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Julia Churan

12/2/21 – LinkedIn Navigation = Career Success!

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What is the problem with my job search? Why is it so hard? Why are so many people making moves and I’m still not getting interviews or a new role?

Take Control of Your Job Search and Create Opportunities

Trevor on the cover of Forbes

Written by Julia Churan

Trevor Houston, host of Who Ya Know – Job Networking Show, was the keynote speaker for this event sharing techniques for job seekers to get noticed, create opportunities & take control of the financial impact of job loss. Trevor’s podcasts can be downloaded from Apple, Pandora, Spotify and other popular streaming sites. His approach was most recently featured on the cover of Forbes Magazine

Trevor cites that job searches today have been de-humanized!

No longer are the days of walking into a business and handing a real person a resume or saying “Hi – I’d like to apply for a job.” Job searches today are all about “click to apply,” applicant tracking “black holes,” phone interviews, recruiter ghostings, and searches for “purple squirrels.”

The result is fewer interviews for qualified candidates. The current process leads to an average of one interview per month. Experts say a job seeker should be prepared for the search to take one month for every $10K in salary expected. Therefore a person looking to make $100,000 will be searching for 10 months with only 10 interviews. Not only is this overwhelming, it is totally discouraging.

Getting Control Back

Trevor’s techniques are all about taking back control, increasing your activity, and getting noticed so you decrease search time. The goal is to go viral within a company but you may have to reach outside of your comfort zone to get there.

Don’t – send short text messages via LinkedIn Inmail! You are not unique to the recruiters that may be getting a hundred or more a day.

Do – make your LinkedIn activity personal. Check out the recruiter’s activity – are they active, do they post? Try an approach that has an 87% response rate — post a personalized “video comment” to their post by using some of his favorite tools.

Tools to Stand Out

Trevor holding speech bubble

Small Whiteboard – pick one of these up at a discount store or online retailer. Put your hiring target’s name or a nice message on it and post this in your message or as a post comment.

Video Messaging App – currently there is only one tool that is recognized by LinkedIn with integration – BombBomb. Trevor recommends exploring this in one of the many YouTube videos or instructional videos on their website before starting your 14 day trial. Practice creating small 30 sec or less personalized “raw” clips to test with your “accountability partner.” Think of these as video voice mail. “Thank you so much for your post on XYZ. I’d love to have a conversation about this. Here is a connection request and a link to my calendar. Let’s connect.”

Evergreen Videos – Small videos that aren’t personalized but congratulate an individual on a promotion, a new job, a work anniversary. You can use these over and over with your connections. These evergreens clips will also help get you noticed by connections of your network and help build an audience.

Embedded “Call to Actions” (CTA) – Respect the recipient’s time and avoid the hassle of going back and forth to set up a meeting. Use is a simple calendaring tool like Calendly to make setting up a virtual coffee meeting or real-life lunch as easy as the click of a button. You can sign up for a free version which should provide enough features for basic job seeker use and integrate with the most common calendaring systems like Outlook and Gmail

Auto Text Expander – this is a basic Google Chrome Extension that allows you to save snippets of text that you can include in your video link, calendar link, or other messaging to save time in posting responses or evergreen messages.

Email Signature – BombBomb has a feature that allows you to make an interactive email signature including your photo, contact info, link to schedule a meeting or phone call, or reply with a video. This will really take your emails to the next level of professionalism.

Trojan Horse – This means making a video message rather than just an email expressing your interest, clarifying any points from your meeting and calling for next steps. This is like the namesake virus, the “trojan horse” because after the recipient opens the email, they will be so wow’d by your unique form of communication, they will forward it to others who also spoke with you, other team members and on up the organization line. You’ll become internally famous for standing out.

Hiring Companies

Freedom Financial Network

Laurel Pendle was representing the Freedom Financial hiring team. She is newer to the FFN team but shared enthusiasm about her experiences with the culture and opportunities within the organization. FFN is a leader in the debt consolidation industry and has been named “Best Companies to Work For in AZ” for 10 years in a row. This San Mateo-based company now has 2600 employees and growing with offices in California and Tempe, AZ. Many of their employees are now remote or hybrid.

Diversity & Inclusion are important to their culture with employee resource groups, webinars, mentoring and development programs to support their growing staff. As Laurel shared, FFN Walks the Walk. They are currently hiring for approximately 85 roles in Tech, Marketing, Customer Services, and Sales. See the full list of postings at FFNJobs.com

They encourage seekers to connect with their recruiting professionals on LinkedIn:

Ian Ingersoll: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-ingersoll-b89871b4/
Maya Blake: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-blake-a21a2316a/
Melissa Whitlatch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissawhitlatch/
Rama Parandekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rama-p-53242b2/
Loretta O’Donnell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loretta-o-donnell-b401b41a/
Kevin Morris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-morris-43555a4b/
Lily Brezler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-brezler/

BCBSAZ

Due to technical difficulties, they were not able to join the event, but have many openings throughout the organization at https://jobs.azblue.com. Be sure to also follow them on LinkedIn.

