Category Archives: work hard

How To Stay Focused When The Sun Is Calling Your Name

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We finally have nice weather and the sun is a frequent visitor here in Buffalo. Since we’ve been cooped up all winter and spring (that rain!) we all want to enjoy as much of this summer as we can. Only problem…? We still have to work! How many of you look out at the beautiful sun shining while sitting at your desk wishing you could be outside doing literally anything else?! Well my friends, I have good news and I have bad news. For most of us our responsibilities are a year-round thing. But I have some ideas on how to keep your focus in the right place.

Prioritize Your Day – Make a list of everything that needs to be done that day or that week. You’ll get a feeling of accomplishment when you get to cross things off the list while you’re actually getting things done! A list is a way to hold yourself accountable for your responsibilities and unless you put “slack-off” on your list, you won’t have time to!

Shift Your Work Hours – Find out how flexible your job/manager is and if you can switch up your hours. Coming in an hour early means you get to leave an hour early! This would allow for more friend/family time in the sun!

Keep Yourself Busy – If you are busy doing your work or helping others complete a task, you really don’t have time for much else. Keeping yourself busy will help keep you focused and make the day fly by!

Get Outside More – This is our goal! If it’s possible, eat your lunch outside. Or take your laptop and finish that report outside. Even a quick walk or a few minutes outside in the fresh air can help to reboot your mind and body and help finish out the day.

Take The Day! – Most of us get the weekends to recharge, some of us don’t. Whether you do or not sometimes an extra day is exactly what we need. So if you’re capable to take a personal day, do it!

These are just a few ideas on how you can stay focused at work when the sun is shining and calling your name outside. Staying focused through the summer months make it easy to transition into the fall and winter months and keeps you ahead of the game!

Visit our website here: http://www.cpstaffing.com/index.aspx

Visit our open jobs here: http://www.cpstaffing.com/jobs.aspx

 

Employee Spotlight: President and CEO Cindy Neese

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Cindy has been on the ComputerPeople team for over 34 years. She started out as a Sales Representative in May of 1984, just 14 years after ComputerPeople first opened its doors. Over the years, she worked hard to progress into the roles of Sales Manager and VP of Sales before she was promoted into her current role, President/CEO of ComputerPeople. Cindy is an excellent example of a selfless leader. She is always putting her team first and coming up with new ways to make everyone at ComputerPeople feel loved, valued, and heard. We sat down with Cindy to find out a little bit more about ComputerPeople and about Cindy herself! Read on to find out what she had to say.
 
What sets ComputerPeople apart in the recruiting/business world?

There are a few things that really set us apart from others. Our longevity in the market, the tenure of our in-house employees, and the relationships that we have built through 50 years of doing business in the Buffalo community definitely set us apart from the crowd. However, I am most proud of the fact that we make it our business to understand our customers culture. We do this in order to do a better job of determining the best candidates for a company to create the perfect employer-employee match for every job order.

What is your favorite office tradition at ComputerPeople?
My favorite office tradition is at Christmas. For this holiday, we always go out for a team lunch and then do a secret Santa gift exchange.  We have shared many laughs together as associates steal gifts from others!
 
What is something most people probably do not know about ComputerPeople?
We were the first privately owned specialized IT Staffing firm in Buffalo.
 
What is something most people probably don’t know about you?

I play the piano and I love flower gardening!

Cindy, we all appreciate everything you do to make ComputerPeople such an amazing place to be!

Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen

Recruiter Spotlight: Bill Bilson

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Bill Bilson has been a recruiter at ComputerPeople for two and a half years. We love having Bill in the office because he is an amazing listener, he always has fresh ideas, and he is pretty darn good at his job. Additionally, the name Bill Bilson is extremely fun to say. Bill is also known in the office for taking some of the coolest vacations ever, and it is safe to say we would all let him plan our next trip [proof is in the above photo]. We asked Bill some questions about being a recruiter, and here is what he has to say!

How do you find candidates for a new job order?

