Urban Views Weekly March 2, 2016

Mar. 2, 2016 Scholar of the Week - Maya Johnson

Improve YOUR Odds AND Get the Job

2 Urban Views Weekly | March 2, 2016 www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com

VOL. 9, ISSUE 9

Urban Views Weekly, LLC6802 Paragon Place, Suite 410Richmond, VA 23230Office: (804) 441-6255Fax: (888) 439-2534

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FUNdraising Good Times

Civic Beat

Avoid the special event pitfalls!Many nonprofit organizations and institutions rely on revenue from special events. If you check any calendar of events, you will find many to choose from: 5k and 10k runs and walks; galas with dinner, dancing and awards; concerts; luncheons with nationally recognized speakers. With strong competition for the philanthropic dollar, we want to help you make sure your event is on track for success. Here are five objectives for your consideration.

Your event should create awareness for your organization; serve as an avenue for involvement; expand your donor base; create excitement and “buzz” for your nonprofit; and last but not least, it should generate in-kind services and financial support.

If you focus on these during the planning process, you can improve your outcomes – and net revenue. We want to save you the agony of having to claim “we didn’t make any money, but it was a PR success.”

Yes, raising awareness is an important objective in hosting a special event. But so is the opportunity to involve new people with your organization. When planning, take the time to explore how you can turn your event into one that is “volunteer led” instead of “staff driven.” Invite volunteers into the planning process so they are involved from the beginning and feel a sense of pride and ownership. If you are bold enough, you can even let volunteers take the lead!

When crafting the invitation list, remember to reach out to people beyond your current donor list. Appealing to the same people too often can result in donor fatigue, and your organization may lose some of its appeal. Use the event as an opportunity to expand your donor base. Creating an event that appeals to a diverse audience is one way to engage new donors. Making your event unique and “out-of-the-box” can also draw new donors. And people will associate it with your organization. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. But you do have to get the word out: develop a marketing strategy that targets multiple audiences.

Finally, make sure you have enough time and resources to produce an event that will yield the maximum return on your investment of time and money. Adequate lead time means you can secure sponsors to cover production costs and provide in-kind resources that reduce expenses. When the event is over, you need to look your team members in the eye and answer the pivotal question: “are the dollars generated worth the time and energy you put into the event?” Keep all five objectives before you and you should be able to answer with a resounding “YES!”

Copyright 2016– Mel and Pearl Shaw

For help growing your fundraising, visit www.saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.

ROBOTS WELCOMETHE ALL-NEW OUTPATIENT CHILDREN’S PAVILION

And wizards. And princesses. Here, kids can still be kids.With specialists in every care category, the new outpatient Children’s Pavilion is equipped

to do what it takes to keep kids out of the hospital. With extensive amenities and ample

parking, parents will have a truly remarkable experience as well. Take a virtual tour of

the Children’s Pavilion at chrichmond.org/pavilion

3 www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com Urban Views Weekly | March 2, 2016

GPA: 3.7

College of Interest: University of Richmond or Virginia Tech University

Major Community Service: Community Outreach Ministry, Future Leaders Council

Strong Interests: Math

Favorite Activities: Reading and Cooking

Ever since she was little, Maya Johnson has had an “obsession with reading.” She loved reading so much that there would be times that she would sneak books with her wherever she went and her mother would find them. Even as a senior in high school, reading is still one of Maya’s favorite hobbies. She mostly likes to read fiction books. “My love for reading helped me a lot in school and made topics, questions and discussions that were hard for most students easy for me,” Maya wrote in an essay. Growing up in a big household with four other siblings, reading was her escape from her “ever-noisy surroundings.”

Because reading helped her in school, she also began to notice her talents with certain subjects, in particular math. While other kids were complaining about the subjects, she was able to make connections and understand the mathematical methods.

“One thing that I learned that always stood out to me was when money was first introduced to me,” Maya stated. “On television money seemed like the most important thing to people.” Seeing her mother struggle financially and Maya’s interest in math and money is what influenced her to pursue a career where she could use her talents and support her family. She plans to continue her education by going to college and studying to become an actuary or an investment banker.

