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Diane Forner

7/15/20 – The Leader’s Mindset

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Written by Gary Matsuda

Kristi Staab

Your ‘good enough’ is no longer good enough. Excellence is required. As the economy slows, there are more applicants than jobs and you’re competing with so many others with the same skills and experience. But there’s a way to give yourself an edge over other candidates.

Kristi Staab has the secret sauce you may need to stand out. An international speaker, author, trainer, and consultant, Kristi has been coaching and developing individuals, teams, and organizations to excellence in the areas of leadership, sales, and success for over two decades.

Keynote

More Than a Feeling

Emotions exert powerful influence on how we perceive events around us. They seem to come and go involuntarily. Yet you can think yourself happy, sad, angry just by associating with positive, negative or neutral thoughts. But career wise, we don’t do something just because we’re in the mood or not do something just because we’re just not into it right now. You’re a professional, don’t serve your feelings, instead let your values drive your actions.

Developed over time our values are relatively stable and come from our cumulative experiences, how we’ve been raised and lessons learned from difficult times. It defines what is important to us individually and brings context on how we build our character, mindset and actions which can be radically different between us. If situations or people are in conflict with our values, we will feel it intensely and emotions start coming to take control. Most of us aren’t going to seek out trouble, but will try to live in alignment with our values. Do the same with your career search to find the right environment that lines up with your values.

Values Drive Decisions

During the Covid pandemic, many of us have been stripped of our professional identity. Not only are some of us out of work but we’re also isolated, compounding the feelings of no longer being part of a group. Kristi says when we are under stress, we often start doubting ourselves and examining our basic needs which she calls deficiency needs. These are:

  1. Do I have enough to be safe, protected?
  2. Am I accepted, part of a group?
  3. I am enough or do I have worth?

We certainly don’t want to show employers that we need money, are lonely and need our self-esteem boosted! When these concerns become top of mind, that’s where our values can come in to help guide our next steps. With so many of us going through social and economic uncertainty in a competitive job market, we can create an advantage for ourselves if we get out of our negative mindset and into action.

You Don’t Have to Master Your Career Search

While your job is looking for a job, unfortunately you can’t add that to your resume. To be sure, you must put in the work to sell yourself which is an essential skill. But what is it about yourself that you’re selling?

This is where Kristi can help define your true values and make you more market ready. How close you are to a match for your next job and how long you last there depends on the degree to which your values align with the organization. We all know someone who has done something just for the money. How long do they last and more importantly, how satisfied were they? Consider matching as many of your needs, motivations and purpose with your next employer, so you’ll be more actively engaged with your work, bring out your best and embody excellence. Work might actually become easy!

Kristi doesn’t like to see people suffer (that’s one of her values) and instead wants to see people not just to survive a crisis, but to thrive according to their values. Your sense of purpose and mission should be so clear to you that you feel you can power through just about any obstacle in order to achieve your goals.

Find what a company values through who you know in the organization. What’s their mission, have they been mentioned in the news or social media? Use Glassdoor, LinkedIn, expand your network so you might be able to find those who currently work at your target organization. Consider reaching out to ex-employees, they may have valuable unbiased positive or negative insights of their previous employer.

What mindset do you bring?

Check in with yourself during your job search and well before an interview to recognize and stop letting your feelings tell you that because you were laid off that you’re not good enough, not skilled enough or not something else enough.

To help you grow personally and professionally, use professional organizations like Career Connectors who offer so many resources that will fit your needs. For now, you get to reinvest, reset, re-imagine, and renew! When you can bring that to your next job, you’ll be able to inspire others who may have doubts of their own. (Hey, you’ve been there, and you know what it’s like.)

When you’re crystal clear on your values and willing to stand alone you become the motivation, inspiration, representative of what others can become — in other words, a leader. For now, forget virtual. Get values. Get into your mindset.

Hiring Company

WealthWave
Jason Wiseman, Sr. Marketing Director
For those of you who aren’t sure about returning as a corporate employee with a steady paycheck, here’s an opportunity to exploit your values through your own business or side gig. But if you are hesitant about moving all at once towards being an entrepreneur, WealthWave is flexible enough so they can help you transition into something part time. Their mission is to eliminate financial illiteracy that means keeping people from making easy, avoidable financial mistakes.

