etc. Then, we’d mark next to each asset recorded if the attribute was a skill or an attitude. Without fail, the majority of the traits the group identified that that made someone a great worker were attitudes … hard to measure, but essential to performance.
An easy way to determine the traits and attitudes necessary to do a job is to switch your focus from why you hire to why you fire someone from a role.
I know it sounds crazy, but consider that people don’t lose their jobs because of the experience and skills listed on their resume. They lose their jobs because of behavioral patterns that are inconsistent with working synergistically and productively.
If you’re a new employee trying to fit into an established work group, fitting in becomes more than just doing what’s expected productively.
In order to work well with many different work groups, you’re going to have to be the one that adapts quickly to other personality types. It’s a given that you aren’t going to like everyone you meet, but it will be easier to adapt your own style with that of others if you understand each company’s culture beforehand. It’s imperative that you learn all you can about the culture and the people of each company you work for.
Several years ago, a hiring manager spent the better part of an hour sharing his frustration with me in being able to find the right person to join his customer service group. He was clearly pointing the finger at the many staffing services that had sent a worker to him for the role and felt the problem was simply that no one had capable workers.
When asked some of basic questions about his culture and the people in it, we both discovered that the problem wasn’t with the new hires at all, but rather, the attitude of his existing team about accepting a new hire into their established work group. Clearly, this group’s unspoken mantra for every new hire was, “We Don’t Want You … Please Leave”. This manager faced the hard reality that his own staff members were sabotaging every new hire that walked through his door.
If you work on a contract basis, your ability to adapt to other people becomes as much of an asset as having the skill set required to perform the job. The more adaptable you can become, the more success you’re going to have since you will be immersed into many different work groups and have to deal with way more people than the Average Joe that works full time with one company his entire career.
Can’t we just all get along? Yes, yes we can … but the magic lies in believing that “we can disagree without being disagreeable”.
For many, the holiday season is a time for joy and gatherings with family and friends. For others, however, it can be a difficult season of financial hardships, grief, or health concerns. We feel so fortunate to be part of the communities of Western North Carolina, where dozens of nonprofit organizations are dedicated to helping those in need.
As we welcome in the new year, we want to take a moment and recognize our special partnership with Eblen Charities in their year-round outreach in Western North Carolina. Their numerous programs have helped thousands upon thousands of families each year with medical and emergency assistance. Founded in 1991, Eblen Charities is one of North Carolina’s most innovative and effective social enterprises.
Friday Services feels honored to be able to assist in Eblen’s life-changing work, supporting programs such as Headlock on Hunger, Brad Johnson Celebrity Golf Classic, Giving Thanks at Thanksgiving, and Saint Nicholas Project. There is so much value in working together to make a difference.
Giving Thanks at Thanksgiving
This past year, Giving Thanks at Thanksgiving was in its 12th year of supplying meals for families that Eblen Charities serves. On Wednesday, November 22, meals were distributed to the clients of Eblen Charities at the Westgate Regional Shopping Center where the Eblen office is located.
Volunteers, board members, and staff provided what would be the equivalent of 13,000 meals, including the turkey and all the fixins’ for people to take with them for the holiday. “This way, they can take the dinner home,” says Bill Murdock, executive director of Eblen Charities. “Each one feeds 10-14 people, so they can share with their family and friends and have leftovers—all the great things that come with Thanksgiving!”
Drop-offs at the Toy Drive
In 2016, the Saint Nicholas Project ensured that 4,500 children (from birth to age 18) received toys on Christmas morning. In 2017, the demand was even greater. Bill and his team collected toys for three days at Ingles on Tunnel Road. It takes about 25,000 toys to be able to do this every year.
The Saint Nicholas Project also provides clothes, food, and other items to children and families in our community to help make their holidays a bit brighter. Click to read more information about the Saint Nicholas Project.
Changing Lives Together
Friday Services is also excited to support Eblen Charities’ Headlock on Hunger, a year-round program to fight hunger. This initiative includes snack programs in schools and the allocation of food for families to have while children are out of school for summer or a holiday. “Friday’s has been a big part of that… We want to make sure that everyone has enough food because, as we say, when you’re hungry, nothing else matters,” says Bill.
Bill says that Eblen seeks partnerships with area businesses. “We want to be as much part of the outreach of the company, as they are of ours. It goes beyond just the monetary donation. It shows the heart and commitment that Friday’s has in the community—how many people and families we are able to reach out and touch. We are very fortunate to have them here and for us to be a part of their outreach, and for them to be such a big part of what Eblen does in the community.”
