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Susan Lamphiear

2/9/17 – How to Work a Job Fair

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How to Work a Job FairWritten by Susan Lamphiear

“Always wear cute pajamas as you never know who you’ll meet in your dreams” — not sure who said that first — but I kind of wish I’d thought to coin the phrase. Anyway, the topic is careers, so obviously you won’t see anyone on the job or at a job fair wearing slippers and pajamas except in a Dilbert comic strip. I’m thinking of all those celebrities, pictured  looking drowsy because they stepped out for some mundane reason.

Most of us, fortunately, can still take an ordinary trip to fill up the car with gas or buy groceries without being judged like a celebrity.  We’re still not recommending hair curlers (does anyone even use those these days?) or fluffy slippers, though.

Keynote

Dressing the part, while important in the job search, is only one important part of showing up prepared for a job fair, says keynote speaker Andy Ridley. Andy coaches individuals, groups and corporations towards reaching their goals and Becoming Ideal. He’s also trainer for Arizona@Work, Maricopa County (Formerly Workforce Connections).

Andy transitioned into his current career after spending many years in education. But his most lucrative job got its start indirectly via a job fair. He had applied for a job in a nearby school district, but imagine his surprise when someone at the job fair said, “You’re THE Andy Ridley?” Months before he’d applied for a job but hadn’t even received an interview.  But for some reason that application gave him name recognition. Voila. One of Andy’s most important pieces of advice—you never know who you might meet at a job fair.

Know why you came to the job fair

  • To Learn — What jobs are available, hours, what is the job, who is the employer, who else is looking for work?
  • To Meet – What employers are there? Meet them or their representatives. Meet other job seekers.
  • To Impress – Dress appropriately, and shake hands by matching the other person’s grip, leaving a good impression.

Know why employers attended the job fair

  • Not to hire on the spot
  • To learn what potential employees are available, how many hours they’re available and what tasks they’re willing to do
  • To meet people who are looking for new employment. Maybe they’re the right people for the positions available
  • To impress you, the potential employee, with what they have to offer, showing only the best side of their business

Based on his years of experience, Andy tells us to have a game plan but to remain flexible.

Making the most of the job fair

  • Figure out what you want.
  • Be proactive. Find out who’s attending — what employers will be there?
  • Create a short list of booths to visit.
  • Research your short list (Make your prep notes right on your short list).
  • Get to the event early, before it even starts (you can probably leave early when everyone starts packing up to go home).

Prepare

  • Have a resume and several copies even though most companies won’t take a paper copy.
  • Use sticky notes to separate the resumes according to various skills for various job opportunities.
  • Be prepared with questions to ask recruiters.
  • Dress as a professional. Andy suggests dressing one step above the position you want.

Be Nimble

  • To allow yourself to shake hands and not be weighted down, carry a notebook-size portfolio—make it serve as your wallet. In the wallet keep several type business cards that highlight your best qualifications, your name and contact information. Vistaprint offers affordable cards online. Put your car keys in there, too.
  • Pass up the bags and chip clips they might give out. It bogs you down. Concentrate on meeting people so you can get a job and buy your own chip clips!

Poise

Be confident, be  mature, smile, make eye contact, and be professional (put that cell phone away!)

Make a Connection

  • Briefly introduce yourself (elevator speech).
  • Tell them your name last (or first and last).
  • Offer a copy of your resume.
  • Shake hands, matching their grip.

Engage them by making a statement about the company

  • Listen and take notes.
  • Market yourself. Be positive. No negativity.
  • Be a good listener.
  • Take notes.

Watch your time

  • Limit time at each booth.
  • Walk away from booths if you know you will not be interested in working there.

Tricks

  • Introduce yourself to other candidates and to a booth rep that you feel may benefit from knowing the job seeker. It gives you another opportunity to present yourself to the company.
  • Carry blank thank you cards. Return later and offer the card with another hand shake. Put your name/contact information/ and thank them for their time.