To further her education, Maya’s two top choices of college are the University of Richmond and Virginia Tech University. Other

than the fact that they are both in Virginia, she is also impressed by their business schools. While she is still in high school, Maya stays active as a volunteer for the Community Outreach Ministry, serves on the executive board of the Mayors Youth Academy Future Leaders Council, and she is also the president of her school’s Future Business Leaders of America organization. With the Community Outreach Ministry, Maya usually works in the child care section which she said has helped her learn how to interact with different age groups other than her little

brothers and sisters. “I’m a hard worker and I’m really invested in my community and making a difference,” Maya said. One example of this is her work with the Future Leaders Council where they are working on presenting a plan to the mayor about working to fight poverty in Richmond. In her spare time, Maya still enjoys reading but she also likes to cook.

With plans of working in the business field, Maya’s main goal is to be happy. “I know I’ll be successful in everything as long as I’m happy.” One of her biggest influences is her mother. As a single mother of five, seeing her struggle and her strength, made Maya want to be able to take care of everybody. Although her mom always told her that “money doesn’t buy happiness and no amount would ever be as important to her as her children,” Maya hopes to enter the business world to help make a difference for her family and also in the community.

Scholar of the Week By Janeal Downs

Maya Johnson of Huguenot High School

Scholar0of the Week™

Watch for our Scholar of the Week segment, Wednesdays at 6:30 PM on

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The Truth is truth and there is no wavering on that point. The truth is supposed to be factual; it’s not opinion or conjecture. It requires proof.

“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on,” said Winston S. Churchill, a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. “If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed,” said Adolf Hitler, who was the leader of Nazi Germany and initiated World War II, and oversaw fascist policies that resulted in the Jewish Holocaust and the mass murder of six million Jews.

This year’s political season has taken an extreme turn where truth and truth telling have gotten lost in the fray of reality-TV politics, ugly personal attacks, half-truths and outright LIES. In this year’s presidential campaign the general electorate has chosen to ignore the facts, overlook the truth and get on the bandwagon that proclaims America needs to be rescued, or restored to a place where she once was great because now she is broken, tattered and lost. The call to “take our country back” and restore America’s

“greatness” in the world has become the rallying call for most of the GOP candidates and their constituency.

The problem is that the world’s perspective of America is overwhelmingly positive and the nation’s standing in several prominent areas of measurement like the economy, unemployment, the deficit, gas prices and other measures are actually significantly better than they were before President Obama took office in 2009. The demonization of President Obama is, largely, the target of the vitriolic venom from the other side of the aisle. According to GOP candidates, our current President, due to his weakness and untenable lack of leadership, confirms their conservative opposition and base assertion that America has lost her standing in the world. Just based on the favorability ratings for President Obama in the world, the only places where he has lost significant support is Israel (largely due to the Iran Nuclear Deal) and Russia (largely because of Putin).

Otherwise, the President’s approval or favorability ratings in the world are high across the board, especially in Europe and Africa. After his recent visit to India in January, his favorability rating went up 18% to 74% overall. So, as the Leader of the free world and the representative for the United States of America and her standing in the world, America is STILL Great.

Right now, there is a candidate running for POTUS who claims he knows nothing of the KKK and white supremacy; a candidate who openly attacks religious freedom by calling for a ban on Muslims, who promotes violence as a tactic by ginning up a mob mentality and wanting to punch someone who disagrees with him in the face, telling

another crowd to light the protestor on fire; a man who denigrates women using offensive and vulgar language from the podium. This man calls an entire nationality criminals,

drug dealers, rapists and vows to build walls to keep them out of our country while promising to round up over 12 million men, women and children and throw them out of the country? A man who says he cannot lose support even if he gunned down someone in cold blood in the middle of 5th AVE? This is the candidate that over 47% of the Republican electorate says they support. They do not care about facts or truth. They Do Not care what he believes, what he says or does. They have been mesmerized by a personality,

a charismatic media manipulator. Hitler was a fanatical megalomaniac, and the results of his leadership that played on the BASE FEARS of the German people and the idea of restoring a National Pride was absolutely catastrophic.

