Career Connectors

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Cindy Nowack

07/31/18 – Get LinkedIn or Get Left Out

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Get LinkedIn or get left outWritten by Cindy Nowack

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

Get LinkedIn or Get Left Out
Ted Robison

Ted Robison, also known as “Mr. Link-Me-In,” has been coaching LinkedIn techniques for the past nine years at Career Connectors, church ministries, universities, colleges, companies and recruiting firms. 87% of job seekers will find a job through networking, and Ted provided many helpful techniques and tactics for making the most of your LinkedIn connections. You should be on LinkedIn for creating connectivity, raising your brand and visibility, and to be found.

While aiming for more than 500 connections on LinkedIn, you should also be engaging with professionals and online groups within LinkedIn. Ted says “connections are good, but relationships are golden.” There are more than 500 million subscribers on LinkedIn, where engaging with others is based on three degrees of separation. Ask for introductions when one of your first level connections is connected to a 2nd level that you would like to get to know. Offer to take that person to coffee or lunch to ask them about their company and its culture.

Within LinkedIn, you can maximize its benefits in the following ways:

  • Find jobs, people, groups, associations, and your target companies
  • Create your own unique URL – elevates you in Google searches
  • Understand the benefits of free vs. Premium accounts
  • Consider your privacy, contact levels and how you can be searched by others

Your profile page on LinkedIn is your personal brand and image promotion. Customize it!

  • Add keywords and search engine optimization (SEO) so you will be found
  • Your picture is a must
  • The headline should reflect your job title/industry/tagline
  • Your summary should include S.E.E.S. – skills (hard and soft), experience, expertise and style
    • Your style is what can differentiate you in your LinkedIn profile and in an interview
  • You should have 4-8 recommendations – 2 managers, 2 peers, 2 subordinates (if you are a manager), and 2 clients
  • Join 30-50 groups and associations to expand your visibility
  • Provide status updates, posts, blogs, articles – raises your brand and visibility

There is a hidden job market that accounts for 80% of the jobs. Create a list of 30-50 target companies. Use the Phoenix Business Journal Book of Lists and Reference USA to learn more about your target companies. You can then build relationships of the employees who work at these companies by reaching out to those 2nd and even 3rd level connections through your own LinkedIn network. Companies offer referral bonuses, so build your connections of employees at your target companies, and, when a job is available, your connection can refer you. It’s a win-win situation. If you’re hired, you have a new job and your connection receives a referral bonus.

Once you have an interview, you can continue to use LinkedIn to prepare. Research the company to know their products, services, competitors. Know the company’s culture and core values to determine if you would work well in that environment. Also, research your interviewers. Knowing their hobbies, work history, and common groups will help you connect in the interview. LinkedIn also has a new learning section to brush up on skills that may be needed in the role for which you are interviewing.

In summary, Mr. Link-Me-In provided a review of several action items to make the most of your LinkedIn account:

  • Build and strengthen your profile with key words
  • Meet people and increase your network
  • Create and search your target companies
  • Join associations and groups
  • Research the company and its employees in preparation for interviews
  • Talk to the hiring manager if possible. Take friends or colleagues out to lunch (ask about the company, and if they can pass your resume along to the hiring manager)
  • Know your value propositions – what differentiates you?
  • Network, network, network!

You don’t want to be left out in today’s job market, so be sure you are linked in on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES

vCandidates
LT Ladino, CEO/CMO/Founder

Technology advancements have hurt the hiring process and alienated qualified people. If you have worked with staffing firms but haven’t been thrilled with the results, vCandidates is launching a subscription-based platform in October connecting recruiters with candidates. The company will foster open communication, candidate engagement and organization, with platform key features beyond the popular job boards. The candidate can present themselves in their own voice. This new recruiting tool will combine technology with the human touch.