Follow up

Go home and email the best prospects. Remember every meeting and connection is a form of an interview. And your day was a success if you met one new connection. You win if you go because you’re bound to learn at least one new thing, meet at least one new person and possibly impress one contact.

Hiring Companies

Discover

Amy Aubey, Talent Acquisition Leader

Discover offers credit cards, consumer banking, and a global network. Their mission? To help people spend smarter, manage debt better and save more so they achieve a brighter financial future.

Located at approximately 101 and I-17 (2402 W Beardsley Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85027), the company currently employs 3000 people and has 200 job openings including home equity-loan processors, bankers; full time customer service agents; full time collections agents; consumer lending and banking operations including personal loan agents, student loan agents, and deposit product agents; and full time fraud agents. Benefits are included Day 1 including 401ak, fitness center, cafe, parking, and tuition assistance up to $5000 per year.

To learn more about the company or to apply, visit their website.

VIXXO

Heather Kitsko, Talent Acquisition Team Lead

VIXXO, a full-service asset management and maintenance solutions company employs 1000 associates across the US and Canada, and serves brands including Starbucks, PetSmart, and 7-Eleven. It’s been named INC 500 Fastest-Growing Private Companies for over eight years.

A team of doers, the company’s strength lies in their diverse backgrounds and experiences, thriving in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. Open positions include director of product development, director of software engineering, lead generation specialist, senior accountant, coffee technician, customer service representatives, change management consultant, and data warehouse developer. For more information or to apply, go to their website.

Express Employment Professionals

Denzel Mason, Business Developer

Express Employment Professionals is a locally-owned and operated staffing company located in Tempe. The top three benefits of the company include job resources, flexibility, immediate eligibility for medical benefits including medical, dental, vision, short term disability, life insurance and holiday and vacation pay.

The company, a member of both the Tempe and Mesa Chambers of Commerce, provides skills assessment, connections to local employers, and proactive marketing of candidates. A one stop shop, they offer resume review, interview advice and wage negotiations. Positions open include part-time, full-time and contract work.

Current openings include staff accountant, full charge bookkeeper, customer account supervisor, bilingual Spanish content editor, Special Education Teacher (Casa Grande), art process technician, P&C licensed sales rep and CSR, enrolled agent/office manager (Cave Creek), CPA/Tax Reviewer. Internal at local Express Office needs outside sales/business developer; bilingual front office coordinator; and part-time contract recruiter. For more information, check out their website.

Resources

Goodwill of Central Arizona

Carter Ellis, Professional Career Advisor

Goodwill of Central Arizona is a non-profit organization working as a positive catalyst for eliminating unemployment. They also transform gently used donated goods into services to help thousands of Arizonans. They provide on-site career development via Goodwill Career Centers and connect local talent with Valley employers including Prescott and Yuma.

Serving the community, Goodwill partners with employers and collaborates with community resources. Goodwill provides career coaching, resume critiquing, and mock interviewing.  They provide on-site services. You may connect with them through employment events, talent sourcing and Goodwill Job Board. In holding job fairs, Goodwill is more interested in quality than quantity – They like to match what job seekers are looking for with what companies need.

To learn more about Goodwill, and details of what they offer, visit their website.

Closing

Closing the formal part of the meeting, Sheila Coulam, Director of Operations for Career Connectors, thanked everyone, including volunteers and our host, Highlands Church. She reminded everyone of the Career Connectors website which has lots of resources such as the new career advice blog which includes a blog on how to transition from the military to civilian jobs.

Sheila pointed out the resources on hand after the formal meeting — the opportunity to talk with hiring companies, to consult with LinkedIn and resume preparation experts, and to meet the professional photographer to take free business heat shots.

She pointed out that the next Scottsdale meeting is the third Thursday of the month in March , March 16 (NOT the usual second Thursday).

For other upcoming Career Connectors events, more details, and to register, click here.