This crowded bus is headed for a cliff and the driver is perfectly willing to drive them off that cliff. We don’t need to “Make America Great Again”! We need to wake up from this nightmare before it’s too late!

Up Next Week: No Questions Asked?

ViewPointsBy Dr. T

Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Ph.D.Founder and Artistic Director The Conciliation Project and

Associate Professor Virginia Commonwealth [email protected] | www.theconciliationproject.org

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E X Q U I S I T E R E N TA L SThe Deal

Have you ever thought about grow-ing your own fruits and vegetables at home? For experienced gardeners, the cold months are when their imagina-tions get fired up; seed catalogs seem to blow in with the arctic blast, accom-panied by companion mailings from gardening accessories and equipment retailers. But where can amateurs start?

To maintain a garden as a legitimate financial alternative to store-bought food, it’s important to understand the underlying costs involved. Some gardeners spend substantial bucks on fancy tools, equipment, gar-dening clothes, deluxe fertilizers or supplies, which sounds counter-intuitive to a money-saving alternative. Investing in home gardening requires frugal spending and a desire to learn – very few people wipe out their entire produce bill without a little preparation, knowledge and most important, trial and error.

There are plenty of studies on how much people are investing in home- and community-based gardens, but very few reliable guidelines on how much money you can actually save by gardening. That’s because it’s tough to generalize results based on geography, climate and skill sets.

Nevertheless, if you still want to get your hands dirty, here are some general steps to take before you dig in:

Harvest as much local gardening knowledge as you can. The word “local”

is very important. Planning a home-based edible garden in a sunny West Coast backyard is very different than planting a series of clay pots on a Mid-western terrace. Start with a close look at your climate and growing conditions before buying anything.

Plant only what you’ll eat. If you want a salad garden, stick to lettuce that can be planted and harvested repeatedly in one season. Maybe you’ll also want to plant

a tomato plant or two. If you generally buy a lot of a particular vegetable, try and grow that first. The more you want to eat the food you’re plant-ing, the more interest you’ll take in making it a success.

Keep your first effort as inexpensive as possible. Generally, the cheapest way to grow plants is from seed you start growing indoors. Some people have special lights and shelving for indoor seed starting, but if you’re planning on only a few plants, it’s best to start mod-estly. Consult experts about the most effective and frugal way to start your desired plants from seed at home and set a growing schedule that culminates in actual planting outdoors. Sometimes it’s better to stick with a few borrowed or garage sale hand tools and recycled containers that will work just fine for seeding and drainage.

Keep learning as you go. When you start gardening, even if it’s only a pot or two where you’re growing from seed, start an annual garden journal that details what you’ve purchased (with prices),

Growing Summer Savings in the Garden

By Nathaniel Sillin

continues to page 9

“Investing in home gardening requires frugal spending and a desire to learn...”

6 Urban Views Weekly | March 2, 2016

Strategic preparation can lead to a successful job pursuitTailor Your Resume There it is! The perfect job opening. Your key skills match what the company is seeking. Your background is perfectly aligned with the re-quired qualifications. You are confident of your ability to step in and make an immediate impact. To make sure your resume helps launch you into the interview and eventually the hiring phase, you must first tailor it to evoke the same type of enthusiasm from the hiring manager. This requires a combination of common sense and strategic action.

Do Your ResearchWhen hiring manag-ers read your resume, they want to feel your enthusiasm for their job opportunity. They likely put in hours of work crafting and broadcasting their job announcement, not to mention the time they will be putting into re-viewing applications. One way you can stand out is by making it apparent that you researched the opening and the company’s background. This is key, especially if you are applying for a company with a particular product or service niche. Research the company’s mission statement and key projects they have completed. Align this information with your own experiences and passions to convey why you are the perfect fit for the job.

Customizing Your ContentMany companies use applicant tracking systems to filter through the initial round of incoming applica-tions. This helps create a strong “keeper” pile for hiring managers. To make sure your resume makes it through these systems, it’s important to use the right keywords.

You should always include a section that functions as an “Areas of Expertise” or “Key Proficiencies.” This is where you can load up your resume with 10 to 15 tar-geted keywords that help your resume perform better in applicant systems. Don’t forget about your professional experience. It’s important to hit on some of these same keywords when detailing your career background. Why is this so vital? Because once a hiring manager gets their hands on your resume, you want your expe-rience section to back up your claims of expertise.