Grand Canyon University (GCU)
Rob Loy, Head of Non-Degreed Technology Programs

In the job market today, 58% of all new jobs are in STEM, and computing jobs are the #1 source of new wages in the United States. To help you get the necessary skills to compete in this job market, GCU offers an Immersive Java Bootcamp. In 16 weeks, the bootcamp is more than 600 hours of project-based collaborative instruction and your accelerated path to employment. The courses completed within the bootcamp are part of GCU’s existing, regionally accredited programs. These courses are transferrable to a GCU bachelor’s program, or eligible for transfer at the discretion of other regionally accredited U.S. institutions.

HIRING COMPANIES

Wells Fargo
Meghan Pringle, Recruiting Manager

Wells Fargo has more than 5,000 employees at the Queen Creek and Price location. There are 10 lines of business within the company, more than just bank locations. Current Arizona openings include:

  • Analytic consultant
  • Bankruptcy specialist
  • Business Initiatives Consultant
  • Implementation Consultant
  • Quality Assurance Analyst
  • And many more.

There are also Enterprise IT career opportunities in numerous IT disciplines. Go to www.wellsfargojobs.com for a complete list of available positions here in Arizona, and in other locations. If you don’t see what types of openings appeal to you, you can set up a job search agent online, which will notify you when an opening is available that matches your criteria.

Northwestern Mutual
Joe Morris, Managing Director

Northwestern Mutual began in 1957 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company offers an array of financial products including mutual funds, disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance. In addition to a supportive team environment and a strong industry reputation, a 5 year mentoring program of new advisors is a valuable benefit for joining the company. Current opportunities at Northwest Mutual are:

  • Financial representative/advisor
  • Assistant financial representative

More information about these position plus other orporate career opportunities can be found at www.northwesternmutual.com/corporate-careers/.

Or reach out to the Director of Recruitment and Selection, Megan Wotton, on LinkedIn.

Allstate
Nate Smith, Senior Recruiting Consultant

There are more than 70,000 Allstate employees in North America, plus employees in Belfast and northern India. At the Tempe regional offices, Allstate is hiring for a number of positions including:

  • IT (4)
  • HR (2)
  • Product (1)
  • Claims (6)
  • Sales management (2)
  • Exclusive financial specialist

You also have the option of becoming an agency owner. Allstate has a 90% retention rate because as you grow your business, you build your success and own your equity. There are no royalty fees or franchise fees. A minimum of $100,000 spendable start up capital is required, but the advantages of being an Allstate agency owner are no inventory, repeat revenue, and competitive compensation in a high demand field. You can earn what you are worth, with a recognizable national brand backing you up. You can even begin without insurance experience or your license. Allstate will help prepare you for your new career.

Contact Nate Smith or visit www.allstate.com/careers for additional information.

CLOSING

Thank you to our premier and corporate partners for their continuing support. A special thank you as well to our host facility, Central Christian Church.

Our next event is Thursday, August 16 at Grand Canyon University when Bridgett McGowen-Hawkins will speak about “From Transition to Triumph: Mentally Regrouping in the Midst of Career Change.” Check the Career Connectors website for the topic and location of each week’s meeting and other resources for job seekers.

07/26/18 – Think Like a Hiring Manager and Land the Job

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Think Like a Hiring ManagerWritten by Cindy Nowack

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Think Like a Hiring Manager and Land the Job
Jessica Pierce

Jessica Pierce has learned a thing or two about what hiring managers look for when finding quality candidates. She owned her own staffing company, and is now the Founder and Executive Director of Career Connectors, a non-profit organization that connects professionals in career transition with hiring professionals and quality resources. Career Connectors has grown from 25 people meeting for the first time for resume review and interview prep to the powerhouse non-profit it is today, serving more than 31,000 people and 750 companies in the metro Phoenix area. So when Jessica took the stage, everyone in the audience paid attention to what she had to say.

Most people wonder why didn’t they get the call back for a job opening. They had the qualifications and experience, but it’s more than just that. If you think like a hiring manager, they are looking for quality candidates they know will do well in that position. If you apply online, you are just an email address, not a person. Think about ways to set yourself apart from the other applicants. You need to customize yourself.