I’d say the most common methods are searching through our database, searching LinkedIn, and contacting candidates who apply through our website/job boards. I also utilize both referrals and people I’ve met at networking events to fill positions.

What is the most important quality that a candidate can have to make them standout from the rest?

Tough question, as it really depends on the position/company. For me, I think it comes down to personality. If multiple candidates possess comparable skills and are interviewing for the same job, the person whose personality best fits the environment is going to land the job. Remember to always be yourself when applying for a new job.

What advice do you have for someone that is just starting his or her job search?

Try not to get discouraged because finding a new job isn’t easy. If you’ve been applying to numerous jobs online that you feel you’re qualified for, but you aren’t getting much response, review your resume and consider making some edits. Applicant Tracking Systems are told to look for “buzz” words, so comparing your resume against the job description can be extremely helpful in getting a reply. In addition, and I might be a bit biased on this, I’d recommend getting in touch with a recruiter.

What inspires you to be the best recruiter you can be?

Knowing that my job is ultimately helping others. Whether it’s our clients who have a hard-to-fill position or a candidate looking for that perfect next step, it is extremely satisfying when the stars align and a perfect match is formed.

What is something that most people probably do not know about ComputerPeople or CP Staffing?

CP Staffing is a small company, but we have three divisions and two offices. In Buffalo, we have ComputerPeople (IT focused recruiters), FinancialPeople (finance and accounting focused recruiters), and Medicalpeople (Medical focused recruiters). In Pittsburgh, we have another FinancialPeople office.

Anything else we should know about you?

I am a guitarist and a drummer; in my younger years I was pretty active in the Buffalo music scene and a couple of our songs were featured on 103.3 the EDGE.

 

Thanks for being you, Bill. ComputerPeople is lucky to have you!

If you have any questions for Bill or you want to work with him as your recruiter, contact him at bbilson@cpstaffing.com

 

Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen

Recruiter Spotlight: Kevin Pyle

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Kevin Pyle has been with us at ComputerPeople for almost four years. He is hardworking, funny, he is an excellent recruiter, and his kids are probably the cutest twins that we have ever seen. We sat down with Kevin to find out a little bit more about how he gets the job done. Here is what he had to say!

How do you find candidates for a new job order? 

Several methods – LinkedIn, job boards (Indeed, Dice, etc.), referrals, posting job on website, and networking.

What is the most important quality that a candidate can have to make them standout from the rest?

I’ll give you two….personality and drive.

What advice do you have for someone that is just starting his or her job search? 

Be patient!  Finding a position is a full-time job in itself, especially for someone just starting their career.  Utilize as many resources as possible, including recruiters, applying for jobs on your own though employment agencies (career builder, indeed, etc) and networking. Also, it is worth the time to get several opinions on your resume to make sure it’s solid!

What inspires you to be the best recruiter you can be? 

Just knowing the potential positive impact I can have on someone’s life.  It’s a great feeling to place someone in a position that I know they are going to enjoy and love.

 

Thanks for all you do, Kevin! We are so glad to have you at ComputerPeople.

If you want to work with Kevin as your recruiter, contact him at kpyle@cpstaffing.com

Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen

 

How To Increase Your Productivity By Next Week

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We all want to be more productive, but it is usually easier said than done.

Productivity is something that we discuss all the time at ComputerPeople. This time, we took it one step further by talking to people with excellent habits, researching, and brainstorming how to we can more productive in the short term. We liked these five habits because they can make a huge impact on productivity AND you can definitely work them all into your routine pretty much immediately.

Hope they help!

1) Delegate, delegate, and delegate some more. The worst thing you can do for your productivity is put too much on your plate when some of your tasks could be handled by others. Do not try and to everything yourself when someone else could do it better.

2) Have a plan. You should constantly create lists and know what you need to accomplish in the next 24 hours. Prepare for the next day by getting a realistic plan in the works.

3) Take Breaks. Yes, I’m serious. You will be more focused and productive if you reward yourself with small breaks about every 90 minutes, and you will be less vulnerable to getting off track and losing motivation.