 

 

 

12/1/16 – Think Like a Hiring Manager and Land the Job

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Jessica Pierce Think Like a Hiring ManagerWritten by Susan Lamphiear

Here Comes the Sun (George Harrison, The Beatles),  a reminder that there is hope for a new sunrise every day of our lives, whether we are gripped with fear or experiencing loss or grappling with any of life’s problems and glitches, and the song’s long been a favorite of mine.  To me the song will always be a metaphor for hope. So I thought of the song when our keynote speaker’s intro mentioned  hope’s importance during life’s trials, including job layoffs or job transition.

Keynote

“It’s all about hope,” says Jessica Pierce, Executive Director of Career Connectors. Hope is what gets you through the tough times.

Jessica and her husband Mark know about getting through tough times. They were both employed and “living the dream” in 2007 when Jessica was laid off from her job at Intel. She quickly opened a staffing company but that closed after two years, following the economic crisis of 2009.

When her husband was laid off during this same time period, in 2009, Jessica began helping other professional friends who also faced unemployment.  The couple had an infant, a two-year-old and a 10-year old. (Her children and supportive husband are still what she’s most proud of.)  A short sale of their home soon challenged them. But Jessica told Mark that she felt God had called her to help (Career Connectors started with helping a few people at church with their resumes), so he threw out his arms and said, “How can I argue with God?”

In 2010 Arizona hosted the U.S. Census and Jessica informed them she had about 250 people who might be interested. But when word got out they were hiring 3000 people, Jessica realized that this whole situation was about community, not just church, when people lined up around the church and TV news were there to interview her. Career Connectors was founded and since then the group has helped over 25,000 individuals and 300 companies in the metro Phoenix area, and Jessica was called to speak at the White House as a jobs expert.

Having become an expert in job search tactics, Jessica loves to share what she’s learned and to teach others how to think like a hiring manager to land the job.

Jessica learned at age 24,  you have to make it easy for hiring managers to find you, and she practically made a second career referring friends for jobs and getting paid for it! Offering referrals tends to be a win/win situation. It gave her another income. But it also saved money for the company. And it helped find appropriate candidates, because if you refer someone, it’s going to be a worker who shows up and can do the job. You’re not going to refer someone who will make you look bad!

Hiring managers have a database of resumes—but that’s actually the last place they look to hire. Most people who have succeeded have been referred. Someone said, “Hey, I heard about this job you’d be perfect for…”

The Recruitment Life Cycle is very complex and hiring the right candidate is hard work. So it’s no surprise that employers always start with known internal resources.

  • Internal Resource (known)
  • Prior Work Relationship (known)
  • Referred Resource (known – one off)
  • Through Employee (known —  one off)
  • Want Ad/Online Posting (unknown/high-risk)

Here’s what we know for sure about the hiring process

  • People do business primarily with people they know and like.
  • Job listings tend to draw piles of applicants.
  • The job you want likely will not be advertised.

Where are recruiters finding their best candidates?

  • Recruiters are finding 60% of their candidates through referrals!

Are employers using social media to hire?

  • Yes, they are! Their number one choice is LinkedIn. But be careful with social media. Sometimes offers are actually rescinded based on social media posts. You can have an opinion, but be respectful the way you express it, especially in a heated election year like we’ve just experienced. Of recruiters, 55% have reconsidered a candidate based on their social profile, with 61% of those second looks being negative.