And speaking of values, Wealthwave is a big believer of personal self-development so you’ll learn much about yourself along the way, including examining what you really want out of life. That sounds hard to beat: being able to build a business plan around what you really want.

Contact Jason Wiseman: 480.861.6111
Email: Jason.Wiseman@wealthwave.com
https://wealthwave.com/jasonwiseman
https://howmoneyworks.com/jasonwiseman

Resources

BestCompaniesAZ
This is a new Career Connectors partnership with several organizations under Best CompaniesAZ brand. Altogether in one place you can find verified, trusted companies who have thousands of jobs (120,000 at last count!) open now. Check them out here to see if any listed hiring companies match your values. For employees who are going through difficult situations, this is a great resource.

Coaching

Career Connectors has a new program to get you remote support in these areas:

  • LinkedIn reviews
  • Resume reviews
  • Career Coaching/Development
  • Financial Coaching
  • Mock Interviews

Go here for support from experienced pros.

For information on future events, please visit the Event Schedule.

6/10/2020 – Expert Tips on How to Navigate the ATS

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Written by Michele Rock

Jackie Shierenberg

Sometimes a job search can feel overwhelming, especially during these unprecedented times. Do you often wonder if your resume went into a black hole? The whole process can feel impersonal and extremely frustrating. Today, Career Connectors brought back Jackie Schierenberg from CommonSpirit Health (previously known as Dignity Health). Jackie has over 20 years of experience in talent acquisition, with expertise in finding top talent, HR Technology and maximizing social media in the hiring process. She shares her insights to help us better understand how to successfully navigate the ATS (Applicant Tracking System).

Keynote

Dignity Health…Our alignment to Common Spirit Health

  • February 1, 2019 alignment completed
  • Currently have 159,000 employees, last year hired 34,000
  • Open positions = 7200 +
  • Recruiters handle 40-120 requisitions at one time
  • Recruit in 22 states
  • 139 Hospitals + Urgent Cares and Medical Groups
  • Dignity Health ATS = ICims
  • CommonSpirit ATS = Taleo
  • 2019 reviewed over 1 million resumes

How does a Recruiter attract, find, and engage talent?

  • Current Candidates
  • Past Applicants
  • Employees
  • Referrals
  • Social Media (Share what it is like to work at the company, feature leadership, showcase hard to fill positions, etc.)
  • Career Portals and Talent Pools (Follow specific companies and never miss an opportunity.)
  • Passive Jobseekers
  • Boolean Search
  • Association and Conference Lists
  • LinkedIn
  • Job Boards

A Job Search is like a puzzle. One needs to employ all of the aspects highlighted above to pull it together and be successful!

What is an ATS?

It is a software application that recruiters use to manage their recruitment and hiring needs. It will do everything from posting a new job on websites, filtering applications, storing job descriptions, supporting collaboration efforts with hiring managers, documenting the hiring process and providing advanced reporting. Companies rely heavily on these systems to process the hundreds of applications that come in for a posting in a faster, more efficient manner. Many newer systems are using artificial intelligence to aid in the overall process and remove human bias. Companies are able to maintain compliance and pull reports to analyze metrics about a specific posting, role, candidate and more.

Most job searches today start on Google.com. Candidates can search to see who is hiring, research targeted companies, learn minimum requirements and the keywords to include in their resume, gather salary information and tips for interview preparation.

When you are ready to upload your resume keep in mind the following:

  • Keep it simple! – Many ATS systems will strip away formatting or even omit information if they find unknown tags within the document. Font type, bullet points and some file types can “confuse” older systems. Consider a basic formatted version using Arial or Times New Roman to specifically upload online.
  • Be aware of the requested file type – Jackie recommends using a PDF format unless noted otherwise.
  • Keywords – Be sure your resume has terms that are specific to the role and used in the company’s job description. You can use generic keywords for a specific job, but if you are looking for a nursing role and the description specifies RN, be sure to use RN rather than Registered Nurse. Some recruiters may include both when they search for candidates, but you have a greater chance of rising to the top of the search by using the exact terms for the company’s posting.

