Volume 6, Issue 4 April 2002 Job Link Tick-Tock...It’s E-Time!
Prove It!
5 Energy Drains at WorkContinuing Education: Do You Need To Know More?
Notable Quotable
Our Disciplines and Locations
Tick-Tock...It’s E-Time! E-Time is here and it is fully functional! NRI is proud to announce that on March 1st we introduced the first phase of electronic timesheets to our clients and temporary workers. The first month saw a gradual phase-in of the process. We are still not using E-Time to its fullest capacity as not every client is signed on for it yet. Eventually, it will be the primary way to submit hours for payroll.
The benefits to you as a temporary employee using this process are many, and immediate:
So how does this all work? When you are assigned to a job, your Account Manager will provide you with the code for the branch that you are working for and an assignment number. At the end of the week or the end of your assignment, whichever comes first, go to our website, click on “Electronic Timesheets” and then click on “Employee” and log in, and just follow the instructions from there -- it is that simple!
- No more worry if the postal service brought your timesheet to us on time
- You won’t need to call to make sure we received your fax
- It will no longer be necessary to track down a supervisor to get a signature on your timesheet
- You will have until midnight on the Sunday prior to payday to call in or electronically enter your hours
The program will automatically calculate your total hours. Your supervisor at your assignment will then get an email to approve your submission. We can provide you with an instruction sheet if you feel you need one.
Not every client is on board with E-Time yet. More and more clients are joining each week. As was mentioned earlier, eventually this will be the way we do payroll for the majority of our clients. We ask that you be flexible, you may need to switch back and forth from E-Time to paper timesheets. Check with the Account Manager when you are assigned to see if you are being sent to a client that uses E-Time; if the answer is yes, make sure you get a branch identification number and an assignment number. If you are at a client that still used paper timesheets, the old rules apply; timesheets must be in by 6:00 p.m. on Monday by fax or mail and they must be signed by you and your supervisor or your paycheck will be delayed.
We look forward to the time when all timesheets will be E-Timesheets. As always, NRI is on the lookout for ways to make your experience with us more seamless and easy. Please take a moment to go to our website and familiarize yourself with the E-Time process and call your Recruiter if you have any questions.
“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.” NOTABLE QUOTABLE
— Vernon Law
Prove It!
NRI proves it every day. We are living on the edge — the cutting edge that is. Along with E-Time we have just unveiled our new testing software for our temporary workers and candidates.What is so special about this program? You can take a typing test and dazzle us with your proficiency in Word while wearing your jammies. It’s called Prove It! and it can be accessed over the world wide web and brought into your home if the need arises.
For the time being, tutorials will still be done in our locations on the QWIZ software. We are looking into doing tutorials with Prove It! in the future, but for now, QWIZ offers us our best options for learning programs.
Most of you have already tested with us, but we want you to be aware of this newest innovation just in case you need to take just one more test and so that you can let your friends know when you refer them to NRI!
Also, we want you to remember that you are always welcome to come into our offices to take tutorials. If you are not on an assignment or interview, it can only put you in good stead to broaden your software knowledge. Learn a new one, brush up on an old one, fool around with one you’ve only heard about; call your Recruiter to make an appointment.
5 Energy Drains at Work
From ivillage.comAll day long little things can sap the energy from your days. Stop them and you’ll feel more inspired and motivated and you’ll get more done! Correct these five energy drains in your day now, with these solutions:
- Drain: messy desk
Solution: Clean it! Stop putting it off and file what you can file, read what you can read and toss those stacks that are hanging around for no reason.
- Drain: long commute
Solution: If you drive, try taking public transportation to avoid the stress of traffic and if you already take public transportation take along a good book to pass the time.
- Drain: a bad mood
Solution: Plan a fun project or outing for each night this week so that you have something to look forward to.
- Drain: spending too much money on sodas and snacks.
Solution: Pack some snacks the night before and bring only enough money today to pay for parking.
- Drain: having trouble communicating with others and being afraid to talk to upper management
Solution: Join a Toastmasters group to improve your public speaking skills.
Continuing Education: Do You Need To Know More?
By JoyLynn Reed, from ivillage.comMany people think continuing education means either getting a new degree or getting trained to do something very specific. Both choices are useful, but continuing education does not have to involve either. It can mean any course offered to adults. Once you identify what you need to learn, you can advance your career with just one class.
Do You Need a Degree to Get Ahead?
In the May/June 2000 issue of Change, The Magazine for Higher Education, Clifford Adelman, a senior research analyst with the U.S. Department of Education, argues that sometimes the time and expense of college is not necessary. He looked at over 3,500 job postings for approximately 20,000 IT and other technical positions, and only 20 percent of these postings required a formal degree.Likewise, I’ve noticed several job postings for Web graphic designers in Austin, Texas, and not one requires a formal degree or even certification. The ads call for certain skills, knowledge of software such as Macromedia tools and sometimes years of experience. Instead of taking expensive certification classes, a person could begin learning the appropriate software in many ways, from teaching herself with a book to studying one-on-one with someone who knows it. Then she could get experience by designing Websites for friends or nonprofit organizations.
