College Works Paiting journal

Illinois manager Kyle Duffy is in the news!

Read about him here

Arguably one of the most important things when it comes to maintaining our houses and homes is that of good painting jobs. A painting job takes a lot of work and preparation so you might be one of the millions out there who will hire another person to do this sort of work for you. Professional painters such as home painting contractors can do most or all of the painting work for you that can range from preparatory work all the way down to designing and picking the right color schemes and finally doing the painting. While some painters do not do decorating like involving color choice you can always bring in a decorator who knows about this, of course if you do not want to decide on your own and your painter cannot help. Regardless of what kind of work you need done in terms of house painting it is always important to choose a reputable painter and here are some tips you can use to achieve finding one who will do good work and meet your expectations.

One perfect way to find a great painter is by asking your family and friends. Since we already purported that many millions have regularly used the services of professional painters, there is no doubt that at least a few people in your friend and family bases have used similar services and can recommend honest and reliable painters especially if these folks you are talking to live fairly close to you and have dealt with a painter who also lives in the area. Reliable family and friends would be able to use their good judgment to recommend someone who has done quality work for them and left them happy with the money spent on a quality job.

If asking your family and friends leads you nowhere then you can always search in your local phone book or on the internet for listings of local painters. Because looking for painters with this method will not give you the advantage of knowing their reliability it is also important to check for any negative reports that may be posted out there on any bad business or work encountered when using a particular painter. Try looking for these types of reports on the internet or ask family and friends if they have ever had bad experiences with a painter who you are considering to hire on your own.

So as you can see there are quite a few important aspects to consider when looking for the most reliable painter. Knowing a bit about their work ethic and how they leave a customer satisfied is naturally very important and a great indicator of the kind of work they will ultimately perform for you. By going with the above tips you just might find that securing reliable home painting contractors is not only possible but maybe even effortless! Try using the tips today and you just might find that perfect painter in no time and get your painting done equally as fast!

Let us help you find the right contractor for the job!  Simply click here to have up to 3 of our premier member painting contractors provide you with a FREE, no obligation quote!

Please view the entire story at

http://www.beavertonvalleytimes.com/features/story.php?story_id=123921011283
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WANTED: HOUSES TO PAINT
College students make a couple of summertime house-painting programs work
BY MIKEL KELLY
The Times, Apr 9, 2009

Christine Fowler of Scholls wants to paint your house this summer.

If you live in the Beaverton area, that is.

One of numerous college students scrambling for a way to make some money – not to mention acquire some valuable life experience before they’re turned loose on the world – Fowler is a business administration major at Oregon State University, and she’s signed up to be a branch operator for College Works Painting this summer.

For immediate Release

Press Release: April 6, 2009



Contact Information:

Rachel Toyer
1682 Langley Ave            
Irvine, Ca 92614                
(888) 450-9675
rtoyer@nsgmail.com                

Curing ALS $5.00 at a time


Augie Nieto created the fitness industry years ago with his life cycle, today he is working to create something bigger – a cure for ALS.  College Works Painting re-invented the summer job years ago, by empowering college students to run companies all over the US.  Today they have teamed up with Augie’s Quest to make an impact on more then just their lives and their careers.

What can $5.00 do to cure for ALS?  A bunch when hundreds of university students making their first venture into entrepreneurship collect the $5.00 from every customer they have.  A bunch when that money is leveraged using the latest research techniques and methods.


“Running a company today means more then revenues in and product out.  Companies today are more focused on long term impact then at any other time in history. Employees, especially the new generation of employees, demand more then just a job; they want values they agree with, a mission they can stand behind, and more then just a product or service to be proud of.   Companies have a great opportunity to help organize this positive energy and make a big mark on the community and the greater long term future,” said Matthew Stewart, co-founder and co-CEO of College Works Painting.  “My favorite aspect of business management is this leverage concept,” says Mr. Stewart. “Our employees are leveraging their work day into thousands of dollars towards Augie’s vision of a cure to ALS.”  

This December, College Works Painting and Augie’s Quest formed a partnership that will directly touch over 2000 college students in the US, and more then 35,000 home owners.  “We partnered with Augie because he shares the values of our organization. Augie has turned his experience into a learning experience for the rest of the world and has achieved a lasting significance.  This is what College Works Painting and each of our employees aims for.”  Said Stewart.
 