Do Your Homework

  • Company Career Sites – In addition to Google Search use the filters on a company’s career site to search job postings. Job boards may not be as up to date with positions. There is not just one way to search. Always search using the different filters to ensure you get all the possible results.
  • Leverage Your Network – Try to find people who are connected to individuals at the specific company you are targeting.
  • Talent Pools or Communities – These are available on the employer career portal. They are helpful for recruiters to proactively find candidates and great for Passive Job Seekers (warm leads). You will also receive recruiting news and be part of email campaigns.
  • Glassdoor.com – Research the interview tips, salaries, and benefits.
  • Sign Up for Email Alerts and automate wherever possible – This feature is often in the search function after you have uploaded your resume on the company website. It can save you time since you will not need to regularly check the company’s website to ensure you don’t miss a new posting. You may also be one of the first candidates to apply if you are on this list.
  • Recruiters Often Tag Candidate Profiles – Try to make personal connections with the talent team by social media, career fairs and even cold calls. Recruiters can apply tags to a candidate profile to make candidates easier to find later.
  • White Text – Type keywords from the job posting in white text at bottom of resume. The words will not be detected when printing, but could help your resume get pulled by the ATS.
  • Meet the Minimum Qualifications – Always review the minimum requirements and ensure they are demonstrated on your resume. Recruiters are looking for those minimums to share your information with the hiring manager.
  • Be Discoverable – Companies can see the different resumes you have submitted and your history, but are going to look at your most recent one. Make sure your profile is as complete as possible to ensure it is pulled.
  • Get Personal with Recruiters – Leverage LinkedIn to find recruiters and hiring managers. Once you find them, search for their contact information on Google and make a call or reach out directly to the talent or hiring team.
  • Cover letters – Recruiters generally do not read cover letters. However, if you have an impactful story to share – add it as a cover letter and combine it with your resume as one document.
  • Resume Guidance – It should never be more than 2 pages and should not include a photo. Your contact information should be at the top of the page, then a summary of your skills, then your work experience and highlight your education at the end.
  • Salary Expectations – Companies should not be asking your current or previous salary. You do not have to include salary expectations. Instead use $1 or 9999 to get past the field.
  • Virtual Events – Be authentic and be prepared to discuss the opportunities. Recruiters are also learning how to successfully maneuver in this new space that was caused by Covid-19.

Hiring Companies

The Hartford
Chet Joshi, Sr. Talent Consultant

Since 1810, The Hartford has been helping people pursue ambitions, seize opportunities, and prevail through challenges along the way. They continue to this day on a path of excellence receiving a variety of recognitions, including being named a World’s Most Ethical Company 12 times over the years by the Ethisphere Institute. Over 19,000 people are employed by The Hartford with 800 employees in the Scottsdale office. The company is known for its industry leading benefits including 19 days of PTO. Chet is currently recruiting for Sales Agents (Job ID Number #2000962), but checkout all of their openings on their website. All roles are currently remote. However, the opportunity to work from home long-term will be available for those who meet/exceed their KPIs.

Dignity Health
Allen Riggs, Recruiter Talent Acquisition

Dignity Health was founded in 1986 and is currently doing business in 22 states. Their goal is to create environments that meet each patient’s physical, mental, and spiritual needs. They also believe this healing philosophy promotes the well-being of their staff and the patients they serve. Patient facing and Non-patient facing positions are available. The culture and benefits are in line with a company promoting both the well-being of patients and staff. Go here to search and apply to open positions.

WealthWave “The HowMoneyWorks Company”
Jason Wiseman, Sr. Marketing Director

Jason shared an entrepreneur opportunity. WealthWave’s Network of Leaders are all independent business owners who have been flying in formation for years shaking up the status quo of the financial industry and shifting the advantage in favor of families all over North America. There is both a void of effective material and a lack of trained educators that prevent the vast majority from learning the financial concepts and strategies they need to know. This allows society to be easily taken advantage of by those who know how to leverage this lack of knowledge to construct their own wealth. Check out Jason and the opportunities available at the website.

Resources

The Career Connectors’ website offers a number of free resources to assist job seekers, including online coaching, free DISC assessment, LinkedIn basics, and career advice. Click at the top of the resources page to register in order to receive updates.

Closing

CEO/Founder of Career Connectors Jessica Pierce reminded the online audience that Career Connectors will continue their webinars on Wednesdays starting at 9:00 AM through July until live, in-person events can resume. For anyone seeing the presentation via Facebook, or if you haven’t registered, register on Career Connectors’ website (upper right corner) to receive notices about upcoming meetings and other related career information.