Consider all your possibilities, not just graduate programs. There are also college or trade school courses as a non-degree-seeking student, online training, practical experience on the job, tutors and workshops at community centers.
What If You Don’t Know What to Learn?
If you’re having trouble with figuring out a specific career path, don’t worry. All you need is to choose a general industry of interest to start learning and growing.Do Research. For example, do you want to work in finance? Is education interesting to you? Do you love retail?
Become a Snoop. Look at the education and training people have at different levels within the industry you’re interested in. Some questions to ask:
- Browse industry guides, and get a clear picture of what working in these fields means. By staying general, you can set five-year goals, remain flexible and work on gaining relevant industry knowledge.
Also, find out what skills people in the industry have and what knowledge they need every day. You can call human resources at big companies and ask for job descriptions, or conduct informational interviews.
- Do executives working at large companies in this field have certain credentials?
- Do entry-level workers need college degrees?
- In which fields do workers have degrees in?
Think Big. Pursue education and training in areas that interest you even if they are not immediately relevant to your job. You don’t want to become so specialized that you’re only fit for one career track, and it can’t hurt to have diverse useful skills.
When I was starting out as an assistant professor, I became interested in conflict resolution. I was not qualified to teach a college course because I didn’t have experience in it, but after I went through a 40-hour training seminar I was able to become a volunteer mediator at a local [dispute resolution] center. Two years later, I became the coordinator of a master’s degree program in conflict resolution, and today, I am on the board of trustees at the dispute resolution center.
If you’re interested in learning something, find a training seminar, a college course or even a book, and learn it! Continuing education should be about something you’re interested in, something others in your field or a new field recommend and a learning process you can fit into your life. It is about gaining knowledge and developing skills in the most effective ways for you
OUR DISCIPLINES AND LOCATIONS
- NRI Accounting Resources®
Specializing in Accounting and Financial Positions- 11400 Rockville Pike, Suite 820, Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: (301) 230-0440, Fax: (301) 770-6125, email: nri-accounting-md@nri-staffing.com
734 15th Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 628-3060, Fax: (202) 628-2838, email: nri-accounting-dc@nri-staffing.com- NRI HealthCare®
Specializing in Clinical and Non-Clinical Professionals- 11400 Rockville Pike, Suite 820, Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: (301) 230-0444, Fax: (301) 230-0451, email: nri-healthcare-md@nri-staffing.com
1302 Concourse Drive, Suite 2-3, Linthicum, MD 21090
Phone: (410) 850-4035, Fax: (410) 850-5263, email: nri-baltimore@nri-staffing.com
7617 Little River Turnpike, Suite 603, Annandale, VA 22003
Phone: (703) 658-4033, Fax: (703) 658-1493, email: nri-healthcare-va@nri-staffing.com
- NRI Legal Resources®
Specializing in Legal Secretaries, Paralegals and Law Firm Administration
- 734 15th Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 628-3022, Fax: (202) 628-2838, email: nri-legal-dc@nri-staffing.com1302 Concourse Drive, Suite 2-3, Linthicum, MD 21090
Phone: (410) 850-4035, Fax: (410) 850-5263, email: nri-baltimore@nri-staffing.com.- NRI Staffing Resources®
Specializing in Office Support and Administrative Positions
- 11400 Rockville Pike, Suite 820, Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: (301) 230-0400, Fax: (301) 770-3198, email: nri-staffing-md@nri-staffing.com
1302 Concourse Drive, Suite 2-3, Linthicum, MD 21090
Phone: (410) 850-4035, Fax: (410) 850-5263, email: nri-baltimore@nri-staffing.com1899 L Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 466-4670, Fax: (202) 466-6593, email: nri-staffing-dc@nri-staffing.com7617 Little River Turnpike, Suite 603, Annandale, VA 22003
Phone: (703) 658-1705, Fax: (703) 658-1493, email: nri-annandale@nri-staffing.com10780-90 Parkridge Boulevard, Suite 140, Reston, VA 22191
Phone: (703) 391-8000, Fax: (703) 391-9091, email: nri-reston@nri-staffing.com- NRI Technology Solutions®
Specializing in IT and Technical Engineering Professionals
- 1899 L Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 466-4670, Fax: (202) 466-6593, email: nri-technology@nri-staffing.com10780-90 Parkridge Boulevard, Suite 140, Reston, VA 22191
Phone: (703) 391-8008, Fax: (703) 391-9091, email: nri-technology@nri-staffing.com1302 Concourse Drive, Suite 2-3, Linthicum, MD 21090
Phone: (410) 850-4035, Fax: (410) 850-5263, email: nri-technology@nri-staffing.com