Employers and their hiring managers prefer hiring people they know. Companies with a referral bonus give certain candidates a prescreened option if an employee refers them. The retention rates of referred employees are higher than others, so this saves the company time and money.

Social media is also an essential tool across industries for finding qualified candidates. Top recruiters are 60% more engaged with LinkedIn recruiting tools than the average recruiters. Know these three key words for connecting with the right people on LinkedIn at your target companies:

  • Recruiter
  • Talent acquisition
  • HR

You should be connecting with the recruitment teams at your target companies, so they can get to know you. This is a step in setting yourself apart from the other job applicants. When looking for candidates, recruiters will tend to pull from their own networking pool first to fill the position.

Jessica also promotes networking as an important component in landing your next job. Don’t get stuck behind your desk, applying for jobs online all day. You need to show up and meet people. Jessica used Anthony as an example.

Anthony had been looking for his next position for months with no luck. Jessica got his commitment to actively network for four weeks. After the 4 weeks, Anthony felt like it was working, so he continued making these connections through networking. At the end of only 6 weeks, he had two job offers!

Jessica refers to the 3 Cs of Hiring:
Competence + Character + Chemistry = Culture Match.

You will want to connect with others as your first step to getting hired. The audience took a few minutes to list three things each of us can do to connect with others. A networking event, career fair, even coffee with a friend can build those connections. Take a few minutes now to write down three connection points to help you build your own connections.

The next step is competence. Think about your skills, knowledge, experiences, and accomplishments that can show your competency for job openings. Take a few minutes now to write down three of your competencies.

Character traits are also important in customizing yourself. If you need help with identifying your characteristics, Career Connectors offers a DISC assessment online at no charge to job seekers. Based on your answers to a series of questions, the assessment will provide an evaluation of your behaviors and traits. Take a few minutes now to write down three of your own character traits.

The third “C” is chemistry. First impressions are important, and most people know within the first few minutes whether there is a connection. When you meet the hiring manager face to face for your interview, the handshake is an important step in making the connection. Jessica says match the other person’s pressure with 2-3 pumps and let go. No lingering! She had each of us try our handshake with others in the room. Practice this with your family or friends so you are prepared with a good handshake.

Remember these steps before, during and after your interview to help set yourself apart from the others.

Before the interview:
Research the employer
Know your resume
Prepare and review your interview notes

During the interview:
Dress to impress
Arrive 5-10 minutes early
Engage with everyone

After the interview:
Send thank you notes
Connect on LinkedIn/Social Media

If you would like additional help knowing the winning strategies of networking for a job, Jessica recommends Molly Wendell and Executives Network. Molly has been dubbed “The Job Whisperer.” Her networking techniques are effective and proven to work.

You now have a few nuggets of information that can help you think like hiring managers, and hopefully create that culture match with you and your new employer. Hiring managers want to find the culture match for their company, but you also need to know if the company is a good culture match for you as well. Use Jessica’s 3 Cs of Hiring to help you find the culture match that works for both of you.

RESOURCES

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona
Denise Coulson, Area Leader for the Business and Community Development

Goodwill has 22 career centers in central and northern Arizona with 3 career advisors at each location. They offer help with your resume, mock interviews, and more than 1,000 positions posted to their internal job board. All of these resources are at no cost to you. Stop in one of the career centers Monday – Thursday, 9am-3pm, and Friday, 9am-1pm.

Goodwill offers donation drives across the state to support schools. They can bring a van to your location, and pay 10 cents for every pound donated. Then, Goodwill puts 90 cents of every dollar back into its workforce development.

Denise and her colleagues at Goodwill are committed to the company mission of ending unemployment by providing sustainable employment opportunities and building stronger communities.

HIRING COMPANIES

Paychex
Jeff Shaw, Recruiter

Paychex was founded in 1971 with their headquarters in Rochester, NY. Their location in Phoenix is close to the I-17 and Bell Road. Paychex is a provider of human resources solutions and human capital management. The company has many accolades, including number 5 on the “50 Best Companies to Sell For.”