4) Find useful apps. Do not take all day to do something that an app could have done for you in an hour. There are thousands of productivity apps out there that will help you get the job done and make your life easier.

5) Get up early. They weren’t kidding when they said the early bird gets the worm. If you want to be productive, you shouldn’t waste your time sleeping the day away. Go to sleep early and start grinding when there are few distractions.

 

by Kaitlyn Gahagen

Just Starting Your Job Search? Perfect Your Resume First.

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Beth Courtney knows recruiting.

She originally started recruiting in the airline industry in New Jersey over 30 years ago.  She believes that there is a job out there for everyone who is willing to work hard.  Currently, she focuses on sourcing technical candidates for ComputerPeople through her position as Sr. Internet Recruiter. We asked Beth what advice she would give to someone BRAND NEW to their job search. Here is what she had to say. 

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Beth Courtney, Sr. Internet Recruiter

“A good resume is key since your resume is typically an employer or recruiter’s first impression of you. Make sure it is easy to read— no long paragraphs of verbiage please! Triple check for typos and misspellings. If you don’t have a lot of job experience, include internships/volunteer experience and highlight the skills you used in each.   Keep an open mind and be willing to interview for a less than perfect position to get your foot in the door of a great company.”

Thanks for the the advice, Beth!

 

Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen

8 Ways To Keep Your Office Organized in 2018

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Keeping an organized office is one of the simplest things you can do to increase your productivity, happiness, and efficiency at work. Although keeping your office clean can seem difficult, you can use these 8 tips to make the job easier.

  1. Go paperless. Whenever possible, you should try and reduce the amount of clutter flowing into and out of your space by transitioning to online information storage. Create folders, labels, and paths for your information to be kept online. The key with this is making sure you save your files in a place that can be easily accessed and found.
  2. Invest in a labeler. The documents that you cannot afford to store online should be put away in a distinct drawer, file, or closet that is neatly labeled.
  3. Purge your office. Go through your entire space and get rid of things that you haven’t used in a while. It can be difficult to part with some things, but your office will never be organized unless you reduce the amount of items that are inside it.
  4. Don’t wait on sorting your mail. One of the most common culprits for a disorganized office is the build up of mail. The solution to this problem is to start a habit of sorting your mail as soon as you get it so it does not build up. Throw it out, delegate it, or read and file it.
  5. Organize your desk drawers. Use dividers and separators for different items that you keep in your desk so you always know where to find what you need.
  6. Reduce the view of your cables. We know that cables are a necessary part of the electronics in your office, but there are several easy and cheap ways to hide them and get them out of site. You can attach a rain gutter to the bottom of your desk to keep the majority out of view, or buy equipment designed for managing cables. Personally, I believe this one makes SUCH a big difference.
  7. Use your wall space. Moving select items from your desk to the wall can really free up your workspace. Mounting your computer screen, calendars, or pictures is a great way to add room to your desk. This is especially effective if you have a small desk.
  8. Have a mini cleaning session at the end of the day. Never leave your office in a mess. It’s a lot easier to clean up for five minutes at the end of the day than it is to let your mess build up and have to conduct a major clean up session.

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Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen

How Do I Standout From All The Other Candidates During My Job Search? Wise Words from Our Rockstar Recruiter Brooke DeLucia.

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Brooke DeLucia has been a recruiter at ComputerPeople for over 20 years. She has seen it all and has worked with candidates from all over the world. We asked Brooke one simple question. What is the most important quality that a candidate can have to make them standout from the rest?

Brooke’s Response is gold.

“Drive & Professionalism.   Having the ability to sell yourself as a driven individual with the aptitude and hunger to learn can make all the difference.   Your body language can make or break an opportunity, no matter how qualified you are for the job. It’s still important to be respectful, attentive and professional when you are interviewing.  Don’t slouch in your chair, don’t pick lint off your suit, don’t chew gum or swear. It may seem basic but sometimes the people you least expect are the ones making these mistakes!”

Thanks for the words of wisdom, Brooke! Connect with Brooke Here.

 

 

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Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen