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A well spoken, professional message on your voice mail will help you make a good first impression.

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Job Advice for Teens

Patricia Troy-Brooks, President and CEO of Advanced Staffing, Inc.

The job market has changed dramatically over the years. Staying in a job until retirement is rare these days. What are the new rules? How do you survive? "Ask Pat" offers answers to your questions. Patricia Troy-Brooks has been in the employment and training field for over 20 years helping others achieve their career goals.

Q) My parents and I are having a major battle over whether or not having a nose ring is going to inhibit my ability to secure employment. They feel that I will be unemployed forever but I think things are changing. I really need your help to settle it. – PAF

A) Many employers have policies in place that prohibit employees from having visible tattoos or body piercing especially in very conservative organizations. The industry that you pursue will determine if your nose ring will be a factor. It is an employer's prerogative to ask that employees present themselves in a way that is commensurate with the image that the company is trying to present to the outside world. Do your research to identify industries and employers where your nose ring will be acceptable. Good luck.

Q) My mother is very picky and she has instructed me to remove the music I have on my voice mail while I'm looking for a job. I can't imagine that it would have any impact on getting a job. Do you think that is necessary?

A) I have to agree with your mother. Your voice mail may be the first contact your perspective employer has with you. A well spoken, professional message on your voice mail will help you make a good first impression. In addition, it is advisable to inform anyone who might answer your telephone during your job search to be professional to your callers while taking a message. Throughout the interviewing process you will need to be mindful of all contact that you have with company representatives. Everything you do will be evaluated.

Q) I am a high school graduate. My work experience is clerical. I would like to become a good secretary somewhere but need to improve my reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation. This is one of the duties for a secretary's job I saw on the Internet: read incoming correspondence to determine proper action. Sometimes I don't get the meaning of unknown words that are used in a sentence. Can you help me? – M.C.

A) With some training you can become a good secretary. Start by keeping a dictionary with you at all times. This will help you to quickly access the meaning of words you are unfamiliar with. Spend time reading the newspaper and other reading materials each day and look up all words that you don't know. You'll increase your vocabulary in no time. There are many training programs available. Some are free while others charge tuition. Determine which route you'll take and update your skills. Keep reading ads to ensure you're getting the training you'll need for future employment.

Biography

Patricia Troy-Brooks, president and CEO of Advanced Staffing, Inc. – which operates offices in New Castle, DE, Cherry Hill, NJ, and Philadelphia – is a native of Philadelphia. And she knows what it's like to start from the bottom. She has over 25 years sales and marketing experience, and an entrepreneurial story for the history books! Pat and her company have been written up in feature articles in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Wilmington News Journal, Philadelphia Tribune – and stories on her also appeared nationally in Ebony, Essence, Black Enterprise and Minority Business Entrepreneur magazines.

Launched in Philadelphia in 1996 with just two desks and a telephone, Advanced Staffing is one of few minority-owned staffing companies in the Delaware Valley. Almost as soon as the doors opened, Advanced Staffing won a multi-million-dollar contract with a major Philadelphia-based insurance company. This allowed the fledgling company to expand immediately into Delaware. In February 2001 Advanced Staffing opened in Cherry Hill, NJ.

Advanced Staffing lately has broadened its professional services to include: Direct Hire Placement, Customized Training, Job Readiness Training, Executive Coaching, Organizational Consulting and Customized Training Videos. But Pat attributes her success to more than just business know-how. "We do things somewhat differently from other staffing firms," says Pat. "God is the Chairman of the Board at this company." Through His help and constant guidance, Pat says, she is sensitive about "how to treat people, when to fight for something, and when to back off." And because of her strong faith, Pat feels she can handle just about anything. She's certainly been put to the test a number of times.

Today, Advanced Staffing employs 400-500 temporaries on a daily basis, in addition to its 20 internal employees. Pat is quite active in the community, and serves on the board of directors of Teenshop an organization that mentors teenage girls by encouraging academic excellence, enhance self-esteem, as well as develop each girl into positive, productive and concerned citizens. In addition, she serves on the Personnel Communities of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League and Bethel AME Church. As the local spokes person for the Heifer Project, Pat raises money for this non-profit organization that provides income producing farm animals to people in underdeveloped countries to help alleviate hunger worldwide. She serves on the advisory Board of Creative Events and the Wilmington Job Corp where she is a role model to the young adults attending the program. Pat is currently co-chair for the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Signature Scholarship event, the Gentlemen's Cook Off, which attracts about 1000 guests for this black tie event.

Pat is a sought after speaker and has been the keynote speaker at many graduation ceremonies. She also conducts seminars to help others build their skills and benefit from her vast experience. In addition, she writes an employment column that is published in the local papers as well as on-line career web sites. Pat has received many awards for her accomplishments including, SBA Small Business Person of the Year 2001, NAACP Visionary Leadership Award in 2003, Urban Financial Services Coalition Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003, and most recently Girls Inc. Strong, Smart, & Bold Award 2005.

AskPat@AdvancedStaffing.net