Their company culture promotes a positive and professional work environment, a work life balance, career pathing and promotions, and community involvement.

Current openings include:

  • Payroll specialists and dedicated service representatives
  • 401K and S125 advisors and coordinators (Retirement Services)
  • Online service advisors
  • Sales
  • HR generalists
  • Agency advisors

Avesis
James Gonzales, Talent Acquisition Recruiter

Established in 1978, Avesis is a dental, vision and hearing insurance company that has recently acquired Guardian. Avesis covers more than 8.5 million members.

Their current openings are:

  • Customer service representative (pays $15.25/hour; class starting in September)
  • Data entry specialists
  • Data entry team lead
  • Vision claims processor
  • Vision utilization management processor

Farmers Insurance
Surrie Atkins, Recruiter

Founded in 1928, Farmers Insurance is one of the largest and most respected insurance brands in the United States. Farmers is a leading insurer of small- and medium-sized businesses, and also operates a rapidly growing financial services company.

There are currently two locations in Phoenix, but all employees will be based at the I-17 and Pinnacle Peak location within the next few years. Farmers is looking to grow in the Phoenix market, hiring 300-400 new employees who have a passion for helping others and putting the customer first.

Two positions that Farmers is currently hiring are:
Customer service: taking inbound calls from policy holders or field agents. This role needs decision-making and problem-solving skills, in addition to excellent communication and computer skills.

Inbound sales: providing customer service and product knowledge for internal and external customers. This role pays a base salary plus commission, and must pass a licensing exam.

To apply, go to www.farmersinsurance.com/careers.

CLOSING REMARKS

As Jessica Pierce mentioned in her presentation, the DISC assessment can be a valuable tool for identifying your character traits, the words that describe who you are. You can take those descriptors to match against job descriptions that interest you. The DISC assessment is offered by Career Connectors at no charge. Click on careerconnectors.org/disc/.

The next event is in Gilbert on Tuesday, July 31 when Ted Robison presents “Get LinkedIn or Get Left Out.” On Thursday, August 9, Bridgett McGowen-Hawkins presents “From Transition to Triumph: Mentally Regrouping In the Midst of Career Change” in Phoenix. You won’t want to miss either of these amazing speakers and their relevant topics for your job search.

07/12/18 – YOU are the Differentiator!

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You are the differentiator Connie KadanskyWritten by Cindy Nowack

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

YOU are the Differentiator!

Connie Kadansky, PCC

Connie Kadansky works with sales people worldwide in a very specific niche of prospecting, self-promotion, and overcoming internal and external obstacles. She says she has a coffee cup that reads, “Get your ‘ask’ in gear!” That’s appropriate because her presentation was about asking for what you want. She learned at a young age to ask for what she wanted, and years later, when she was interviewing, she asked the manager for the job. She got the job, because he told her later that she was the only one who asked for it.

She started off her presentation by waving a twenty dollar bill in the air and asking, “Who will give me $1 for this $20?” After a few seconds, two gentlemen raced to the front of the room. The first guy didn’t have $1, but the second guy had his dollar ready, gave it to Connie, and she gave him her twenty. It wasn’t a joke. He just made a $19 return for going to the front of the room and asking for her twenty. Connie says that offer was available to everyone in the room, yet only two people tried for it. That’s the secret – you need to ask for what you want. If self-promotion is the missing ingredient in your job search, read more of Connie’s thoughts on how to self-promote and be the differentiator.

We paired up for an exercise, with the first person asking, “There’s a career fair coming up. Will you go with me?” The partner responded with “Yes, but…” and then the roles were reversed and the first person responded instead with “Yes, and…”

Everyone agreed that the “Yes, but” responses zap the energy of the first person. It’s difficult to defend their suggestion when they hear several negative responses starting with the words, “Yes, but…” The “Yes, and…” is not necessarily agreeing to go, but is more receptive and responds positively to the offer.

There is uncertainty when we job search.
The uncertainty fuels anxiety.
Anxiety leads to distress.
Distress stimulates fear.
Fear creates doubt.
Doubt wastes energy.

Sales call reluctance is the emotional hesitation to self-promote. It’s a fear of rejection. Instead, take proactive steps to make phone calls to the people who can influence your ability to earn what you are worth. Connie suggested putting jars in opposite corners of your desk. On Monday morning, one jar is filled with the number of coins, gems, or marbles that equals the number of calls you will make in the week. For every call, move one of the coins to the other jar. If there are still a number of coins in the first jar on Friday morning, you know you need to make more calls before you start your weekend. You need a consistent pipeline of possibilities to get the job you want, so overcome your reluctance, make those calls and ask for what you want.

Curiosity is also helpful in the job search process. While skepticism and curiosity are both questioning mindsets, curiosity turns doubt into fuel for learning and discovery. Be sure to ask curious questions in your interview. Connie even says that you can get away with almost anything when you start by saying, “I’m curious.” Curiosity is the secret ingredient that makes your job search an adventure.

Connie says you need these three traits for self-promotion:

Positioning – Utilize your existing networks and look for ways to develop new ones. Make sure you get noticed. Participate so others notice you.

Style – Possess something distinctive so people will remember you. Do people want to remember you? Is your style serving you?

Consistency – Never leave self-promotion up to chance. Know that self-promotion is important and do it repeatedly. SHOW UP!

Opportunities are out there everywhere. Connect with the right person with the right attitude, and ask for what you want. Confidence is faith and trust in yourself and your process. It transforms fear into focused thinking and action.

We all have our own internal conversations, so discipline and monitor those thoughts to banish the “Yes, but…” response, and use the “Yes, and…” reply instead. Don’t forget that self-promotion is a key ingredient in your job search. Become noticed by the hiring managers, and you will be the differentiator.

HIRING COMPANIES

Freedom Financial Network
Heather Marcom, Head of Talent Acquisition

Launched in 2002 by Stanford Classmates, Bradford Stroh and Andrew Housser, Freedom Financial provides financial solutions, services, and education, enabling consumers to resolve their debt and achieve financial freedom. They were voted the #1 Best Place to Work in Phoenix two years in a row. Their offices are located near the 202 and the 101, just east of Tempe Marketplace. They have 2,100 employees and growing. Freedom Financial takes their core values seriously, including helping their own employees who may have found themselves in debt through the Freedom Family Fund. Employees pay to wear jeans to work, the CEOs match and double these contributions, and the money is then used to help employees get out of financial trouble.

Freedom Financial is currently hiring for Call Center/Sales/Operations, IT/Engineering, and Analytics, Product/HR roles. A complete list of open positions is on their website. Also, follow Freedom Financial on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

State Farm
Molly Romine, Recruiter

State Farm is located in Marina Heights on Rio Salado, across from the ASU football field. They have 8,000 employees locally and more than 70,000 across the organization. Molly is currently hiring operations positions, including claims and customer service roles. Go to State Farm Careers for the current list of openings. State Farm offers information sessions by invitation- contact her if you’d like an invite!

RESOURCES

Grand Canyon University (GCU)
Kyle Richardson and Hope Watts, University Counselors

In the job market today, 58% of all new jobs are in STEM, and computing jobs are the #1 source of new wages in the United States. To help you get the necessary skills to compete in this job market, GCU offers an Immersive Java Bootcamp. In 16 weeks, the bootcamp offers more than 600 hours of project-based collaborative instruction and your accelerated path to employment. The courses completed within the bootcamp are part of GCU’s existing, regionally accredited programs. These courses are transferable to a GCU bachelor’s program, or eligible for transfer at the discretion of other regionally accredited U.S. institutions.

CLOSING REMARKS

At our next event on Thursday, July 19, Jackie Schierenberg will discuss “Expert Tips on How to Navigate the ATS” at our Scottsdale location.

Check the schedule online for more upcoming topics. A few dates of our summer events have been moved to accommodate summer programs at our host locations, so be sure to confirm the location as well.

