Bella Staffing Services

Candidate Resources

Introduction to Bella
Our Service Commitment
Getting Started
Our Benefits
Referral Bonus Program Employee Testimonials
A Guide for Resume Writing
Interview Basics

Introduction to Bella
Thank you for your interest in working with Bella Services. We are a privately-owned staffing firm focused on placing experienced, results-oriented people with clients who need to get their work done.

We operate two separate lines of business, Bella Staffing Services and Bella Financial Reserves. Our goal is to offer you work within the practice area that best suits your skills, needs and interests. As a full service staffing firm, we provide direct placement, temporary-to-hire and temporary/contract opportunities. Even though our two divisions offer opportunities in different functional areas, they operate under the same guiding principles and values.

Our unswerving, enterprise-wide commitment to excellence benefits both the talent we represent and the clients we serve. We strive to understand and support your career goals by communicating frankly and offering opportunities with top-tier, value-driven companies.

Bella Staffing Services

- Administrative and Clerical

- Customer Service

- Human Resources

- Medical Administrative

Bella Financial Reserves

- General Accounting

- Financial Analysis & Planning

- Credit & Collections

- Payroll

Our Service Commitment

Your success is our success. Once you qualify to be represented by Bella, we will:

Actively offer jobs that suit your skills and desired work/life balance.
Strive to match you with work that can be a source of learning and professional growth as well as place you in employment situations that will enable to you earn the income necessary to support your life choices.
Speak with you first to determine your level of interest and availability before forwarding your candidacy for any opening.
Keep you "in the loop" with feedback about your candidacy for a particular opening.
Be proactive in recognizing potential problems and providing timely solutions.

Getting Started

To express your interest in working with Bella, we ask that you submit your resume for review to apply@bellaservices.com fax your resume to (813) 200-1557. (See Contact Us.) If it looks as though we will be in a position to help you, we will contact you to schedule an interview appointment.

Please see Career Opportunities.

Our Benefits:

Competitive Pay - At Bella we pay the going market rate or better for the work performed.

Paid Time Off - After working a minimum number of hours you will be eligible to receive 5 days of pay.

Weekly pay. (Direct Deposit is available.)

Holiday Pay - Our 6 paid holidays include New Year's Day, Independence Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Eligibility for holiday pay is after working a minimum number of hours.

Medical and Dental Coverage, In-Hospital Cash, Vision Care Plan, Term Life Insurance, and Short Term Disability - These optional benefits are offered through a weekly payroll deduction plan at very affordable rates.

Referral Bonus Program

- All individuals who refer qualified applicants to Bella for placement are eligible to receive a $50.00 gift certificate once the following conditions have been met:

The person being referred (applicant) must put the referrer's name on the Bella application under, "How did you hear about Bella?"

The person being referred must successfully complete 80 hours of employment or be placed directly with a client through Bella.

The referrer must complete and submit a Bella Request for Referral Bonus form within 1 year from the date the applicant completes the 80 hour minimum or was directly placed through Bella.

Employee Testimonials

Thank you again for your professionalism and assistance in recommending me for the position of administrative assistant in the Development Design department at (client company) Tampa. Working with Bella turned out to be exactly what I needed to get my professional deveopment back on track. In the six weeks since I became an official (client company) employee, I have become absolutely convinced that the position is an excellent fit. The company continues to grow, and to earn accolades in the highly competitive civil engineering marketplace. I am proud to provide administrative support to a disciplined, motivated, and team-oriented organization that values my skills and continues to help me find new ways to succeed. Once again, thank you. You made all this possible and I could not be happier! Perry B. (Placed with civil engineering firm.)

I have never been through a staffing agency before and was very pleased (more like ecstatic!) when all of your hard work and contacts placed me into a fantistic job with (client company). It fit my criteria for location, hours and pay and I enjoy the work. Bella will be highly recommended in the future and your "personal touch" with the calls and answering all of my questions made the transition easy. Thanks from the bottom of my heart. Linda C. (Placed with environmental engineering firm.)

