Canada, Toronto

WE ARE CELEBRATING 64 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND CLERICAL STAFFING INDUSTRY THIS YEAR - THERE COULDN'T BE A BETTER TIME TO JOIN OUR TEAM!

Welcome to the Toronto News Web Page. We are very excited you have chosen to visit our site.

We have placed a number of candidates in the following industries Marketing, Medical, Financial, Human Resources, Manufacturing, Real Estate. These are just a few of the industries we deal with on a daily basis. If you are looking for a permanent, temp to permanent or temporary position give us a call join the happy candidates we have placed.

Our Pal Staff are willing and able to help you; we are a phone call away!! (416) 497-8200

LET us introduce ourselves:

LOUISE - is our Placement Coordinator. She has been with us for 3 years. Louise will work wonders finding you the right job. She is a pleasant, friendly face to see in our office.

MARY - is now a Placement Coordinator and has been with us on a part time basis for a little over 10 years. Besides being a true gem and beautiful to boot, she is always with a smile and a kind word. She welcomes our visitors and helps to make them feel at ease during their assessments.

SHANNON - is our Staffing Manager, we call her the Jack of all Trades as she is also our First Aid Representative. Shannon is celebrating 23 years with Pal Personnel Services. She is always around to help you, and listen to your concerns.

CHRIS - is our Branch Manager of 23 years, we are lucky to have her as she has a lot to offer: patience, understanding and tons of industry knowledge. She knows what it takes to keep PAL a household running smoothly.

DIANA - is our Vice President/First Aid Representative of 25 years. Congratulations Diana. She is responsible for the Pal office and in addition the Pennsylvania Branches are under her umbrella. She has seen 3 recessions in her tenure, seen the ups and downs of the economy, and weathered many a storm. She has a love for our industry, and knows how to keep the TEAMS spirited!!

The Pal Team totals 84 years of industry experience! That says a whole lot about our combined knowledge, which we share.

On review by corporate of our Staff List, they have found that 40% of our full time staff members have been with us 10 years or more. We know our business, we live by our Mission Statement; to conduct business with a dedication to excellence, integrity, and ethics, and to have a positive impact on each person with whom we come in contact.

PLEASE GIVE US A CALL! We want to meet you! (416) 497-8200

GOOD NEWS FOR OUR CLIENTS:

You can now place an order directly on your computer! It's easy! Just go to our website and follow the directions for our on-line ordering system. Just one more way to make your business more efficient!

We offer the best of both worlds... The advantage of on-line ordering to keep up with today's technology...Yet the comfort of person to person contact. When you call us we are there for you!

DON'T FORGET TO PLAY

It's important to stay current with business trend.

It's essential to read the paper or watch the news each day.
Productive to read business books or listen to audiotapes.

But it is also important to learn things that are not essential to our business!

When was the last time you read a book that was not related to your business.
Subscribe to any magazines for pleasure? Go to a movie or play?
Do you make time for hobbies in your life? Hobbies reduce stress.

Assess how your development is growing

Take time to learn new things not directly related to business.
It keeps our brains active and new thoughts and ideas will come home.

13 Job Interview Mistakes to Avoid

1. Arriving late. Get directions or a map. Wear a watch and leave early. IF you can't make it on time, call and reschedule.

1. Dressing wrong. You make your greatest impact on the interviewer in the first few seconds. Dress right in a conservative suit, little jewelry, close toed shoes and everything clean and neat. Hygiene includes combed hair, brushed teeth and deodorant.

1. Playing zombie. Remember to smile and make eye contact. Sit up, focus and respond. Have enthusiasm!

1. Smoking, drinking or gum chewing. It's tacky and it won't help.

1. Research failure. Do your homework ahead of time. Find out the company's products and services, mission and structure. Show you are interested by demonstrating knowledge of the company.

1. Not articulating your thoughts. You should be able to recognize your strengths and weaknesses. Be specific and able to turn your weaknesses into something positive (i.e. "I'm a perfectionist")

1. Winging it. Practice potential interview questions/answers. This is especially helpful if this is your first time interviewing or you have been out of the work force for an extended amount of time.

1. Talk, talk, talk. Don't ramble or interrupt the interviewer. Good answers are short and to the point.

1. Failure to connect with the job offered. The job description details the company's needs, so you should connect your experience and strengths to the description.

1. Not asking questions or asking too many. Use your research to develop questions that will help you decide if this is the company and the job for you. Don't overpower the interviewer with questions and details that won't count in the long run.

1. Bad-mouthing anyone. Do not speak negatively about your present or former employer. This makes you look like a complainer and is considered unprofessional.

1. Asking about pay. Wait for the interviewer to bring up this issue.

1. Failure to ask for the job. When the interviewer indicates the interview is over, convey your interest in the job and ask what the next step is. Find out when they will be making a decision.