5/27/2020 – How to Show Up and Show Out When You Just Want to Shut Down

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Written by Debbie Adkins

After reading your resume, but before they see you, employers often have their mind made up about you and your work experience. What you need to do to take control is to “Show Up and Show Out without Shutting Down” and Bridgett McGowen is just the person to take you down that path!

Bridgett is an award-winning international professional speaker; a 2020 Forbes Coaches Council official member; the owner of BMcTALKS Press, an independent publishing company; and the founder and owner of BMcTALKS Academy where she helps professionals be the most engaging, dynamic, incredible communicators ever!

Keynote

To get started on how to “Show Up and Show Out without Shutting Down”, take in the information below and work with it.

To Show Up requires you to be physically, mentally and emotionally present. Everything about you says that you know you matter.

To Show Out you need to perform, behave and interact with others in a way that is extraordinarily and uncharacteristically impressive.

If you decide to Shut Down, it can be for several reasons:

  • Environmental things
  • Regency effect (reactions around you)
  • Getting stuck in a pattern (avoid change)

There are six reasons why it is worth bothering to Show Up and Show Out. When you Show Up and Show Out:

  • You are internally motivated
  • You are able to look at the bright side of things; move forward while pushing out negativity
  • You push beyond your comfort zone; you have to get uncomfortable before you can be comfortable
  • You know what you want
  • You do not give up
  • You surround yourself with other who show up

Here are four pillars that will consistently position you to Show Up and Show Out in a way that makes you unforgettable for all of the right reasons:

  • LOOK: How you look sends a message without you saying a word. Always have a smile, it makes you sound and look confident and composed.
    SMILE = S-Strength, M-Magic, I-Infectious, L-Love, E-Energy
  • SOUND: How you sound demonstrates that you know how to use your voice to be impactful. Slowing down your rate of speech shows confidence and work on filtering out your filler words (i.e. like, uh, um, ah).
  • SAY!: Make your messages always elevate yourself and others.
  • SAY?: You need to say what you mean and mean what you say. Put power into your words.
    POWER = P-Positive, O-Open-Minded, W-Worthwhile, E-Effective, R-Relevant

Hiring Company

Clarivate
Liz Brozzo, Senior Talent Advisor

Clarivate is a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics to accelerate the pace of innovation. They operate the Arizona Global Business Center in Chandler. Their vision is to improve the way the world creates, protects and advances innovation.
Open positions include: AR Management, Case Management, Lead Care Management, Product Support Manager, Sales, Head Senior Director of Customer Service Team. For further details go to their website.

Resources

Arizona Covid-19 Resources

Career Connectors has partnered with BestComapaniesAZ, Arizona@Work, Arizona Commerce Authority and PipelineAZ to provide resources for both job seekers and employers. Please visit this page for detailed resources including companies now hiring.

DISC Assessment

We all like free, so at no cost to you, complete the assessment to find your gifts and what kind of job will likely fit you through our no cost DISC assessment.

Professional Coaching

Thanks our Career Connectors volunteers, we can provide professional coaching in the following areas:

  • LinkedIn review
  • Resume review
  • Career Coaching/Development
  • Financial Coaching
  • Mock Interviews

Complete a brief form on our website to request coaching.

5/13/2020 – Genuine Connections in the Virtual World

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Written by: Connie Huber SHRM-CP PHR

“The Coronaviras is showing us how to live online”
from The New York Times, by Kevin Roose

“The virus is forcing us to use the internet as it was always meant to be used – to connect with one another, share information and resources, and come up with collective solutions to urgent problems. It’s the healthy, humane version digital culture we usually see only in schmaltzy TV commercials, where everyone is constantly using a smartphone to visit far-flung grandparents and read bedtime stories to the kids.”

Cary Pfeffer Genuine Connections

Keynote

Cary Pfeffer, Speaker, Author, Media Trainer & Speaker Coach

Virtual Meeting Done Right?
Making Connections in the Virtual World

THE RULES OF THE ROAD:

The Platform must be second nature.
Be sure to understand the platform. In doing so, you establish your credibility.

Get there early.
For interviews, be early. Use the time to make sure any potential glitches are resolved to avoid potential embarrassment.

Address upfront the technical lapses that can occur.
What is the comfort level within your audience?