06/28/18 – Finding and Landing A New Career FAST!

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Find a new career fastWritten by Cindy Nowack

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Finding and Landing A New Career FAST!

Dave Sherman

After a successful entrepreneurial career in the speaking and training world, Dave Sherman used his networking skills to land positions in the high tech and commercial real estate world without having any experience in either industry. He came to the Career Connectors meeting to share his five tips for finding and landing a new career.

Tip 1: Embrace your decision

When making a change, people ask themselves, Should I do this? My job’s not that bad. What are people going to say?

If it’s something you’re doing that’s good for you and your family, you don’t have to explain anything to anyone. Avoid indecision, explanations, validation, and negativity. Do what’s right for you, especially at 3:05 a.m. when you wake up with lingering doubts.

You need to believe in your decision 110%. Family, friends, and even complete strangers will be giving you negativity. It’s not their path. It’s your path. Keep your family members updated. Family members are often negative because they don’t know enough about what you’re doing. Talk to them about why you’re making this change and how it will benefit the family. Embrace your decision and don’t listen to the naysayers.

Tip 2: Peruse the job boards

Once upon a time, before the internet, job seekers opened the paper to the Help Wanted section and circled jobs. It’s not that way anymore. Now you open up your computer and you have a crystal ball when looking at the job boards. You can search for anything. This is the opportunity to do anything you want to do. Don’t limit yourself. Get out of the box. Pursue jobs that will make you happy.

Dave issued a challenge to those of us at the meeting – and those of you reading this recap. Spend the next few days looking up all the jobs you ever wanted. Look for jobs that are interesting, challenging, rewarding and fun. Take some time to figure out what will make you happy.

Tip 3 : Start meeting MORE PEOPLE

This tip moves you from looking for work to landing work. Now that you have checked out the job boards and figured out your next step, start meeting people that can help take you there. Attend meetings of local Chambers of Commerce, industry associations, business groups, networking groups, and career transition groups. You won’t be asking these people for a job though. You want to meet somebody who knows somebody who can help you. Here are a few suggestions when attending these types of meetings:

  • Show up early – About 15 minutes before the meeting starts so you can get comfortable and start conversations with a few people.
  • Bring business cards – You may not have a job, but you can list your name and contact information on the cards. There are inexpensive options online.
  • ASK FOR HELP! – You want to let people know why you’re attending these meetings. These are the people who know the trends and contacts, but take a look at tips 4 and 5 to ease into how to ask for help.

Tip 4: When attending events, let go of the outcome

You won’t find a job at a networking event. But you may find someone who knows something or someone else that can help you. Start your conversations with commonalities – hometown, hobbies, school, favorites. Also, you want to be interested, not interesting. Ask questions. If it will be helpful, bring note cards of some conversation starters.

Tip 5: Know the four most important words – “Who do you know?”

You need to let people know what you want. Otherwise, they can’t help you. Tell everybody. Social media makes it easy. Post what you want on LinkedIn. Also, if Dave can help you, reach out to him. One audience member wants to be a private investigator, and Dave had a breakfast meeting scheduled with an owner of a security firm.

This is an exciting time of change for you. Take away the fear, and look at the excitement of what you’re doing. Follow Dave’s five tips, and you are on your way to finding and landing your new career.

HIRING COMPANIES

Arizona Department of Health Services
James Yale, Arizona State Hospital, Assistant Chief Nursing Officer

The Arizona State Hospital has three campuses housing primarily psychiatric patients near 24th Street and Van Buren. They use a recovery model to help inpatients transition back into society. There currently have 743 full-time state employees, 40 part-time, and 300 contractors.

The hospital is looking to hire licensed nurses and mental health technicians. Not all the jobs are medical though. They also have career opportunities for executive management, administrative staff, legal staff, project specialists, quality management, compliance and more. Go to azstatejobs.gov, click on Search for Jobs on the left side, click on Agency drop down box, and select Department of Health Services to see what positions are available.

Web.com
Kelly Moncada, Recruiter

Web.com is an online marketing company that provides websites, hosting, and helps companies manage their online presence and accelerate growth.  They are currently hiring 30 inside sales reps per month with base salary plus uncapped commission, as well as other positions listed here, including Senior Digital Marketing Analyst, Associate Data Specialist and Digital Marketing outside sales rep. The call center is located near Scottsdale and McDowell.

RESOURCES

Goodwill of Central and Northern AZ
Troy Maskell, Employee and Community Relations

Goodwill of Central and Northern AZ has 19 job centers that help put people to work. They are expanding their model to reach the mid-level to executive job seekers. They collaborate with various community resources, and partner with more than 650 companies. You can visit a job center for help with your resume, LinkedIn profile, or interviewing skills.

Troy did a quick role play with an attendee asking “Why should I hire you?” The three important questions you should answer when asked that question are:

  • What value can you bring to the organization?
  • How are you going to save them time?
  • How are you going to save them money?

Visit a Goodwill job center for help with interview skills and more.

CLOSING REMARKS

If you are looking for your new career or want to know more about your strengths, you can take the DISC assessment offered by Top Talent Consulting. As a Career Connectors member, you can take this behavioral assessment for free. Your detailed personal profile includes general characteristics, value to the organization, ideal environment, perceptions, descriptors, and much more. This is just one of the resources offered to Career Connectors members. Go to the website to find out more about taking the DISC assessment.

There is no meeting the week of July 2. The next meeting is Thursday, July 12 in Phoenix when Connie Kadansky will tell us that You are the Differentiator. Hiring companies that day will be Freedom Financial Network and State Farm.

06/12/18 – Career Transition in 2018 – Top Ten Tips

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Pam HewardWritten by Cindy Nowack

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Career Transition in 2018 – Top Ten Tips

Pamela Heward

Pamela Heward is passionate about helping others through career and life transition as the owner and founder of Box Free Minds. She shared that a successful career transition is a combination of discipline, patience and creative thinking. The best place to begin is with your mindset. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” How you feel is something you control.

Pamela’s top ten tips for career transition are:

1. The WORK before the work begins NOW. Take the time to fine tune your resume, develop your LinkedIn profile, and network to get ready for the real work – finding your next opportunity.

2. Create your awesome list. You are more than bullet points on a resume. What are those things about you that are great, but don’t go on your resume? For instance, seeing things differently is not a problem. When asked what color a banana is, a younger Pamela said white. Most people think bananas are yellow, but when the banana is peeled, Pamela saw it as white. Seeing things others may have missed is a gift. What are your “white banana” gifts? Once you know this about yourself, you show up differently. You can talk about the skills that are more than bullets on your resume and how these gifts can be valuable to others.

3. There are 8 mind shifts that will get you unstuck and excited. One of the mind shifts Pamela shared is #6 – be an inquisitive explorer. You can get to know the market and industry through the Business Journal and other resources. Your responsibility is to find interesting companies that excite you. Put those companies on your target list.

4. Create SMART goals. Goals should be about your happiness, what you want to achieve. SMART goals are:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable, Attainable – personable part
  • Realistic – outer reasonable goal
  • Time-oriented

To increase the likelihood of success, goals should be:
Written – in the SMART goal format
Public – tell everyone about your goals
Accountable – find a coach or a person you trust, and create weekly tasks to help you complete your goals

5. Practice, rehearse and role play. To develop your story, use the STAR method:
Situation
Task (Challenge)
Action
Result

Prepare at least three examples of your successes. Once you develop your story, practice telling it. Your story should be one minute or less. Otherwise, you will lose your audience’s attention. The first time telling your story is always too long, so practice and rehearse out loud and with others.

6. Step outside your comfort zone, try new things, learn, grow. Pamela shared this quote, “A comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there.” – Unknown. Use this transition time to try new things. Get out of your comfort zone.