Resources

Jessica Pierce, Founder, and CEO of Career Connectors, closed out the event by encouraging everyone to expand their networks by connecting with other attendees, speakers and former co-workers via LinkedIn.

Many thanks to the speakers, staff, and volunteers who make these events possible. Also, thanks to all who supported the organization through generous donations on Giving Day and throughout the year.

Be sure to take advantage of the many services available to job seekers through the website and various sponsors. Check out opportunities for assessments, coaches, professional photos, and future events on the Career Connector’s website. Also, be sure to read past blogs and highlights of other HR experts.

Upcoming Events:

Our resident networking expert, Jessica Pierce, will finish off the year’s events with a virtual experience Tuesday, December 14th about “Land Your Perfect Job in 2022.” Hiring companies will include Sun Health, Freedom Financial Network, and The Entrepreneur’s Source. Get registered and continue to follow us for information about future career events both virtually and in-person. Stay tuned!

1/8/2020 – Resume Mythbusters: Certified Resume Writer Panel

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Written by Julia Churan

Resume Mythbusters Panel

Your resume is the first step in your journey to an interview. You need to be able to pass through the applicant tracking system (ATS) in order to have a live person even know that you applied for a role in most companies today. That piece of paper or electronic profile is often the first impression a recruiter or hiring manager will have of you. Is your resume representing you in the best possible way and landing you the interview?

In today’s competitive job market, a professionally prepared resume may be the one thing that makes you stand out from the hundreds of strong candidates applying for the same position.

Panel

The Resume Writers Council of Arizona (RWCA) has been a long-time partner of Career Connectors. Members provide resume expertise to job seekers at all Career Connectors regular events. The members of this group are career-services professionals with special expertise and accreditation in resume writing. Three members took the spotlight on today’s panel to help break down the myths of the resume format, content, and function.

Resume Panel
  • Brenda Cunningham (BC), owner of Push Career Management, author, and current president of RWCA
  • Lori Norris (LN), founder of Get Results Career Services and military resume specialist
  • Waleed Alani (WA), career management counselor, coach and Global Career Development Facilitator

The panel was led by Career Connectors’ Founder and CEO, Jessica Pierce with questions submitted by seekers prior to the event.

Q: Share the biggest mistakes you see on resumes today.
LN: Seekers try to cover too much information on one resume. Have multiple resumes for multiple roles.
BC: Seekers use too many adjectives. Example: “high-qualified, multi-faceted, detail-oriented marketing professional.” This isn’t giving actual results from your experience. You are taking up a lot of valuable space telling the hiring manager nothing about how you will perform in this role or for their company.
WA: The biggest mistake many resumes make is not being clear why you should be considered for the role. Connect the dots for the hiring company. Make it clear how your background and experience support the role you are applying for.

Q: Why should seekers listen to professional resume writers?
LN: You shouldn’t listen to a specific professional; listen to the results. Resumes are subjective and no two writers will deliver the same outcome. Pick an expert that you connect with and one that understands your background. If you aren’t getting interviews, you need to rethink what you are sending out no matter how great you think that resume might be.
BC: RWCA members study the current hiring trends, they speak to HR professionals, and they research trends in applicant tracking systems. Certified writers understand what it takes to get in front of recruiters today.
WA: The technology of getting hired is changing as the world is changing. Look at books on job seeking from 5 to 10 years ago. The styles and preferences of resumes were different. The process and systems to support hiring were different from 10 years ago. Professionals will help you stay current with the trends of today and the future.

Q: What are some of the most important things to include on your resume?
LN: Benefits and value statements. Tell the reader how you are going to help the company. The resume isn’t about you; it is how your experience will benefit them.
BC: Don’t be vague by statements like “answered phones.” Demonstrate how you performed and the conditions and measurements of that skill. Explain how you know you did a good job.
WA: Accomplishments must be quantified. Reflect it in the terms of standards or values to the hiring organization.

Q: What are the recommended mechanics of the resume?
Number of pages: 1 or 2 pages as long as your experience and background merit the words. Cut the fluff and focus the content. Avoid “orphan pages” – have 2 full pages or 1 full page. Adjust margins and font size to fill up 2 pages or reduce to 1.
Font Style: Cambria or Calibri – Avoid Times New Roman!
Font Size: 10 – 12 pt
Margins: 1/2″ to 1″

Let the eye decide. Don’t overwhelm the reader.

The book Scarcity: The New Science of Having Less and How It Defines Our Lives helps you be focused, creative and to prioritize. These skills will allow you to manage the resume length.

Waleed Alani

Q: What type of resume should we be focused on?
LN: There are three basic types:
1. Chronological resumes – This style is unanimously recommended by the panel. It is the type you MUST use for ATS systems and should be your primary or only focus. Include not more than 10 years of work history unless you have the specific experience for the role you are applying to.
2. Functional resumes – This type highlights your skills but will not work with an ATS and often raises questions with the reader. These have no dates and raise huge red flags for employers. If you have gaps in your resume, there are ways to work around them. A resume professional can help fill those gaps.
3. Combination resume – This is a hybrid of Chronological and Functional. It may be used for a job fair or networking event but will not pass through automated systems.