Ask Questions There are only so many ways to answer the same old questions that seem to always come up in the interview process. Why should we hire you? What is your greatest strength? Your greatest weakness? One of the best ways to make a memorable im-pression on your potential employers is by flipping

the script and asking a few questions yourself. Doing so shows hiring managers that you researched the company, have a genuine interest in its mission and are analytical in your thinking.

How to Frame Your Questions Start your questions with these statements: • In researching a few articles on your company ...• Your website has details on (insert project X) ...• One particular part of your job description really caught my attention ...Kicking off your questions with these types of in-troductory statements shows hiring managers that you took the time to look into the company and its key initiatives. This is a great way to earn some extra points from hiring managers, especially when the

time comes for their team to discuss how the inter-views went.

Questions to Ask and When to Ask ThemThe timing of your questions can be just as impor-tant as what you ask. Try to let the hiring managers control the flow of the first third of the interview, but don’t wait until the “Do you have any questions for us” prompt that generally comes near the end of the interview. Once a tone is set for the interview, feel free to throw in a few questions of your own. If there is a natural transition into a question you would like to ask, jump in. This is a great way of turning the traditional, stale interview into a more collaborative process. Hiring managers will appreciate this, too.

Cover Letter MistakesThe cover letter: Is it important anymore? Do hiring managers even take the time to read through it?

How can you make your cover letter stand out from a crowd? There are so many questions involving the cover letter that many people looking for a job simply send out the same one for multiple positions. While this meets the requirement for most job listings, it’s not the ideal way to differentiate yourself and your background. The truth is that cover letters are still very important pieces of your job search strategy. Hiring managers look to the cover letter for a more personal look into your career story. Why are you passionate about what you do? What has led you to looking to your next role? Finding out these kinds of things in your cover letter can help a hiring manager find out more about you, “the person” instead of just “the candidate,” and can help them come up with more detailed interview questions.

Overuse of ‘I’While it is virtually impossible to completely eradicate the word “I” from your resume, cover letters are better

received if you make it less about you and more about the company you are targeting. Much like during the interview process, if you can show a hiring manager that you actually did some research on the company’s missions, values and projects, you can give yourself a leg up on the competition. Focus your cover letter on how your key skills and background can benefit the company instead of creat-ing a look-at-me document. Be sure to integrate many of the keywords you see in their job announcement. Customize every document you send out for maxi-mum impact.

Show Some Personality Hiring managers are looking for a spark from their candidates, especially if they are sifting through hun-dreds of cover letters for one opening. The way you can make yourself stand out is by finding the balance between personal and professional. Give insights into what drives you to do the work you do. Were you inspired from a young age? How do oth-ers describe you as a leader, mentor and collaborator? Hiring managers want to know what kind of per-sonality they are getting when they hire you and how you can improve the overall culture of their company.

Network for Better Jobs In today’s competitive job market, it’s not enough to simply send out your resume and wait for companies to get back to you. You have to get out there! Your community is likely teeming with network-ing opportunities in the form of associations, job workshops, alumni groups and even the local gym. The best ways to make connections for potential job opportunities is by simply extending your hand and

introducing yourself to people in the appropriate set-tings. As the old saying goes, it’s not what you know but who you know.

Building Positive Relationships Even when you are not actively looking for jobs, networking is a great way to build relationships that could benefit you in the future. Meeting new people can unlock doors to that next career or volunteering opportunity. Professional associations or trade groups are great for widening your network of connections. Some busi-ness networking groups or chambers of commerce even host networking dinners to help connect profes-sionals. Many of these types of events are industry-specific, which can help you build connections with targeted populations.

Benefits of Face-to-Face Interactions Today’s focus on technology has made it easier to net-work with fellow professionals online rather than face

to face. This is con-venient and should be a critical piece of your job-seeking approach, but there is no replacement for interacting with connections in person. Through conversa-

tions over lunch or coffee, you can find out if someone has access to opportunities that may interest you. Ad-ditionally, you may be able to help out someone else with a job opportunity, connection or advice. There is no limit to the benefits of personal network-ing, especially if you make the effort to get involved on a regular basis. It takes some extra effort on your part, but is worth it if it leads to more quality job leads for you in your search.

7 www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com

Strategic preparation can lead to a successful job pursuit

continues on page 10

By Bernard Freeman

“If they had the choice, they’d love to fill their next role with a passive

candidate — someone who is already happily established and proven

within another company. ”


For the first time in the past quarter century, the VSU Men’s Basketball team can officially declare “WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS.” VSU defeated Livingstone College Saturday night by a score of 89-79 to win the CIAA Men’s Basketball Championship. Congratulations to Coach Lonnie Blow and the entire Trojan’s Men’s Basketball Team. This is the first time VSU has taken home the trophy since 1989.We Salute: Waymond Wright, Kevin Williams, Ken Pankey, Javon Moore, Cyonte Melvin, Walter Williams, Tyler Peterson, Elijah Moore, Melvin Gregory, Brice Rowe, Amiel Terry, Te’Quan Alers, Marcus James, Joseph Bradshaw, Louis Flowers, Lonnie Blow, Jr. (Head Coach), Drew Williamson (Assistant Coach), and Montel Jones (Assistant Coach)I would like to personally thank Head Coach Lonnie Blow, Jr. for his undying commitment to both basketball and to excellence. Coach Blow not only led the Trojans to the CIAA Championship, but

he made history while doing it. Coach Blow was named CIAA Coach of the Year. This is Coach Blow’s second CIAA Coach of the Year honor. He received this honor in 2010 while serving as Head Basketball Coach at St. Augustine’s University. A great team begins with a great leader, so I also want to thank Athletic Director Peggy

Davis for her commitment and GREAT LEADERSHIP!VSU will receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Basketball Tournament. Team selections and competition sites will be announced on Sunday, March 6. The first game will be played on Saturday, March 12, 2016.

Trojans Win CIAACIAA Acknowledgements from VSU President, Dr. Makola Abdullah


TanyaFree.com/Urban Views Weekly Poll

The subject of condom availability in public schools has been a hot topic in social media over the past week. A school district in San Francisco will reportedly permit the distribution of condoms to middle school students without parental consent if deemed appropriate by a nurse or social worker.

What’s Your Take? Do you support the distribution of condoms by schools without parental consent?Check out the story and respond to this week’s poll at TanyaFree.com and the Urban Views Weekly FACEBOOK Page. Listen to the Tanya Free and Friends Talk Show Wednesdays @ 2pm on WCLM1450AM streaming LIVE @ TanyaFree.com and BlackTalkRadioNetwork.com. You can now watch us LIVE at TanyaFree.com and ustream.tv

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Boydton Plank Road (Route 1) Bridge Repairs

Dinwiddie County Willingness to Hold Public Hearing

The Department of Transportation is proposing to repair the southbound bridge on Boydton Plank Road (Route 1) over the CSX railroad in Dinwiddie. The project will upgrade the deficient bridge and reduce the southbound bridge from two lanes to one. During construction, all traffic heading over the southbound bridge will be moved to the northbound bridge. Review the project information and National Environmental Policy Act documentation at VDOT’s Richmond District Office located at 2430 Pine Forest Drive in Colonial Heights, 23834-9002 804-524-6000, 1-800-367-7623,TTY/TDD 711. Please call ahead to ensure the availability of appropriate personnel to answer your questions. If your concerns cannot be satisfied, VDOT is willing to hold a public hearing. You may request that a public hearing be held by sending a written request to Tony Haverly, PE, PMP, Project Manager, Virginia Department of Transportation, 2430 Pine Forest Drive, Colonial Heights, VA 23834-9002 or [email protected] on or prior to March 7, 2016. If a request for a public hearing is received, notice of date, time and place of the hearing will be posted. VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you have questions or concerns about your civil rights in regards to this project or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact the project manager listed above.

State Project: 0001-026-576, P101, R201, C501, B607 Federal Project: BR-5A27(062), BR-5A27(321), BR-026-4(020),

BR-026-4(020)

what’s worked well and all

questions and answers you’ve gath-ered along the way. You might even discover new plants you’d like to grow next year. Re-reading your journal before you start your gardening plan-ning in winter is a great way to shape your growing and cooking priorities for the coming year.