7. Talk with others. Don’t “firehose” people immediately. When you start talking with others, share your title and wait for their response. If they ask a question or are interested in what you said, provide a little more information. From there, the conversation develops.

8. Recharge your battery. Draw a circle with 8 pie slices on a piece of paper. In each slice, write things you can do when you need to recharge. This time should be healing and rejuvenating. Walk, enjoy nature, unplug electronics, play music, sleep, solitude, dance, talk to a friend are some of the suggestions from the audience about how they recharge their batteries.

9. Time blocking. Plan your week, but don’t put all your brain time in one basket. Most jobs are found through people you know, so get out there, meet people. If it will help you, turn your weekly calendar into an accountability partner so that you are accountable for the weekly plans you made.

10. Collaborate, connect, converse but NO Commercials. Recruit the best people to work with to maintain your spirits. Who are “your” people? This process isn’t all about you. You need others to help you. Also, be sure to grow and network even when you’re at your next position.

BONUS: No guilt. Take this time to do something nice for yourself. Energy attracts like energy. Now you are ready to show up.

HIRING COMPANIES

Enterprise
Dave Carriere, Group HR Manager, Enterprise Holdings

Enterprise is a family owned company, so company values are important. Their mission statement is to be the best transportation company in the world; to exceed customers’ expectations for service, quality and value; to provide employees with a great place to work; and to serve their communities as a committed corporate citizen. The founder, Jack Taylor, served on the USS Enterprise, which is how the company got its name.

People are promoted from within at Enterprise, which leads to an understanding of a variety of positions within the company as you move into different roles. The management training program requires a Bachelors degree. Each branch runs as its own profit center with 5-7 employees, and 100-150 vehicles. Resumes may be submitted at careers.enterprise.com.

Nammo Talley
Karin Rodriguez, Recruiter

Nammo Talley specializes in the design, development and manufacture of ammunition and energetic material solutions for defense and commercial applications. They are a Nordic company with US headquarters in Mesa. The company currently has about 2,200 employees, a significant growth from 1,100 employees in 1998. Current job opportunities in Mesa include:

  • Program Manager II
  • Test Engineer
  • Processor/Manufacturing Operator
  • Facilities Maintenance Technician
  • R&D/Manufacturing Engineer
  • Machine Operator/Core Tech, 2nd shift
  • Senior Cost Accounting

You may apply online at careers.nammotalley.com.

NESCO Resource
Brendan Naper, Branch Manager

NESCO Resource is an award winning full service staffing firm, ranked as one of the fastest growing in the United States. Beginning in Ohio more than 50 years ago, NESCO Resource now has five locations in Arizona and more than 90 branches nationwide. At the Tempe branch office, located at 4500 S Lakeshore Drive near the US60 and Rural Road, they are currently filling manufacturing, production, administrative, and clerical positions. Some of the current HOT openings are:

  • Maintenance Mechanic
  • Material/Part Buyer
  • Part Time Administrative Assistant
  • Accounts Payable/Payroll Administrator
  • Multiple Customer Service/Call Center positions
  • CNC Operator
  • Electronic Assembler/Solderer
  • Various Warehouse positions

NESCO Resource has more than 100 different clients that may be looking for your skills. Jobs change almost daily, so for the latest openings, check www.nescoresource.com. Or call for an appointment: (480) 898-9452 in the East Valley, or (623) 236-2074 in the West Valley. Know the name of the recruiter in the posting and which positions you are interested in. It’s helpful to meet your recruiter in person and stay in touch, at least once a month.

CLOSING REMARKS

State Farm is now hiring experienced software developers, infrastructure analysts, and systems/data administrators. To learn more about specific openings, visit www.statefarm.com/careers.

On Thursday, June 21 at 9am in Glendale, Brenda Cunningham will be speaking about how to “Use LinkedIn in 15 Minutes a Day.” Hiring companies at that event will be Modis and Copper Springs.

Also, be sure to check the schedule for the dates of upcoming June and July events at careerconnectors.org. A few dates have been moved to accommodate summer programs at our host locations.