Tips from Jessica

  1. Yes, go to the job boards. But it doesn’t stop there. Who do you know at the company? Find them on LinkedIn and connect.
  2. Stand out from the crowd. She uses the example of Anthony. He was resistant to getting out and networking as Jessica suggested. Finally, he committed to one month of calling people, meeting people, getting out of the house for 40 hours a week. He talked to anyone who would talk to him. At one point Anthony said, “I need a coffee budget.” But at the end of that one month, Anthony had two job offers and they were competing for him! Anthony admitted that what Jessica had told him worked.
  3. Don’t apply for a job if you don’t have most of the skills. It wastes the recruiter’s time and when they do see a job for you, they likely won’t contact you if they feel you’ve previously wasted their time.
  4. Don’t apply for an executive assistant job at the same time you apply for an executive job. Target the person you are. Don’t be open to ALL positions. Be that one person when you apply for a job.
  5. If you’re a creative problem solver, say this on your resume or in an interview. Creative problem solvers are valuable because they solve problems but not necessarily via a straight path.
  6. Don’t say you’re strong in TEAMWORK. That gets overlooked these days. Instead, use ACTION words like “implemented” or “created.”  Use your strong ACTION words that show up when you take the DISC assessment free through Career Connectors’ website. Click here to go to the DISC page on the website.
  7. Think about the TYPES of companies you’re interested in. Jessica LOVED Intel. But today she couldn’t work there because she’s in a different place in her career.

Remember this: Companies are looking for three things, not just skills, though competence is, of course, a vital part of the equation.

  1. Competence includes knowledge and training, your experience, and your skills.
  2. Character includes traits like trustworthiness, loyalty, patience, kindness, courtesy, cooperation, respect, responsibility and commitment.
  3. Chemistry is demonstrated by your first impression, proper handshake (match theirs), introduction, eye contact, natural smile, and mirroring the initial response.

And be kind, Jessica reminds us. In your networking conversations, find topics not related to jobs. Sports, family, kids, vacations, and activities are all possibilities for discussions. Remember, it’s all about relationships because we all want to work with people we like.

Hiring Companies

Aetna

Le Nguyen, Talent Acquisition

Aetna, a Health Care Insurance Provider, employs 50,000. Proud of its values, the company recently launched efforts to increase minimum pay and provide more employees with affordable healthcare.

Benefits of the company include paid time off (PTO), life insurance, short-term AND long-term disability, and employee work/life Assistance Program. Shared benefits include medical, dental and vision plans. Incentive programs include financial benefits like 401K and annual bonuses, wellness and incentive programs, tuition assistance and student loan repayment programs (new in 2017).A number of positions are available.

Aetna is a leader in flex scheduling and work-from-home. The company embraces diversity and has been named most admired company and rated highly by veterans as a place to work.

To apply go to their  website. Look early and often as a variety of  positions update daily ranging from customer service to marketing to project management.

MassMutual

Jessica McGrath, Recruiter

MassMutual, an Arizona financial services group, exists to help clients secure their future and protect loved ones.

The company seeks to hire three groups of people

  • Candidates from the area with a solid network of contacts, with MBA, JD, CPA or five years sales/entrepreneurial or related experience  who are changing careers
  • Career changers from the area with a network of contacts who are fully licensed—Life & Health, 6/7, 63/66
  • Career changers, fully licensed—Life & Health, 6/7, 63/66 with proven track record of success-$70,000 Annual Production looking to take practice to the next level but need help

Why Choose MassMutual?

  • If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired
  • Culture
  • Support and training
  • Impact on the community
  • Unlimited income

To apply, visit their website.

GlobalTranz

Amber Gaines, Corporate Recruiter

GlobalTranz is a privately held technology-enabled 3PL company specializing in freight management services, including Less-Than-Truck Load (LTL), Truckload (TL), Supply Chain Management, and Domestic Air/Expedited shipping. The company is a B2B company with over 25,000 customers. Any business in the U.S. who ships products in lots weighing over 150 pounds is a potential customer of GlobalTranz. Among awards they have been named among Fastest Growing Companies several times.

Benefits include choice of three medical plans, onsite Care Clinic, Dental and vision plan, $25,000 Company Paid Life Insurance, Employee Referral Bonus Program $500, internal development and advancement opportunities, Wellness Room and C.O.R.E — TruBlue, Go Team, Green Team. They’re very proud of their corporate culture, community service and Green team.