Q: How do you avoid age discrimination on your resume?
BC: Age discrimination is real, so don’t give the reader an idea of your age from reading your resume – young or old. Age concerns can be overcome in an interview but you have to get there. Show you are current by taking classes or listing current technology and concept expertise.

Never use “retire” or “25 or 30 years of experience”. Use 10+ or 15+ years. Don’t use antiquated email domains like “AOL.com” or other ’80s domains.
Don’t use dates or years in your email address like JDoe1960@gmail.com.
Don’t put dates on your education, just note the Degree.
Don’t include High School information.

Reverse discrimination is also an issue. If you just graduated, this is the only time that you should use your college graduation dates. It will explain your lack of experience.

Q: Customizing resumes for specific jobs?
BC: Don’t be lazy! Never shoot the one resume out to all job applications. Spend 1-2 hours per application to customize it for the specific company and role. Use keywords from the job posting in your resume. When a specific skill is required, spell out what the skill is and how you have used it.

Don’t just rely on a great resume. Use your network to get referrals into the company.

Brenda Cunningham

Q: What is the best way to get past the ATS systems?
LN: AVOID templates! Templates in MS Word may be pretty, but they are full of formatting that an ATS may not read. Use borders and background shading if you want, never have important information in the header/footer. Never use text boxes or tables in your resume because older systems will not read the information within them.
BC: Save and upload files in MS Word format rather than a PDF or any graphic format. Some older systems won’t read PDF files. Also remember, smaller companies and government agencies may not have an ATS so a human is manually scanning them.
WA: Don’t let the ATS scare you. Keep the format simple using text and tabs. Beware of bullets. Make things stand out with font size and bolding rather that fancy document format. Waleed will post more tips on his Linked In profile for resume formatting.

Remember, the resume content should be the focus and represent you to the employer!

Hiring Companies

All About People, Karen McEnroe, Vice President
They are a professional hiring organization with services to small and large organizations in contract, direct hire, and executive search in several industries, including Accounting/Finance, Supply Chain, HR, and Medical.

Current open positions include:

  • Bilingual Call Center Representatives
  • RN’s, LPN’s and Behavioral Health Technicians
  • Litigation Attorney
  • Enrollment Representatives
  • SVP of Sales

U.S. Census, Cynthia Duncan, Recruiter
The U.S. Census Bureau is the Federal Government’s largest statistical agency in the U.S. Phoenix is one of two national processing centers dedicated to the 2020 Census.

Processing includes receiving and preparing decennial forms, imaging, keying, QA and forms disposal. Positions range from entry-level to supervisory, IT, HR, Health & Safety. Nearly 1000 full- and part-time federal employees will be hired for these temporary roles with excellent benefits. The processing roles will be at the I-10, I-17 and new Loop 202.

Apply at www.USAJobs.gov
Search Keyword: NPC
Location: Phoenix
Create a profile and apply directly to each job of interest.

Resources

Career Connectors Academy, Landi Carfi, VP of Corporate Training
This exciting program is brought to job seekers through a joint partnership with Brighton College. There are a number of short-term IT, Allied Health and other certification programs available at a discounted price for Career Connectors clients. No interest payment plans are also available as well as grants through WIOA and SWFI.

Closing

Jessica took the stage to thank all the attendees, partners and services for attending. She also encouraged attendees to take advantage of the free services for resume and LinkedIn assistance, professional portraits, DISC assessments and coaching that are provided at each event. She also had special gratitude to Grand Canyon University for hosting today’s event and the many staff members and volunteers who make these events happen.

9/24/19 – Expert Tips on How to Navigate the ATS

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Written by Julia Churan

It sounds so easy to apply for positions online. No hassle driving to a prospective employer’s office and trying to find someone that will accept your resume, or sealing a copy in an envelope and running it to the post office only to wait for a call that may or may not come.

The reality is there are so many websites that promote the same jobs and each one wants you to upload your resume with the hope of landing your dream job. Then there is the anxiety of whether your dream company actually receive it and are they considering you. Did some bit of technology between your internet provider and the company’s recruiters go haywire? You wonder if you will get a call and you may never even know if the role was actually filled or if your resume was seen by the hiring manager. The whole process can often feel overwhelming, impersonal and extremely frustrating.

Making Sense of the Online Application Process

Keynote Speaker: Jackie Schierenberg, Dignity Health

Jackie took the stage with over 20 years of experience in talent acquisition. She was there to share her insights from the other side of the job search: the recruiter’s perspective. Her focus has been on finding top talent, understanding HR technology and maximizing social media in the hiring process.

How does a Recruiter find talent?

  1. Candidate submissions
  2. Past applicants whose data is still in the applicant database
  3. Current employees
  4. Referrals – both internal and external
  5. Social Media – Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Facebook
  6. CRM – databases of acquired names through Talent Pools and other sources
  7. Boolean Search
  8. Conferences and Association Lists
  9. Job Boards

Most companies give current employees first consideration. Roles that are more difficult may require more extensive methods of search.

The ATS

The database system that recruiters use to manage the entire hiring process is known as an ATS or Applicant Tracking System. The software will do everything from post new job requisitions on websites, store and help categorize candidate resumes, manage the interview process and track activity on any particular job opening.

Companies rely heavily on these systems to process the hundreds of applications that may come in for a posting in a faster, more efficient manner.

Some ATS systems allow new postings to populate the company’s portal and the most popular job boards in a fully-automated way. Many of the 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 desired companies, learn minimum requirements and keywords to include in their resume, gather salary information and tips for interview preparation.

Tips to Be Aware of When You Upload a Resume to an ATS

  • Keep things simple! – Many ATS systems will strip 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 specifically for uploading online.
  • Be aware of the requested file type – Jackie recommends using a PDF format unless noted specifically.
  • Keywords – Be sure your resume has terms the are specific to the role and used in the company’s 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 from the company’s posting.

Do Your Homework

There are so many resources today, applicants have no excuse for not preparing when applying and interviewing for roles.

  1. Start with a Google Search – Understand the business, the products and get perspective on the corporate style and culture.
  2. Leverage Your Network – Reach out to friends and social media groups to find people to share insight about the company or role. Try to find people who are connected to individuals within the hiring team.
  3. Company Career Groups – Many large companies will have their own Career Groups where you can interact with the HR team and even inquire on status or resumes.
  4. Glassdoor.com – Research the interview tips, salaries, and benefits.
  5. Indeed.com – Recruiters monitor this chatter and reviews.

Other Tips to Staying Aware in the Search

Apply Directly to the Company’s Website. The job boards may not be as up-to-date with positions and a resume can get lost between the different systems.  Your best bet is to go directly to the source.

Sign Up for Email Alerts – This feature is often in the search function or after you have uploaded your resume on the company website. It can save you time from checking that company’s website every couple of days for new postings that meet your criteria. You may also be one of the first candidates to apply if you are on these lists.

Join Talent Pools – These are often available on the employer career portals. Sourcers are tracking engagement and this is a great way to show interest in the organization. This will allow you to become part of recruiting news or email campaigns.

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.

Email and Text Campaigns – Recruiters will send prospective emails to potential candidates from past applicants and talent pools. Keep your resume current in the ATS.

White Text Trick – Put added keywords at the bottom of your resume in white text. They won’t be detected when printing, but when a recruiter runs a search, they may help you get picked up.

Meet the Minimum Qualifications – If you do not meet the minimum requirements, you will not make it to the hiring manager through the talent team.

Be Discoverable – Companies can see the different resumes you have submitted and your history, but the hiring company is likely looking at your most recent one. Make sure your profile is as complete as possible to be found.

Cover letters – Recruiters generally do not read cover letters. Make the resume and cover letter all one document before you upload them to the system.

Get Personal With Recruiters – Leverage LinkedIn to find recruiters and hiring managers.  Search for them on Google and make a call or reach out directly to the talent or hiring team.

Track Your Application on the Career Portal – Many companies today do not notify applicants when the position has been filled, so watch your profile on the company’s portal.

Hiring Companies

Dignity Health

Marcos Day, Recruiter

Dignity Health is one of the Valley’s largest healthcare providers and growing with a recent merger. They will soon be known as CommonSpirit Health and serve 22 states. They often carry up to 8600 open positions at any time.

CommonSpirit offers a strong benefits package including a Zero Premium Option for employees plus a pension plan & 403(b) company match program of up to 6%. They also invest in their staff with a variety of educational and financial services.

Current Career Openings:

  • Patient Facing Roles – Nurses, Rehab Therapists, Radiology, Lab Techs, Patient Transportation
  • Non-Patient Facing – Food Service, Facilities, IT, CyberSecurity, Accounting, Finance, Marketing

Applicants are encouraged to apply on the Careers Website.

Copper Springs

Cooper Springs is a part of Springstone. They have mental health and addiction services in 17 states and are opening their newest facility in East Valley, Copper Springs – East.

There will be many clinical and non-clinical opportunities available for this new location. Check out their Career Website or contact Melissa Barry regarding the new Gilbert location.

Terros Health

Tracy Outlaw, Recruiter

Terros is a non-profit, integrated care provider in the valley. Since 1969, their mission has been to serve the needs of the public with integrity, passion, and empowerment. Today they provide services through 19 locations around the state of AZ in Primary Care, Counseling, Health & Wellness, and Addiction services.

Current Openings:

  • Front Office Staff
  • Behavioral Health Techs
  • Clinicians
  • Recovery Support Specialists
  • Case Managers

Apply online at https://www.terroshealth.org/

AZ DES – Department of Economic Security

Nancy Stanford, Recruiting Manager

DES is the second largest agency of the State of Arizona with more than 7,700 team members.  They assist over 2.9 million Arizonans each year through the following agencies:

  • Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS)
  • Division of Benefits & Medical Eligibility (DBME)
  • Division of Child Support Services (DCSS)
  • Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)
  • Division of Employment & Rehab Services (DERS)

Along with a comprehensive benefits package and time off, DES is one of the few employers to offer Arizona Retirement Systems with vesting after 5 years and a 12% match.

Current Openings:

  • Adult Protective Services Investigators
  • Program Service Evaluators
  • Direct Care Worker
  • Customer Service Reps
  • Case Managers
  • Finance roles
  • HR Roles

Application Process

  • Visit https://azstatejobs.azdoa.gov/ for current postings.
  • Be sure to watch for position closing dates, salary and job grades. Interviewing will not begin until the position close date.
  • Use keywords at the very beginning of your resume.
  • When applying and uploading a new resume, delete the old one first.
  • Recruiter’s information is always posted.
  • No ATS system is used, all resumes are reviewed individually by a recruiter.
  • Follow up with the contact in the job description and always refer to the Job ID#.
  • Keep applying!
  • Remember – Salaries are posted and always negotiable.

Upcoming Events

Diversity Talks – October 3, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

This is the 5th Annual Diversity & Inclusion Event in conjunction with BestCompaniesAZ to help Arizona’s top employers meet talented individuals from all backgrounds, ethnicities, experiences, beliefs and abilities.

The panel will include USAA, State Farm, Freedom Financial Network, GoDaddy, AMEX, USAA, Farmers Insurance and Charles Schwab. There will also be a career fair with top companies.

To register or learn about the participating companies, visit the Event Page.


Finding and Landing a New Career FAST! – October 10 in Scottsdale


The Networking Brief – October 22 in Gilbert

See the Events Page for complete details of these and other upcoming events. Register today.

Closing

Jessica Pierce, Founder/CEO of Career Connectors, took the stage to thank everyone for taking the next step in finding a new career.

She recognized the many hiring companies, sponsors and partners including Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona and Brighton College.

Anyone interested in IT, funding is now available up to $4000 for tuition assistance of online certifications through Career Connectors Academy and AZ@Work. To learn more about these opportunities, connect with a staff member and visit the website.

Every seeker was encouraged to network with other seekers, build more LinkedIn connections, take a free DISC assessment and have a professional portrait taken by a photography volunteer at the event. Professional resume writers, LinkedIn experts and Career Coaches are also available at the event to perfect your search tools.

Thank you to Central Christian Church for hosting the event and the 90 volunteers that serve Career Connectors around the Valley.

8/27/19 – Kickstart Your Job Search

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Kickstart your job search

Written by Julia Churan

When you haven’t had to look for a job in many years, you might feel
overwhelmed in a whole new world of HR technology. The solutions you used to job search 10 years ago or even 5 are likely obsolete. Terms have changed, the interview format is likely over the phone or video, and you suddenly feel overwhelmed in what seems like an impersonal way of finding a job. The reality is “making it personal” may be what helps you navigate or bypass the Applicant Tracking Systems and land the interview.

10 Lessons to Get to YES!

Keynote Speaker:  Kevin Dumcum – ARIZONA@WORK Maricopa County

Kevin has spent the last six plus years in workforce development and employment services. He’s experienced the process change first-hand and shared a guide to “Kickstart Your Job Search.“

Lesson 1: Recognize That Job Loss Is Traumatic

Feelings of anger, confusion and hurt are normal when you lose your job, no matter what the circumstances. The rollercoaster of feelings will eventually ease but they may also come in waves; so be patient.

Lesson 2: Understand How Companies Think

Companies exist for the purpose of turning a profit.  This includes decisions of restructuring and downsizing. Companies make no guarantees and you can’t assume any job will be the one you retire from now.

Think of yourself as a contractor regardless of your status and always consider what your next step might be.

Lesson 3: Control Your Own Career Path

No matter what company you take a job with, this will likely not be your last job so keep your skills sharp. Learn new skills and take advantage of any training opportunities and tuition reimbursement to learn new skills.

Lesson 4: Take Care of Yourself

Job search should not be your 24/7 focus. Find a balance and take care of yourself with hobbies, exercise, helping others or enjoy family and friends. You might not have the time very soon so learn a new skill or do something you’ve always wanted to. Learn to cook, take a home repair course or join a hiking group. These sort of activities will get you out meeting new people and help you be refreshed when you are searching for that new position.

Lesson 5: Decide What You Really Want

This might be the ideal time to consider a fresh start or career change. These resources can help you with some soul searching and provide some direction for the next chapter of your career:

  • Book: “What Color is Your Parachute” by Richard Bolles – The book provides current statistics on the U.S. job market, self-directed exercises to help you understand your “Why,” and tips to finding someone who will pay you for that purpose.
  • Book & Assessment: “Strengths Finder 2.0” This book and tool helps identify your top strengths (not skills). It will help align your skills to give you more success in life.
  • Assessment: Carl Young Personality Type – you can take this through Arizona@Work.  This helps you define your values.
  • Assessment: DISC Assessment – this tool is available online through Career Connectors and Top Talent at no cost to attending seekers. It helps you define your career trajectory and may help build your resume.
  • Assessment and Resource Website: ONetOnline.org – They offer an assessment “My Next Move” that takes about 15 minutes and gives you a range of occupations based on the results. It also allows you to type in your last occupation and get links to other related occupations that might suit you better or be something to watch for.
  • Website: CareerOneStop.org – this site should help you decide if the roles you are seeking are growing occupations. You will find valuable information like the median wage to know if your desired salary is in line and other stats about the role. The site is provided by the U.S. Department of Labor so the data may be a bit delayed, but still useful.
  • Publication: Phoenix Business Journal – there is a subscription fee for this weekly publication and daily website but it provides current information about local businesses and industries. They also publish an annual special “Book of Lists” that gives you a great start in listing top companies and key data in most industries.
  • Website: Best CompaniesAZ – This organization recognizes companies who rank as desirable places in the Valley to work based on employee satisfaction and company culture. They are profiled on the website and recognized at recruiting events throughout the year.
  • Other Online Resources: Search for specific companies on Google, Yelp, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn to see what others are saying about your target companies and current news to stay aware of the organization.

Lesson 6: Try Everything

We live in a time when resources are easily accessible. Many are at little or no cost for seekers.  Take advantage of the variety of services and don’t take an attitude that “It isn’t for me.” You just never know where that next contact might come from.  Consider:

  • Arizona@Work
  • Employment Academy
  • Goodwill of Central & Northenr
  • Maricopa County Library
  • Phoenix Public Library
  • Fresh Start Women’s Foundation

Lesson 7:  Find All the Jobs

Job Sites
The days of classified ads and Monster.com are gone.  There are job boards everywhere.  Some are specialized, some are localized and most are free. Many take out a lot of the search work by allowing you to upload your resume and they will notify you of matches.  They will quickly pollute your email box with recommendations or prospects so be prepared. Consider a special email box for your search.  Take a look at some or all of these online job boards:

  • AZJobConnection.gov
  • CareerBuilder
  • Dice
  • SimplyHired
  • Indeed
  • ZipRecruiter
  • LinkedIn

Google has rolled out a new feature.  If you type “jobs” into the search box you will get listings of jobs in your area without going directly to a specific company’s site.  You can refine the search to “jobs in Tempe AZ” or “jobs at USAA” or “engineering jobs near me.” You will still need to apply though the employer, but it is an easy way to search quickly.

Remember, the majority of online applications will not be seen by
a live person unless your resume/profile matches with the recruiter’s criteria in the Applicant Tracking System. You cannot rely on mass applying. You must leverage your network and make yourself standout.

Sign up for the ARIZONA@WORK Job Blast Newsletters.  Text AZATWORK to 22828 to get a listing of 5000 of the most recent local jobs.

Social Media
Employers will raise questions if you aren’t visible on social media so you need to have profiles and begin building a circle of connections. You don’t have to be on every platform but be sure you are active on LinkedIn and then pick another one or two. Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram will give you a good start. This can help employers get to know you, the person, a little better. They will see if you are well-rounded. It can help them decide if you are a good fit for their organization. If community service is important in their company, they may look to see if you volunteer or have interests in that activity.

Be aware of what you are posting, however, and the viewers that may see it.

You must have a LinkedIn profile and begin to establish a robust
professional network, if you don’t already have.  There are many tips on past blog posts to help you fine tune your LinkedIn profile and build connections.  See them here. You can also get assistance at any Career Connectors event by a LinkedIn expert.

Consider posting on your social sites that you are a seeker. If these people are in your network, they will be eager to help if you are specific in what you are looking for. Do something like: “I am currently exploring new opportunities in Marketing in the Gilbert/Chandler area. I am focusing on startup technology companies with leadership opportunities in social media and brand marketing.” This won’t leave your friends guessing on opportunities.

Spend time each day building and interacting with your social network, but remember, this type of networking doesn’t equal face-to-face networking.

Live Networking
You should consider your desired companies and positions and make yourself available at events where you can make connections with someone at your target companies or in your target position. This could include attending:

  • Local Hiring Events and Job Fairs
  • Career Connectors
  • AZHire Me Job Fair
  • Jobertising.com
  • LocalWork.com
  • Arizona@Work
  • Goodwill

Always be prepared with an “Elevator Speech” or a specific introduction plan that tells who you are and what you are looking for.

A great resource for a wide variety of events around the Valley is NetworkingPhoenix.com. They publish an active calender of events to help fill up your a calendar.

The Hidden Job Market
These are high volumes of jobs that never make it to job boards and
posting sites. Many of these are with smaller businesses that choose
not to post opportunities or hire solely on referrals. Some may not
even have an HR department.  These may be jobs that you will never learn about unless you are leveraging many networking avenues. This is where getting the word out gets you consideration. It might be from social media or networking events like Career Connectors. It can be through clubs or Bunco nights or church groups. It can be wise to become a member or volunteer for trade associations or Chamber of Commerce meetings. Facebook events may be another great way to find people with common interests like jogging, wine, Dungeons & Dragons, or atheletic boosters. Through these communities you will have fun, build commaradarie and meet new friends who also have wide networks.

Lesson 8: Volunteer

Volunteering is good for your soul. It makes you feel good, feel valued, and it gets you up in the morning, engaging with others. You will have a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day and hopefully meet some new people in the process. You can look into your local school, church or non-profit associations.  HandsOn Greater Phoenix and VolunteerMatch are great services to help you find something that meets your interests.  And, don’t forget, Career Connectors is always looking for people to help with events and job seeker services. Find out more about these opportunities.

Lesson 9: Expect Rejection

No…not hiring…funding pulled…going another direction…over-qualified…under-qualified…on hold.

You will hear these and many other excuses. You will also not hear anything sometimes. You must be prepared for it! From the mouth of Rocky Balboa, “Life is not all rainbows and sunshine!” You can’t give up!

Lesson 10: Success Breeds Success

Hiring Companies

Liberty Mutual, @WorkAtLiberty

Justin Oviatt, Sr. Branch Manager

Liberty Mutual managers came to talk about opportunities they currently have in the Phoenix area.  Their new East Valley offices make them the largest employer in the City of Chandler with over 50,000 employees across 5 continents.  They are the 4th largest Property and Casualty Insurance company in the U.S. with $126 billion in assets. They foster a culture of inclusion and empowerment for their staff.

The hiring team shared specific details of openings in Inside Sales, Field Sales, Claims Management and Bodily Injury.  They also have opportunities in Consumer, Business, Investments, Legal and IT units.

Liberty Mutual offers new employees a strong benefits package including a pension and 401K. Benefits are effective the day of employment.

Resources

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona

Ron Mack – Community Awareness Partner

Mission – Through the goodwill of others, we create the pathway to a better future for all by helping those who desire self-sufficiency.

The Goodwill Career Centers offer free career coaching, assistance with resumes, mock interviewing, employment support and digital skills training. They specialize in providing on-going support for the professional job seeker. Goodwill delivers community awareness of local employment events through onsite career centers and through the recent launch of mycareeradvisor.com (live chat available). The services are free of charge and available to all.

Career Connectors Academy

Landi Carfi, VP of Corporate Training, Brighton College

Landi shared the exciting news and details about Career Connectors partnership with Brighton College to bring affordable education and career services to participants. This will help bridge the talent gap or transition in your career search. The Academy offers a wide variety of accredited online educational programs along with many professional development classes. The focus is on quality and affordability.

A few of the best accredited online certificate programs that are being offered to Career Connectors at a reduced price are: Information Technology Certification Programs, Business Management Associate Degree Online, Paralegal Certificate, Medical Assistant School, Legal Nurse Consultant Certification and Online Professional Development Classes. Many others are also available. Career Connectors members will receive a 30% discount on the programs and certifications and payment plans are available. For more information go to the Career Connectors Academy website.

Closing

Jessica Pierce, CEO and Founder of Career Connectors, closed the event encouraging attendees to visit the many resources available at no charge to seekers at Career Connectors events: LinkedIn and resume assistance, professional photos, DISC assessments, career and financial coaching. These and all Career Connectors services would not be possible without the generous time of Staff, Volunteers, Sponsors and Partners. Also, a huge thank you to the Central Christian Church for hosting the Gilbert event. Attendees were encouraged to network and take advantage of the many services.

The next two events are:

  • Sept 5 – Instant Likability by Dave Sherman at Grand Canyon University
  • Sept 12 – Resume Mythbusters: Certified Resume Writer Panel at Highlands Church in North Scottsdale

Details are available on the Events Page.

7/23/19 – Be the STAR at the Interview

by

Written by Julia Churan

Jessica Pierce, CEO and Founder of Career Connectors, opened the July 23 event by welcoming everyone to the event with positive encouragement and an explanation of the change in format for the day. It was a unique workshop-style format that allowed job seekers an opportunity to learn a strategy for shining at their next interview and also put that strategy into practice with the assistance of HR professionals.

STAR at the Interview

Keynote

Ted Robison – “Mr Link-Me-In”, Speaker, Retired Engineer and LinkedIn Coach

For years Andersen Consulting, DDI and other leadership consulting firms have taught Targeted Selection as a method of evaluating candidates’ competencies based on past behavior to hire the right people for a given job. Today this is the most widely used hiring approach in corporate America. Recruiters and hiring managers are able to collect and evaluate job-relevant data, while removing bias, in a legally defensible way. Since past performance can be a good predictor of the future, interviewers ask open-ended questions to determine whether candidates have the skills and experiences required to excel in the job:

  • Tell me about a situation when…
  • Describe a time when you had to … What did you do?
  • Give me an example of a time when you …

The STAR approach was designed to answer these types of questions and help an interviewer communicate specific and clear thoughts to others. It forces the candidate to stay focused, avoid rambling and over-communicating.

What is STAR?

The STAR format is a template for formulating “Power Stories”:
S – Situation
T – Task
A – Action
R – Result / Solution

Ted presented a video by CITY CV to demonstrate tips and an example of using the method. YouTube is a great resource for other examples and techniques to review when preparing for a job search.

Situation

  • Describe the situation.
  • Give the context of Where? and When?
  • Be brief and specific – approximately one line.

Task

  • Short description of the challenges and/or expectations
  • What? and Why?