Donations for Eblen Charities are always welcome. Please contact them if you know someone in need or would like to get involved.
Bill adds, “We will have more and more volunteer opportunities. If anyone has any questions or wants to reach out, please call me personally at 828.242.2848.”
Ringing in the New Year!
We wish all of our employees, clients, friends, and partners a happy and healthy 2018. Our core mission is to serve people in our community by helping them find the right jobs to achieve a better way of life for themselves and their families. Check out our open jobs and apply today.
In 1992, when Continental Corporation’s Morganton (NC) operation opened its facility doors, it was an exciting day in Burke County. Over the years, Continental has hired many WNC residents and helped them reach their professional goals.
On October 17, 2017, Continental hosted an anniversary celebration to mark its 25 years in business. Members of Friday Services were happy to attend this occasion, where presentations were delivered by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper; NC Senator Warren Daniel; NC Representative Hugh Blackwell; City of Morganton Mayor Ronnie Thompson; Chairman of the Burke County Commissioners Jeff Brittain; and Samir Salman, CEO of Continental of North America.
Gratitude for Continental from Friday Services
Friday’s has been honored to partner with Continental for these past 25 years. Many Friday Services employees have been hired by Continental during that time—and the numbers keep growing! Whenever we are able to match candidates with jobs at Continental, we know for certain those workers have a great opportunity ahead of them.
Expansion & Growth for 2018
At their anniversary event, Continental also shared exciting news on an 82,000-square-foot expansion project set to be completed in March 2018. These changes will allow the global firm to supply state-of-the-art braking systems to leading automobile manufacturers. The two-phase, $50 million expansion project will add production floor space to meet the growing demand for Continental’s next generation MKC1 integrated brake system. It will also extend the warehouse and supporting areas to accommodate increasing production and logistics. The Morganton facility currently produces Continental’s MK100 brake systems.
“We expect to be shipping full series product by the second quarter of 2019,” says David Jones, Plant Manager for Continental’s Morganton facilities.
The $50 million+ investment in the Morganton plant will generate 150 new full-time jobs. Jones says the company has started interviewing on a limited basis for key engineering positions. The pace of employee recruitment will accelerate as the expansion project evolves over the next 12 months. “We will be hiring people for manufacturing and engineering, quality control, logistics, maintenance technicians, material handlers and hourly assembly,” says Jones.
This project is supported with financial incentives from North Carolina, Burke County, and the City of Morganton. “It’s encouraging when a major manufacturer decides to keep expanding right here in North Carolina,” says North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “I’m confident that Continental will find the skilled workers they need to fill these new jobs and put more money in the pockets of people in Burke and neighboring counties.”
Staying Ahead of the Curve
“The Morganton Plant has a proven record for producing the current brake system and is a natural fit for expansion to meet the production needs of our newest product,” says Salman, CEO of Continental, North America. “Continental is working to make mobility safer, more efficient and convenient and the MKC1 makes a major contribution to safe and dynamic driving, as well as energy efficiency.”
We are looking forward to supporting Continental’s growth and success. Continental currently employs more than 227,000 people in 56 countries. Interested in joining a globally recognized technology company? We’d love to hear from you! Contact our office today or fill out an online application to get started!
Getting a new job should be easy. At Friday Services, we want to help remove any obstacles that can come between qualified applicants and a perfect new position. Our team of Staffing Generalists, Directors of First Impressions, Staffing Coordinators, and Recruiters is committed to always placing the right person in the right job. How we accomplish this goal may be a bit of a mystery to you. We want to shine a light on the process and help demystify how our team works with both applicants and client businesses to match people with positions that will utilize their skill sets and meet their professional goals.
1. Arriving on time for your appointment shows good time management skills.
Tardiness—it happens. Sometimes we hit a traffic jam or our car won’t start. Unforeseen events beyond our control can make us late for a meeting now and again. But arriving on time to a job interview is super important because it’s unclear whether it’s a fluke or a pattern. It’s worth it to add some extra time when estimating your commute. Arriving early has never been a bad thing. Play it safe: Make sure you have the number handy in case you have to call and give your interviewer a heads up that you’re running late.
Candis Watterson, Director of First Impressions, says, “We are the gateway to a potential job, so if they can show us they can be on time for their appointments at Friday’s (or communicate when they are unable to make it in), that goes a long way.”
2. Come prepared with at least two references.
“We do call references,” says Staffing Generalist Wendy Whitaker. As part of your application process, we will contact at least two of the references you provided. Not sure who to ask? We wrote a blog post about who to list as a reference. The key? Choose people who can convey your skills and positive attitude. A good reference goes a long way.