Current openings include Logistics Specialist, AR Analyst, AP Analyst, Carrier Rep (Broker), Cash Application Specialist, Inside Sales (Prescott Valley), Pricing Analyst, and Agent Support. To apply, visit their website. If you’re ready to take the next step in exploring a career with GlobalTranz, contact their corporate recruiter, Amber Gaines, TODAY.

Cenlar

Ann Pierce, Senior Recruiter

Cenlar is a premier loan servicing provider and wholesale bank. Their services date back to 1958 when Cenlar was formed from the acquisition of Centennial Savings and Loan Association by Larson Mortgage Company. Cenlar FSB was one of the first companies to pursue mortgage loan subservicing as a core business. The company supports three major/national charities: March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, Toys for Tots, and other local organizations including Habitat for Humanity.

Employee benefits include 401K – match up to 4% of salary, comprehensive health benefits, vacation and sick/personal time off, 10 holidays per year, life insurance and optional supplemental life insurance, tuition reimbursement, and more. The company closes for every federal holiday.

Open positions include functional trainers, HR generalist, customer care associates, loan servicing default agents (collections), and customer care supervisors. . Bilinguals are encouraged to apply. Listings change frequently. To apply visit their website.

Resources

New Horizons

Joe Rostowsky, Director of site Operations

New Horizons, a computer learning center, offers training for those in job search or career transition, but also provides information on resources available in the community, and job placement at the conclusion of classes. Certifications are available for many areas, including Microsoft Word, which can give job candidates an extra edge when they apply for jobs. Classes include  CCNA Routing and Switching, Microsoft Office Specialist, Pharmacy Technician,  and many more.  The State-of-the-Art Training Facility offers small classes conducted in a variety of ways including traditional instructor led classrooms, online LIVE learning, and online ANYTIME learning. Funding is available for many job seekers, including for veterans. For more information about enrolling or funding, visit their website.

New! Career Connectors Advice Blog

NEW — Career Connectors Advice Blog — is now LIVE. Click on the link.

Closing

Sheila Coulam, Director of Operations for Career Connectors, opened and closed the formal part of the event and kept things running smoothly. Sheila discovered Career Connectors after being an electrical engineer at General Motors for 15 years and a stay-at-home Mom for 10 years. Looking to get back into the job market during a big recession, she volunteered so she could get back into “professional mode.” After doing web development for a while, the company wound down and she found her way back to Career Connectors and her current position. “Jessica pulls me out of analysis paralysis.”

Highlands Church provides our beautiful meeting facility. The church also continues their Highlands Hope  Initiative to assist individuals in career transition. Information gathered from individuals at the event allowed some participants to receive a gift card, based on income,  courtesy of Highlands.

Sheila thanked the church and volunteers for their service and introduced Breakout Sessions including the chance to meet with hiring companies, get help with resume preparation, talk with a LinkedIn specialist, and have a free professional head shot taken.

Next meetings in December this year include the Phoenix meeting Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 9:00 AM. And Tuesday, December 13, 20016, 9:00 AM in Gilbert. For details of the meetings, including directions, speakers, and registration, click here.

2017 Event information COMING SOON!!

 

 

 

9/15/16 – Crush the Pink Slip: Get Back to Work in 60 Days

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Written by Susan Lamphiear

As we recently commemorated the 15th year anniversary of 9-11, most of us remember where we were September 11, 2001, because it was a life-changing event. The whole nation, possibly much of the world, reflected on that day, and all that has happened since, as we try to make sense of it.

Most people have experienced at least one personal 9-11 in their lives, and probably more than one.  It’s that moment when life changes as we once knew it. It could technically even be a happy moment like a marriage or the birth of a baby or a child going off to college. An alarm or wakeup call that time marches on and tomorrow is promised to no one. Or it can be a shocking life event like illness or a death of a loved one, an accident or natural disaster,  the change or end of a relationship,  or,  JOB LOSS — forever altering our own world.