Action

  • This is How? The steps you took to accomplish the task.
  • Use “I” rather than “We” when answering.
  • Avoid too much detail.
  • This should be 60% of your answer.

Result

  • This is where you describe the outcome or impact to the company: cost-savings, time-savings, efficiencies, etc.
  • Briefly show how you were the hero.

Watch Your Time
The entire response should to 45 – 90 secs. This will keep the interviewer from getting bored or regretting they asked the question. It also gives them a pause to ask questions. You can always offer more detail if they ask questions.

Prior to interview

Do your homework and looked prepared.

  • Research the Company – use the company’s website, LinkedIn, personal contacts tied to the organization, and news wires.
  • Research the Culture – Informational interviews with contacts that are tied to the organization are often your best source and may lead to more. Glassdoor.com is another great source of feedback both good and bad. Resources like BestCompaniesAZ and Forbes honors are other good indicators of culture strengths.
  • Research the Interviewers – Do some social medial sleuthing. Start with your connections on LinkedIn. Know their alma mater and any personal aspects like volunteering and past experience. Look for mutual contacts. You can also search Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to find out if you have common interests like sports, music, etc. Don’t come across like a stalker, but you can avoid or transition into specific topics if you see a commonality.
  • Compare your background to the Job Requirements – create a grid or make notes to touch on your strengths and accolades that directly tie to their needs.

Prepare as though walking into any important meeting – bring extra resumes, a pen, notepad, reference list, questions, STAR story reminders.

Practice Your Body Language

  • Show confidence through your attire, posture, and direct eye contact
  • Practice looking in the mirror
  • Assume the “Superman pose” (hands on hips, chest forward, head high) prior to entering the office, or getting on the telephone.
  • Smile and slow deep breaths – this will release tension and come across in a positive way through your voice.

Know Your Value Proposition to the Company

You are not only bringing the requested skills to the organization, but you have a wealth of experience and silent assets that you bring to the company. They are assuming things like integrity or hard worker. Be prepared with “Bitable” examples and skills – great problem solver, mentor to staff, contingency planning, poised under pressure situations, organized planner, etc. Show they would be getting more than they asked for and than other candidates may bring.

Prepared Questions

  • Have a list prepared of open-ended questions that show you have given thought to your meeting.
  • Make them personal so the interviewer talks about their experiences and opinions – What has been your secret to success for so many years? What is the biggest challenge you see in this role? Where do you see the greatest opportunities for the company (or role) in the next 3-5 years?
  • Ask about company/dept culture – Tell me what you like best about working here? Describe your management style or describe the management style of the VP.
  • Ask for advice of success in the role & company- What do you feel is most important to someone succeeding in this role?
  • Avoid asking salary and vacation questions – the time will come soon enough and this shouldn’t appear your primary concern.

The Workshop

Participants were broken into groups with a professional HR coach guiding them through an exercise in writing their own STAR stories on different topics. “Candidates” were asked mock interview questions and given a chance to practice the STAR method to respond.
Download the practice worksheet here.

Download Common Interview Questions and guide here.

Workshop Lessons Learned

  • The process needs to sound organic.
  • The response doesn’t necessarily always follow STAR sequence. It might be a SATR or (ST)AR

The “Salary Question”
Do not be the first to bring up salary/vacation ever.
Turn that question around and ask, “What is the range for this position?”
One of the Hiring Company coaches suggested softening the question to something like “I’m looking at the entire opportunity. Salary is one piece of it, but I’m also looking at the role, the organization and the overall package.” Then ask the question about salary range.

Hiring Companies

Freedom Financial Network
Heather Marcom, Head of Talent Acquisition

FFN is a debt relief organization that is expanding into the personal lending and mortgage lending arenas. These and other expansion plans will offer new opportunities in Phoenix and Tempe.
One of the core values of the organization is the caring attitude for customers and employees. This is why FFN has been named a Best Company to Work for in Phoenix for several years in a row.

Current Opportunities

  • Sales – phone
  • Collections
  • Payment Processing
  • Operations
  • IT/Engineering/Data
  • Accounting
  • Product/Project Managers

Resources

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona

Ron Mack – Community Awareness Partner

Mission – Through the goodwill of others, we create the pathway to a better future for all by helping those who desire self-sufficiency.

The Goodwill Career Centers offer free career coaching, assistance with resumes, mock interviewing, employment support and digital skills training. They specialize in providing on-going support for the professional job seeker. Goodwill delivers community awareness of local employment events through onsite career centers and through the recent launch of mycareeradvisor.com (live chat available). The services are free of charge and available to all.

Closing

Jessica introduced the many resources available at no charge to seekers who attend Career Connectors events: LinkedIn and Resume assistance, Professional Photos, DISC assessments, Career and Financial Coaching. These and all Career Connectors events and services would not be available without the many hands of Staff, Volunteers, Sponsor Companies and Resource Partners. Also, a huge thank you to the Central Christian Church for hosting today’s Gilbert event. Attendees were encouraged to network and take advantage of the many services available. There are many exciting upcoming events across the Valley in the next month. Be sure to visit the Events Page for more details.