I just wanted to say how grateful I am for what your staff has done for me. For the first time in my life I have financial stability. Money isn't everything, but to be treated with respect in the workplace is a precious commodity. I am more at peace with myself and have more confidence than I've had for a while. I am still amazed at how quickly your staff went to work for me as soon as I contacted Bella. Your staff was always kind and personable. (And patient when my computer went down countless times while attempting the assessment tests.) Thank you again. Stacy K. (Placed directly with car rental company)

For sure the gratitude is mine. I was so fortunate to work with your office. Your professionalism, assistance and accomodations are outstanding and were from my first visit. Thank you for the basket and thank you! thank you! for all you've done. Wishing you much continued success in what you do well. Aleida S. (Newly employed with physicians clinic)

I just wanted to say thank you for finding me a job. You are a great bunch of people, very friendly and professional. I have enjoyed dealing with you. Thanks again, Georgine L. (Newly employed with residential home builder)

Thank you for your help and encouragement in finding me a great job. Debbie P. (Newly employed with design firm)

Thanks for the Hook Up! I do like working here and appreiate all your help in getting me this job. I would recommend your staffing agency to anyone. Brenda B. (Placed with internet company.)

I would like to thank you for all your hard work in keeping me employed during these uncertain economic times. In the past, I have registered with several staffing agencies, and found that no other agency meets the standards of your company. Everyone on your staff goes out of their way to be friendly and helpful. Meeting the needs of both your clients and your employees is obviously your primary concern. The small personal touches you provide are important to me, and I'm sure, important to others you serve. As far as I'm concerned, there is only one staffing agency -- Bella Staffing Services. Thanks again for all you have done! Darlene H. (Placed with TV Network company)

A Guide for Resume Writing

Final hiring decisions are rarely based upon resumes alone. Your resume has only one job, to get you an interview! There is no universal resume format but here are some guidelines you should follow.

Your resume should be concise, factual, and include a positive listing of your education, employment history, and accomplishments.
Your job objective should be presented in a manner that relates both to the company and the job description you are applying for.
The information included in your resume should be relevant to support your job or career objective directly or support your character in general. If you have no definite purpose for including something, leave it out.
Be conscious of the continuity of your history. The reader will be looking for reasons to eliminate as many resumes as possible. Resumes with gaps and unaccountable time often end up in the circular file.
Weigh your choice of words. Select strong action verbs, concrete nouns and positive modifiers for emphasis (see below).
Use concise phrases and clauses rather than complete sentences.
Try your resume out on someone who knows you and who will be objective in his or her opinion.
Keep a separate list of references and make them available only upon request.
Do not include letters of recommendation, school transcripts, or any other similar information. These items can be brought with you when you go to the interview.
Always send a cover letter with specific reference to the company's need and your qualifications for the job. A personal letter is always best, so make an effort to get the name and title of the individual making the hiring decision.

Remember your resume is only a door opener. You want a personal interview.

Summary of Do's and Don'ts when writing a resume.

Don't

Include a professional e-mail address.
For example: LastName@yahoo.com. This will help you achieve the polished look you are going for.

Resumes should only be 2 to 3 pages long depending on your work history. If you focus on being descriptive and to the point, this should be easy to achieve.

Account for all time. Remember to put your dates in Month, Year format. Start with your most recent position and work back. For example: 2001-2001 looks like you only worked for 1 month when the real time was 1/2001-12/2001. Let your reader know.

Remember to always proof read your resume. Spelling and grammar errors are sometimes the first deciding factor in whether your resume will make it to the appropriate manager or thrown in the trash.

When including an objective, try to be broad and chose words that will keep all doors open to you. A too descriptive objective may exclude you from certain positions that you may otherwise be interested in.

Always include a cover letter with your resume. Try not to just say Applying for such-in-such position. Make the letter stand out, because most likely this is the first thing the employer reads.

Don't use a provocative or explicit e-mail address. If this is all you have, create a new one specifically for professional use with a free e-mail account company such as yahoo or hotmail.

Do not put your picture on your resume.

Do NOT include your social security number on your resume. With the rise in identity theft, it would be detrimental for your resume to get into the wrong hands.

Don't include reference names or numbers on your resume. It is not necessary at this point. After you have been interviewed would be an appropriate time to submit this information.

Do not send out your resume to current job openings until you have ample time to interview. For example, if you are going on vacation tomorrow or next week, wait until you return to send out your resume.

Do not include your salaries from previous jobs. This looks tacky to employers. Also, if your salaries are below or above the going rate for that particular position, putting this information may exclude you from the running. Wait until you have interviewed to discuss past salaries.