It always helps to leave your latest job on a good note as we will call to verify past employment. For each job you’ve held over the past seven years, be prepared to share with us information such as employers’ names, job duties, contact phone numbers, and start/end dates. Director of First Impressions Jo Bivens says we call these references “to try to get information on the type of employee they were. If they were reliable, a hard worker, had good attendance, etc.”
3. The Director of First Impressions may ask several questions to ensure a good match.
We are on a mission to place people in a range of industries, from industrial and manufacturing to clerical and administrative, with a range of experience levels, beginning at entry level. When applicants arrive with an open mind on what kind of schedule or job they are looking for, we want to ask a series of questions to help hone in on what might work best. “During the interview, asking what they liked about the past job is always helpful,” says Director of First Impressions Britney Auton.
4. Arriving without direct deposit information and forms of ID creates more time between the applicant and their first day of work.
Friday Services pays on a weekly basis via direct deposit. By bringing in your direct deposit information and requested forms of ID, the process can go smoother. “These items help them get processed day-of,” says Staffing Generalist Kelsey Maxwell. If you forget these important things, it may delay your starting date. Not sure what to bring? We have answers!
“Being prepared matters!” says Staffing Generalist Wendy Whitaker, “I am always impressed when someone has an application that’s completely filled out (addresses, dates, and phone numbers), has a great resume that doesn’t need to be corrected, and provides IDs and copies of certificates/diploma as requested.”
5. Your interview starts the moment you step in the door—and even earlier.
Every time you’ve contacted Friday Services is like a mini-interview—whether it’s over email or by phone. Remember to be friendly, upbeat, and professional. How you interact with Friday’s gives us a helpful glimpse on how you may conduct yourself on the job.
Please treat each interview with equal importance and come by yourself. “Children or other adults are not allowed to come to an applicant’s interview at a potential company,” says Jo.
It never hurts to be over prepared. Employers are looking for specific things in a job interview: attention, no phone use, and appropriate dress, among others. We outlined a list of them here.
We Want to Meet You!
Want to find a job today? We would love to help! Our three convenient offices (in Asheville, Morganton, and Hendersonville) are working around the clock to post open positions on our website. Applying for a position is just a few clicks away! Please contact us with any questions.
At Friday Services, we are always excited to help people find opportunities to grow personally and professionally. Oftentimes, the people we match with jobs are hoping to split their time between school and work so they can earn a degree or certificate while also bringing home a paycheck in a related field. We love helping people look at their options and see what works best to achieve their goals.
For about two months now, one of our employees Shaun H. has been working third shift at a client company in Fletcher that processes wires and manufactures cold formed products. His position is Cold Form Press Operator. “You get a part, bend it to any shape it needs to be bent into,” he says. “We don’t heat the metal up before we bend it. We do it in a cold fashion.”
For about three years, Shaun has attended courses at A-B Tech in the Welding Technology department (under A-B Tech’s Engineering and Applied Technology division). There are three tiers of training: Certificate (two semesters), Diploma (four semesters), and Associate Degree (five semesters).
Shaun has already earned his Basic Welding Certificate I, which covers principles and skills of modern day welding. He’s also earned his ten-hour OSHA card and Forklift License. He came to us looking for a job in the metal industry so he could continue earning his Associate Degree.
A Practical Career
When learning a new skill in an academic setting, it’s critical that classroom training be coupled with practical application. A-B Tech’s Welding Technology curriculum accomplishes both, readying students for employment in the welding and metal industry.
In addition to blueprint reading, metallurgy, and welding inspection, welding is a very numbers intensive class. Fortunately Shaun has always been good at math and physics was one of his favorite courses. “I like knowing how the universe works,” he says. “Physics explains how everything works. That’s right up my alley.”
By working with metals in an industrial setting, Shaun hopes this experience supports what he’s been achieving in school.
Science & Art
According to O*Net, welders, cutters, and welder fitters use hand-welding or flame-cutting equipment to weld or join metal components, or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.
Evan “Todd” Creasman is the Chair of the Welding Technology department. With 37 years of welding experience (26 of those years spent teaching at A-B Tech), Todd says students from all walks of life enroll in the department. “I don’t think you could establish a baseline demographic on the types of students we have…Some of them are here to be artistic; some of them want to hit the road and work in construction. Some of them just want to fix things around the house. You could not standardize a welding student.”