Business Casual

There are three levels of business casual.

Tailored Business Casual

A tailored jacket is a key piece. You will want to pair the jacket with a coordinating pant, skirt, or dress, which is made from a fine fabric such as cool wool or polyester crepe. Wearing a shirt and tie or blouse with a collar will add to the tailored look and footwear should be refined with a thin sole.

Accessories should be kept to a minimum with no oversized chunky details.

Business Casual

Business Casual has a slightly less tailored look but should not be confused with a sloppy or ill-fitted appearance. Fabrics should still look crisp and unworn.

Unstructured jacket with more texture or larger details such as visible topstitching or patch pockets can set the tone of this look. Try a vest or sweater as your third layering piece. Shirts in most cases will still have a collar unless you opt for a turtle or mock neck sweater layered under a jacket. Men can omit their ties in this category. Women can remove their jackets over dresses and add accessories instead to finish the look.

Accessories can be larger and the texture should match the weight of the footwear. A man's slip-on shoe with a tick sole will look better paired with a belt that is wider and has a larger buckle rather than the fine one he would wear with a suit. A women's wedge heel shoe will look more appropriate paired with a larger tote bag rather than the smooth structured bag worn with the polyester crepe dress and jacket combo mentioned earlier.

Casual

Casual is sometimes appropriate for very informal business settings such as the IT or skilled trades industry, or in workplaces that cater to children. No jacket is required in this category; however if you want to wear a jacket keep the fabric casual such as denim or cotton twill.

A long sleeve tee layered underneath a V-neck sweater or vest looks polished yet casual. Jeans are appropriate but keep them in pristine condition with an updated style and make sure they fit correctly.
Mini skirts, flips-flops, baseball caps, or tees with logos do not belong in a business setting. And please no running shoes especially when there are so many other great choices available.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Where are you located?

Our Toronto branch is located on the border of North York and Scarborough on Consumers Road near Victoria Park and Sheppard Ave East. Our street address is 200 Consumers Road, Suite#300, North York, Ontario, M2J 4R4.

Where are your clients located?

The majority of our clients are located in the north east end of Metropolitan Toronto including Scarborough, Don Mills, North York, East York as well as Markham and Richmond Hill. We also have a small group of clients located in the downtown core.

What skills do I need?

There is no "perfect" candidate. Our goal is to discern and market your unique talents to create the "perfect" fit. Generally speaking, our clients expect professionalism, courtesy and reliability. We encourage all of our candidates to become familiar with MS Office, particularly Word and Excel. We offer free computer tutorials, interview protocol and resume guidance to increase your marketability.

How do I apply?

All applicants must have a minimum 6 months office experience. We require our candidates to apply in person (please call to schedule an appointment). The process generally takes 2-3 hours. We thoroughly review your employment history, career goals, and salary expectations. Our skills evaluation is tailored to the nature of work you are seeking. (Please bring a copy of your resume and your job references).

Sometimes the type of work you desire is not immediately available. Please don't allow yourself to become discouraged. The right job will come with your patience and perseverance.

COMPUTER ENHANCEMENT

The office is busy with many new assignments coming in on a daily basis. Please remember to keep in touch with your Co-Ordinator and let us know your availability. If you have picked up any new software packages let us know and you can come in for testing. Also, keep in mind we offer free enhancement to all our active employees. If you would like to learn a new software package, give your Co-Ordinator a call to set up some computer time.

Congratulations to all candidates who have shared their time and talent to earn them Permanent positions in 2009. Good Luck!

Nargish, June, Cindy, Shubhra, Lily, Armando, Alan, Harry, Sanita, Donna, Isabella, Usha, Lucy, Ayesha, Huma, Natasha, Beverley, Catherine, Nancy, Nicole, Nathalie, Cindy, Chandrika, Sanjiv

We also wish to thank all of those currently working, whether temp or temp-to-hire, for all their hard work. Hard Work and Dedication do pay off! We appreciate each and every one of YOU!

We look forward to placing a greater number of candidates in perm positions for 2009. If you're out of work and would like to keep busy until we find something permanent for you, we have various temporary assignments available. Give us a call, talk to us about your needs. We at Pal would love to hear from you.

THINGS OUR CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY!

"He has such excellent skills, I wish I could clone him".

"Pleasant to work with and a very professional approach to her work."

"Mary has worked very hard and has done a great job."

"The people you send are the best."

"Sarah very professional - excellent candidate."

"Skills are excellent, has learned new packages on her own."

"A great help to the department."

"Clients of our client called to say Helene was great."

"Jennifer is a delightful, intelligent young lady."

"Linda is a very professional Receptionist."