Action Verbs

Accelerated Accomplished Achieved Adapted Administered Analyzed
Approved Conceived Conducted Completed Controlled Coordinated
Created Delegated Demonstrated Designed Develop Directed
Earned Affected Eliminated Established Evaluated Expanded
Expedited Facilitated Found Generated Increased Influenced
Implemented Initiated Instructed Interpreted Improved Inspected
Launched Led Lectured Maintained Managed Mastered
Motivated Operated Ordered Originated Organized Participated
Performed Planned Pinpointed Prepared Produced Programmed
Proposed Proved Provided Proficient Purchased Recommended
Reduced Reinforced Reorganized Revamped Revised Reviewed
Scheduled Set up Solved Structured Streamlined Supervised
Simplified Supported Surpassed Taught Trained Translated
Used Utilized Won Wrote

Concrete Nouns

Ability Actively Capacity
Competent Competence Consistent
Effectiveness Pertinent Proficient
Qualified Resourceful Substantially
Technical Versatile Vigorous

Interviewing Basics

The single most important factor as to whether or not you get the job you want is the personal interview. In many cases it is not the best qualified candidate, but the best interview subject who gets the job. Ultimately the decision will be made according to the impression you make: how well you present yourself, how well you handle the questions, to what degree you meet the employer's needs and the interviewer's expectations.

Looking and behaving the part
Interviewers have limited information on which to base their final decision. They are of course more interested in what you can do and the skills you possess but how you look has a tremendous influence on your success rate.

-Be fit and healthy

-Dress appropriately and pay attention to the little things. They may not always work for you when right, but they will almost always count against you if wrong.

-Be traditional rather than avant-garde

-Dress as expensively as you can afford

-Darker colors are more powerful than lighter colors

-Get a good hair cut

-Buy good shoes and keep them clean

-If you buy a new outfit, practice wearing it before the interview

-Less rather than more jewelry

-Dress to the stereotype of the industry or function

-Coordinate your colors

-Your handshake should be friendly and firm

-Be aware of body language and non-verbal clues (NVCs).

Positive NVCs include:

-A higher smile rate

-Nodding the head when the interviewer is speaking

-Leaning forward while listening and when replying

-A high level of eye contact

Body language contributes over 60% to the credibility of what people say.

-Sit comfortably. Sit back in the chair as far as possible. When sitting correctly you can avoid expressing anxiety.

-Turn your trunk, head and shoulders toward the interviewer. This will help you appear friendly, warm, receptive, and empathetic.

-The legs should be in a "low cross" position. High-crossed legs give the impression of defensiveness.

-Keep you hands lower than the elbows. Rest them on your thighs or clasp them loosely in the lap. Clasping is best for people who move their arms and hands a lot when speaking.

The Interview Questions
RULE #1: Do Not Answer Questions ~ Respond to Them! In the interview situation, you are in complete control of what you say. You must not say anything unless you are prepared to answer to it or expand on what you have said.

Most interview questions fall into one of three major categories.

1. Can this person do the job? (60% of the interview)
Has this person got the skills and experience?
How quickly will this person be able to make a contribution?

2. Will this person do the job?
How hard working is the person?
How motivated, committed, loyal, etc.?
Is this person committed to personal excellence?

3. Will this person fit in?
Does this person fit the company image?
Does this person share the values of the company?

Write out the answers to any questions you anticipate facing and practice them out loud. Phrase your answers so that you are also answering one of the three major questions as well. For example:

Q. What motivates you?
A. I am always excited about the opportunity to grow. When faced with new challenges I give my all to achieving my objective (also answers "Will this person do the job?"). Follow with an example / story illustrating this point.

Conclusion
End the interview by thanking the interviewer for his/her time. When appropriate express your interest in the position and reiterate your career statement or unique selling point. Do not leave the interview until you know what happens next and when it is likely to happen. (Who will you be seeing? What is their name and job title? How do they fit into the selection process?)

Call your account manager after the interview to let him/her know your impressions of the opportunity and how the interview went. That way she can follow-up with the hiring authority appropriately and can facilitate feedback from the client company about the status of your candidacy. The account manager is also in the best position to provide the hiring manager with a "third party" reminder of your qualifications.