Shaun says that he has had lots of time to practice welding through the hands-on courses and get used to the sights and sounds of the process. “Welding is a science, but it’s an art, too,” he says. “You have to have steady hands and pay attention to what’s going on. You have to know whether your metal is too hot when you’re welding on it and you need to stop and let the metal cool down, or whether the metal is too cold and you need to preheat it before you can start welding on it.”
There are so many things to pay attention to at all times. The puddle refers to the molten metal that you’re adding while welding. “You have to learn how to watch the puddle and learn what it’s going to do and how it acts because liquid metal doesn’t act like any other liquid I’ve ever seen,” says Shaun, adding “You also have to know the sounds for what you’re doing because you might think you’re welding really well, but your machine sounds raspy or also chattery and generally that means that you’re going too fast or you’re using too little or too much amperage.
You have to be creative with what you’re doing, especially with the pipe fitting.”
We Can Help!
We’re rooting for Shaun as he completes his Associate Degree next spring. Our team of staffing professionals wants to help you find a job that supports your educational pursuits. Apply online today! In addition to industrial positions, we also have many open positions in administrative, technical, and professional industries. We look forward to working with you!
For nearly four decades, Friday Services has been bringing the right people to the right job—every time. As the premier employment solutions provider for Western North Carolina, we are committed to helping people reach their professional goals—whether that’s assisting them in finding new employment within an industry they know well, or helping them find a position within an entirely new career path. We value every opportunity to serve people in our community.
How did we get to where we are today? Let’s take a look at our company history.
Since 1980
The company has its origin in 1980 when Debbie Wilson of Hendersonville, NC, started a secretarial business for local clients, typing letters and reports, and offering general office support. When many people found the service of value and asked if these services could be provided at their business location, Girl Friday Services was born. (The term Girl Friday was often used to describe a female Jack-of-all-trades.) By the mid-’80s, Debbie changed the business name to Friday Temporary Services.
The business grew—as did Debbie’s children. To devote more time to her family, Debbie sold the business to Diane and John Modaff in August 1987. The Modaffs had moved from Illinois to their new home in Western North Carolina three years earlier. Diane had enjoyed working in a temp position for Arthur Andersen, an American accounting company. John had 25 years of experience as a commercial banking executive. Their backgrounds attracted them to the staffing industry. John changed the name to Friday Services Services.
Over the Years
In 1987, the business had a single office and three in-house employees. Today, Friday’s monthly business volume now exceeds the annual volume in 1987.
In addition to our Hendersonville office, Friday Services opened two additional offices in Asheville (1988) and Morganton (1993).
To expand service in technical and professional areas, Friday purchased two businesses: Rent-an-Exec in 1990, which became Friday Technical Services, and Tri-County Personnel Service in 1991, which became Friday Professional Services. Today, we still operate the Friday Professional Division.
In 1989, Deborah Pressley joined the Friday Team as a part-time sales employee in Asheville (working around her infant’s babysitter’s schedule). She went full-time in 1990 and has held various positions across the company, including Sales, Sales Manager, Branch Facilitator, Vice President, now COO/Vice President. The current President of the company, David Modaff joined the team in 2000. He and his sister Lynda own the company. Deborah and David have been thrilled to work with such a wonderful team of committed and caring people.
Foundations of Success
Personal honesty and integrity are the foundations of our success. We currently have 450 employees in positions at our client companies across the region. In 2016, we placed approximately 3,000 people in jobs. This year to date, we’ve placed approximately 2,200. By helping people find the right job, we are able to better people’s lives and increase our clients’ success.
We strengthen our communities through our example and by our donations of time and money to about 40 organizations and businesses, including Asheville Buncombe County Christian Ministry, Eblen Charities, Make A Wish of Western North Carolina, and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. We’re an independent business, which means that all business functions, sales, service, and administration are managed and processed by the company’s own staff members.
As founding sponsors of the United Way of Hendersonville Rising Leaders Program, we are proud to say that this program has trained more than a hundred rising leaders to serve their community nonprofits as board members. We help support MANNA FoodBank’s emergency food assistance programs, including MANNA PAcks for Kids that supplies nearly 5,000 children with food supplies during the academic year. Read more about our year-round giving in this November blog post to show our gratitude for a community that helps so many people.
A Brighter Future for All
Friday Services is a fun and friendly place where we work hard and we reward hard work. Great things happen when we listen to our customers and to each other. Our doors are always open and we invite you to meet our team. For 37 years we have been fortunate to help thousands of people find jobs and we look forward to helping thousands more! Contact us today.