Looking Your Very Best

First Impressions still count! Even though you are in a different location, your physical presentation is important to your success. Make sure your lighting is working in your favor. Frame yourself correctly. Dark, solid colored clothing looks best.
Bottom Line: You’re On! Understand the Camera’s View.

Speaking Your Very Best

Every important conversation should have a plan. Listen and let it be known that you listen well. What is your message? Deliver your message succinctly.
Bottom Line: Make it a quality experience.

Your Very Best Follow Up
ACTION:
Outline the next steps as the meeting wraps up
Thank you is still important
Remain consistent in your approach

Interview Tips & Tricks

What is your basic pitch? Name expertise/why/personal note.
Practice! (You have a camera in your hand!)
Smile!

Telephone Tips & Tricks

Are you standing? When you stand your diaphragm opens & your breathing is better.
Are you using headphones? Headphones help to block our background noise.
Are your notes easy to read?
What is your best energy level? What is it like when you are at your best & engaged?
Call upon prior conversations that were successful.

Adopt a Meeting Culture

Who runs this railroad? Pick the right leader.
10 minute check in.
The agenda rules. Be focused.

For additional information go to Cary’s Book: There’s Not an App for That!

Hiring Companies

CVS
Roger Adams, Sr. Recruiter

CVS is the 8th largest company in the US. The company has over 9,800 retail locations and approximately 1,100 walk-in clinics. Several divisions are Aetna Acquisition, Caremark and CVS specialty.
The company is rapidly growing and will be adding 50 thousand new positions this year. Stores will be offering COVID-19 testing and centers where patients can take their blood pressure and telemedicine calls.
There are currently 16,000 open positions, including Pharmacy Technician, RNs & LPNs, Medical Billing Specialist. Benefits are excellent; positions are on site and remote. For more information on openings go to website.

Randstad
Dennis Barisano, Sr. Recruiter

Dennis specializes in handling the Randstad recruiting needs for Ball. The company manufactures metal packaging for beverages, personal care and household products. Ball also provides aerospace and other technologies for commercial and government customers.
A sampling of open positions in Glendale, AZ include Industrial Electrician, Production Technician and Storekeeper. Most roles start over $20 per hour. Benefits are robust and begin on Day 1 of employment. For more information see the site.

DES
Edd Schommer, Sr. HR Recruiter

Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) empowers individuals with developmental disabilities to lead self-directed, healthy and meaningful lives. Individuals are diagnosed with one of the following: autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, cognitive/intellectual disability or are under the age of 6 and at risk of having a developmental disability.
DES is represented by 5 divisions; Aging & Adult Services, Benefits & Medical Eligibility, Child Support Services, Developmental Disabilities & Rehabilitation Services. Total compensation includes a full array of benefits, paid time off, retirement and wellness & employee assistance. Examples of current opportunities are Direct Support/Caregiver, Case Managers and Mental Health Specialist. Interested candidates can apply through the AZ State Job Board.

Resources

Career Connectors Academy

Career Connectors is proud to partner with Brighton College to form Career Connectors Academy. The Academy offers a wide variety of accredited online college programs, along with many professional development classes. The focus is on quality and affordability. There are a number of online certificate programs such as IT, Business Management, Paralegal, Medical Assistant, Legal Nurse Consultant, and Online Professional Development classes.
All programs are online, allowing students to study at their own pace. Career Connectors is offering IT certifications at no cost to qualified people.
Interested professionals must mention Career Connectors when talking to Brighton College Staff to receive a discounted tuition rate. Go here for more information.

Arizona Covid-19 Resources

Career Connectors has partnered with BestComapaniesAZ, Arizona@Work, Arizona Commerce Authority and PipelineAZ to provide resources for both job seekers and employers. Please visit this page for detailed resources including companies now hiring.

DISC Assessment

We all like free, so at no cost to you, complete the assessment to find your gifts and what kind of job will likely fit you through our no cost DISC assessment.

Professional Coaching

Thanks our Career Connectors volunteers, we can provide professional coaching in the following areas:

  • LinkedIn review
  • Resume review
  • Career Coaching/Development
  • Financial Coaching
  • Mock Interviews

Complete a brief form on our website to request coaching.

Jessica Pierce, Founder & CEO, Career Connectors, closed the meeting by thanking the volunteers. You can find details on upcoming and past events, as well as additional resources at CareerConnectors.org.