Teamwork, Milestones, and Accomplishments

Hello there, my name is Kate Trimble and I am the Social Media Content Strategist for Celebrity Staff. Each year our parent company C&A Industries comes together and celebrates accomplishments of our teams. We are an organization devoted to helping people and companies achieve their goals. Each year we highlight a stand out professional who is at the beginning of their career in staffing. This honor, called Rising Star is a reflection of someone really coming in eager to succeed and contribute. This year's winner, Jessica Howes, sat down with me recently and answered a few questions about what brought her to staffing, her mentors, and aspirations in life.

What brought you to C&A Industries and Celebrity Staff?

This is a very unique situation! I coach at Elite Cheer and I was discussing my desires to move in a different direction with my career to one of the mothers in the group. She told me to connect with her husband who works at C&A Industries and see if it would be a fit. After an awesome lunch, I was sold. I went through the entire interview process with Aureus Medical and with a compliance position and was denied both. I figured it just wasn't meant to be. One evening, my boyfriend and I were driving to a date night when a Facebook message popped up. Patty North, my (now) general manager, asked me to come in the next day for an interview. I spoke with Pam who is the Omaha Branch Manager and then Jason who was a Recruiting Manager and FINALLY received an offer. It was a long process, but it was so worth it!

How much did you know about staffing before your role? 

I didn't even know staffing existed. I truly thought there were "temp" roles, but I had no idea the caliber of work a staffing service can do for individuals and companies.

Was there anything that really made the difference in your professional development over first year? 

My managers. 100% my managers. I was lucky to be managed by both Pam Hickey and Jason Randazzo through my first year. I started as a Recruiter and Jason helped develop my skill set, encouraged and challenged me. Pam is an amazing mentor and pushes me beyond what I could possibly imagine doing. Not only has she become a friend, she is someone I can aspire to be like in my professional career. She has helped me realize my professional goals, how to be respected by my peers as a new(er) grad, and is always willing to listen no matter how busy she is.

Do you have any goal-setting tips or tricks for other young professionals who are hungry to grow in their role?

Gosh. This job has made me goal oriented and pushed me to set goals consistently. My biggest piece of advice I would tell anyone entering a sales role is to be coachable, and just do anything you're asked to do. TRULY, the worst thing someone on the other end of the phone can say is no! Why not try it....that mentality has been important to me. 

What element does team work play in your accomplishments?

My team is 100% the reason I have done what I have in my first year. They all bring so many different elements to the team. We are all goal oriented, driven, and passionate about what we do. There is always some friendly competition on the sales floor too, which always keeps me going. My team is the best in the business. I love celebrating their successes and they celebrate mine. They are the BEST team! 

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of my job is giving offers to my candidates!!! I love getting to call someone and tell them they either got their dream job or a position that will get them back into the work force to make that next step for growth. It is so fun to see the entire candidate process through from interview to placement. I love getting referrals and knowing that even if I didn't place a candidate I met, I made a lasting enough impression for them to tell someone else about Celebrity Staff. 

When did you realize that was an industry you really wanted to grow within? 

Gosh....week two?! My team was so inviting and willing to help me the minute I dove in. This industry has a lot of ups and downs, but if you're willing to ride the rollercoaster..it is a ton of fun! I love connecting people to companies and companies to people they would never meet. It can be so rewarding and every day is truly different. I can't imagine being anywhere else!

Who inspires you? 

There are a lot of people that inspire me! My dad is a huge inspiration. He built his company from the ground up and has always set goals for himself. He is one of the most driven and hardworking individuals that I know! We are both bull headed, stubborn and need the last word. He probably challenges me more than I'd like to admit. My dad is always one to put those around him first, and runs his company truly as a family business. The coolest thing he does for his employees is delivering hams to each person at Christmas time! I definitely got a part of my work ethic from him.

What is next on your professional horizon? Any big goals or milestones you have your eye on?

Hm...well I just bought a house, so that is a major milestone! Professionally, I really enjoy mentoring and developing other people. Through coaching at Elite Cheer I have found that developing others is a passion of mine. I have always seen myself getting into Sales Management. Who knows, we will see! I know the opportunities are there for me as I grow.