Business executives in the United States face some tough challenges in the coming years.  In addition to the uncertainty in the financial market, the unpredictable spending patterns of today’s consumer, the change in raw material costs and the effect of currency value fluctuations, leaders have to incorporate more then just work into the business.  Employees today shift jobs based on value allegiances, learning experiences, and long term employment desires more then location and even financial rewards.  They can smell a fake, and they align themselves with companies that support causes they support, conduct themselves in similar manner to the employee, and give off the desired image.  “College Works loves that trend,” says Stewart.   “We are all about allegiance based on what we stand for, more then anything else.  I give a lot of speeches, many of the questions I answer revolve around how to discover what your company stands for and how to incorporate this into your daily job.  This is the best part of being a business leader, you get to do that!”  At College Works Painting, we choose to work with people and organizations that aim to improve our world, those individuals and organizations that are making a mark in a positive way. Augie has made his mark on me personally, and is making a huge mark on this horrible disease.”

 
For more information on College Works Painting go to www.collegeworks.com

For more information on Augie’s Quest go to:
www.augiesquest.com

Strong interview skills make for memorable first impression
By Abaries Farhad
The State News
Published: March 16, 2009
Internships have a reputation for being competitive, and the prospect of an interview might be daunting for some students. The good news is there are ways to stand out in an interview that can help students land their dream internships.
“The economy is really tough and getting jobs is going to be tough. We know after spring break a lot of people are going to be worried,” said Executive Director of Career Services & Placement Kelley Bishop. “It’s not an impossible job market, but it’s much harder than we’ve seen in the past, so it’s important to put your best face forward.”
Before the interview
Most of the work that goes into an interview involves doing your homework, Bishop said. Knowing background information about the hiring company helps a candidate stand out from the mountains of résumés and cover letters reviewed by employers.
“You need to prepare. Do more than just reading (the company’s) Web site,” Bishop said. “Check out employees there, check out the company’s products, find out what awards that company won and why.”
Appearance also is key since it’s the first impression intern-hopefuls make on the employer, Bishop said.
“If you don’t know what to wear, it’s better to be more formal than less. It is never wrong to show up in a suit. If you show up and no one’s wearing a suit, you can always take the jacket off,” Bishop said. “If you show up in a T-shirt and shorts and everyone else is wearing a suit, there is no way to ramp up your image at that point.”
Lyman Briggs freshman Kimberley Van Ness has an internship with College Works Painting. Having survived three interviews before getting an internship as a district manager for the company, Van Ness said she agrees with Bishop.
“Definitely dress to impress. That’s their first impression of you, and you don’t want to look like a bum,” she said.
Once research and outfits have been prepped, practice makes perfect. Bishop said doing mock interviews, such as those offered by Career Services, are a good way to polish interview skills.
“(Mock interviews are) a really, really great investment. There’s a learning curve,” Bishop said. “After doing three or four you get much, much better and comfortable and know how to do it. You can become confident and put your best self forward.”
During the interview
Van Ness, who will spend the summer running her own house painting business, said the most challenging part of the interview can be telling interviewers why you’re the right person for the job.
“Setting yourself apart is challenging because there’s a lot of people going through the interview process. When I applied, they recruited over 1,000 people and only chose 85,” Van Ness said. “You really need to work hard for whatever position you want. They’re going to recruit more people than they need, then weed the rest out, and you don’t want to be one of the ones weeded out.”
That means constant attention to the what you do and say during an interview. Bishop said a student’s interview begins as soon as he or she steps foot on the employer’s property.
“Anyone you meet, you should treat with absolute respect, whether it’s a receptionist or secretary. Treat them all like a CEO. It’s common practice for a seasoned interviewer to go to the front desk after the interview and ask the receptionist what they thought about the interviewee,” Bishop said.
Bishop also said to turn cell phones off, not on vibrate, and to shake the employer’s hand firmly while maintaining eye contact. He also said to use the employer’s name as often as possible “because a person likes to hear his own name.”
Kresge Art Museum Curator April Kingsley knows firsthand what employers look for in internship interviews since the museum hires a number of interns every year. Kingsley said interviewers like when students demonstrate a variety of skills that are in demand for a particular job, whether they are research, writing, computer or photography skills.
Kingsley said she remembered one particular intern.
“We had a student one year who was an Africanist. She redid our entire African section and the labels, she redid the colors and the whole thing. … It gave her training and experience, but it definitely helped us,” she said. “Superiority in any skill that would help the employer is a big plus and makes a good impression.”
After the interview
Interviews don’t end as soon as the candidate walks out the door. After an interview, it’s appropriate to send a thank-you letter to each person that played a role in the interview, Bishop said.
“Get their names and business cards, even the secretary who you’ve been in contact with,” Bishop said. “The note should be personal, like ‘I really appreciate that you met with me and we talked about this or that,’ and add a ‘p.s. good luck on your fishing trip this weekend.’ Make it personal, not a formal letter.”
Published on Monday, March 16, 2009