Bottom line: Homegrown food usu-

ally tastes better for two reasons – it’s fresher than anything you can buy and you have the pride of growing it yourself. However, making an eco-nomical home garden takes know-how, knowledge and as minimal initial investment as possible.

Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs. To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PracticalMoney.

continues from page 5


Passive Candidates Talk to any hiring manager at a major company and they will tell you that finding the right professionals for their open job position is a lengthy, arduous process. If they had the choice, they’d love to fill their next role with a passive candidate — someone who is already happily established and proven within another company. These types of prospective hires are generally not flood-ing the market with their resume and cover letter, and are instead focused on helping their current companies hit operational goals.

Why Passive Candidates? The biggest reason employers are attracted to passive can-didates is they are employed. When hiring someone who is unemployed, it can be a challenge to find a straightforward

explanation about whether they were fired or laid off, or quit. The process requires extensive checking of references and a willingness to take a gamble on someone with a less-than-ideal work history. Recruiters who are contracted by companies to find the best professionals can secure passive candidates through tools like LinkedIn or even stacks of resumes from past hir-ing cycles. They can then send out an introductory email to gauge the candidates’ interest. This process is a much sim-pler one that requires less time and energy on their part.

What This Means for YouThis trend in passive hiring should be a cue for you to always keep your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile refined and up to date. That’s because once you engage with a recruiter about a job opportunity, the first things they ask for will be your career materials.

Locate the various versions of your resume today and put them all in one place. Also compile other key documents that can include your college transcripts, certifications and any personality test results. It’s best to have all of these in PDF form, as well, to make sure the documents hold their formatting across all computer programs.

continues from page 7

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Despite the economic recovery, finding employment can still be difficult and many people waste a lot of time looking in the wrong places. An employment service is one of the best resources for landing a good job. Employment services connect people with jobs. They exist for one reason: to help jobseekers find work. Whether you need a seasonal gig or are trying to land an executive position, consider working with an employment service. Here are some tips to help you find the right employment service for your needs:

TYPESThere are several types of employment services. Working with the right agency will increase your chances of finding work that fits your qualifications. Private placement services are the most popular type of agency. They bring job seekers to employers who are looking to hire for a specific position. These jobs typically lead to full-time work.Temporary help services put qualified people into company positions for short terms. You may be covering for someone on maternity leave, for example. Retailers who need seasonal help often use these agencies.The retained search firm finds highly qualified candidates for executive positions. Sometimes these employment services are also referred to as executive head hunters.Most employment agencies are known for specializing in one or two vocations. Make sure that your skills and interests fall within this realm so the service will be useful to you.

RESEARCHLook for a service that will help you assess your strengths and build on your weaknesses.

Employment agencies often test candidates before sending them out on interviews. The results of these tests will inform you about your skill level.Some agencies will help you create a professional resume. They will critique your personal resume and tell you which format is the best for the market.In addition, some services will offer classes to improve your interview skills. These classes may be held in person or online. Choose an employment service that has a high success rate. They should be able to provide references of people and companies they’ve helped in the past. Agencies should also show you how they are actively searching for jobs that meet your skill set and interests.

CONTACTLook on the service’s website to find out more about their process. Sometimes, agencies don’t include much information, so feel free to call them. Ask about their application procedure and what services they provide. You should also know who pays when someone is hired.

Some services are paid by the future employer. Others are paid by the employee. Understand how the employment service will be paid before you use them.

INTERVIEWIf the company doesn’t offer, ask to make an appointment for an in-person interview. Prepare a list of questions to ask about their services. You may also have an opportunity to sign up for classes and resume services.

FIND A JOBThe last step is finding a great job. Be prepared when the agency calls you to go to an interview at a company. Finding a legitimate employment service should not be too difficult, provided you follow their advice.Jobs are not easy to find these days, but an employment service will offer expert assistance to help you. Do your research before you agree to work with an agency. Remember that finding a job is a job in itself! Your future success depends on you starting today.

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