College Works Painting wants to help you!

Business from the Los Angeles Times
EBay trimming jobs, buying companies to shore up business in turbulent times

US Sept payrolls fall 159,000, largest drop in 5 yrs; unemployment 6.1% UPDATE
From Forbes10.03.08, 9:52 AM ET

New reports point to higher unemployment, declining factory orders from The KansasCity.com

Unemployment Rate Rises in Georgia from wrdw.com in Augusta, GA


With the unfortunate turn of events that are steadily plaguing more and more of the working class, those at the university level also begin to worry about their financial futures and outcomes.  Peter S. Goodman of the New York Times reported on Friday Oct.2 that approximately 159,000 jobs were lost in September alone.  As jobs get cut all across the dozens of industries, the unemployment rate continues to soar, increasing from 2.2 million to 9.5 million according to the New York Times.

With the economy being the way it is now, and with unemployment increasing steadily, College Works Painting remains hopeful as we continue to offer college students internships with the necessary training and experience to help them over come the turmoil and chaos that is our economic situation.  We are still able to provide real world business experience to help the up and coming graduate a chance to make it in his or her own field.  The New York Times posted an article stating that internships are a must.  It isn't enough anymore to have a degree; you also need practical application of the things that you have learned while in school.

“College grads can have the innovative mindset with a company that hires them or by creating their own business and small business is a key to easing a recession,” said business major Jared Thompson of Minnesota.  “As the business student, I see opportunities for my fellow peers and I in joining companies that have great ideas but has been mismanaged that we could help get back on its’ feet,” Thompson said.

“College is different now than it was ten years ago, today having a degree is not enough, you need experience in the work force also,” said Andrew Landau, a finance major from Utah.

We want to encourage all to see for themselves how College Works Painting can help aid in securing a place for you in this day and age.  We are preparing students to keep up with the times, while still maintaining the values of hard work, discipline, honesty and integrity.
 

For Immediate Release
Rachel Toyer
Online PR Coordinator
949-734-6161 ext.207
rtoyer@nsgmail.com


National Service Group to Sponsor 18th Annual SOS Celebrity Chef Dinner

Matt Stewart, Co-founder and CEO of National Service Group will sponsor the Share our Selves (SOS) Celebrity Chef Dinner with a check for $5,000. The dinner is held annually in an effort to provide for the poor and needy in Orange County. The proceeds for this event will go to the Share Our Selves Orange Aid Project that was started in 1992 which seeks to gather excess food from local vendors to give to the needy.

This years dinner will be held on October 11 at the Hilton Orange County in Costa Mesa and will feature local chefs from Orange Countys premiere dining establishments.

Stewart, who has been an active supporter of Share Our Selves since 2003, also sits on the board of trustees. In addition, many of the staff at National Service Group have volunteered at SOS, donated money and goods through a company food drive, and office clothing collection.

Our company loves helping SOS, because SOS does a great job of assisting the community. We know a large portion of our donations go to direct aid. We know that there are people in Orange County that need our help. SOS has been a wonderful source of that help for 30 years and we plan to assist SOS in their mission for over 30 more, said Stewart.

Stewart, who has been involved with SOS since 1999 has worked in various aspects of the organization including packing groceries, and working with the Adopt a Family event during the winter holidays.

For more information about becoming involved with Share Our Selves, visit their website www.sos.org. For more information about College Works Painting visit www.collegeworks.com


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Rachel Toyer, Online PR Coordinator, 949-734-6161 ext.207

Ever since I started at College Works Painting, I feel like the work I do is making a difference.  I would still like to meet some of the college interns, but this opportunity is amazing in that I get to learn different types of media.  There is a lot of hard work that goes into this job and I am thrilled about learning.