A mammoth event, national or personal, though difficult, can lead to growth and positive changes or insights. It makes me think of that song,  “There’s Got to Be a Morning After….if we can hold on through the night.”

Keynote

Best day of Brenda Cunningham’s life happened in January, 2009. But how can that be, you say, since that was the month Brenda was laid off from her high-paying, well-respected career as an electrical engineer? She didn’t realize at the time it was the best day of her life. That came after a little couch surfing and contemplation. At the time her two kids were under age five.

Once she reflected and realized she’d been working so hard she didn’t have time to live, the next thought was, “Crap. I don’t have a job. I love my babies but love ‘em after three o’clock.”

When Brenda was laid off she admits her confidence took an immediate and severe hit. Millions of dollars had crossed her hands in business deals. She was busy on conference calls day and night. But she realized after the layoff she’d been going through the motions. She was always working, conference calling on her blue tooth, even as she picked up her kids from daycare. Life was passing her by.

Her husband would come home that first month of her layoff and say, “What’s going on?” as he looked around at the chaotic scene. “And where’s dinner?”

Then one day, “It was like the hand of God pulled me off the couch and said, ‘Get to work!’”

Since that ominous day in 2009, Brenda, among many other things, has written a book, CRUSH the Pink Slip: Get Back to Work in 60 Days which stresses three important points she wanted to share with other job hunters. Have a goal, a game plan, and a realistic time table.

Brenda’s Takeaway Wisdom for the Job Hunter

  • You need to do more than the average job seeker. Be willing to get uncomfortable, including networking.
  • Face the fact there are certain things it takes (for most people) to get a job in this day and age.
  • Update your resume. Remember that layoffs are no surprise. They’ve been a reality for some time now.
  • Work on your resume remembering there are many opinions about resumes floating around out there. Be selective about whose advice you take. Her best advice is to tailor your resume to fit the job you want.
  • Use LinkedIn! It’s no longer optional! Remember it was never intended to be a quick job search tool. It’s a long term strategy. (Be sure to include a professional head shot, not a selfie!)
  • Keep yourself in good health. She goes to the gym. Early. Remember what Kobe Bryant says at his speaking engagements: “I’m here because of 4 AM.” Be willing to put in the work to get a job and to be healthy doing it.
  • Know what you are looking for! If someone says to her, “I just need a job” her response might be, “I heard QT is hiring.” With all due respect to QT, she says most people don’t mean just any job. Be willing and able to articulate that. “I want a position in IT working for…..” Be as specific as you can. Name the industry at least, better yet, the company. More than likely most people at least want something more specific such as Project Management, IT network security, or Customer service manager.
  • When you network, follow up. Don’t expect someone to remember you if you haven’t seen or contacted them for five years. She references a cousin who only calls when she needs money. Guess how often Brenda takes her calls these days?

Brenda urges us to remember Napoleon Hill’s words from his book — Think and Grow Rich: “There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants and a burning desire to possess it.”  Be able to explain what you’re looking for and then be willing to put in the hard work your personal career goal probably requires and deserves.

Hiring Companies

Health Net

Bonnie Taylor, Sr. Staffing Consultant

Health Net, after being acquired by Centene in 2016, is now one of the largest providers of Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and other government-sponsored and commercial programs in the country in addition to being the number four Fastest Growing Company (Forbes 2015). The company takes pride in operating locally. Benefits include medical, dental and vision; short and long-term disability for employees working at least 30 hours; life insurance; financial plans like 401K, Paid Time Off and more. Bonnie states that no one ever says they can’t work for the company because of their benefits! Career opportunities available with the company include Behavioral Health, Analysts, Clinical and Nursing, IT and more. A tip for locating jobs in Arizona — type “Arizona” in the key word search.  For a complete list of careers, visit their website or contact Bonnie Taylor.

Northwestern Mutual

Jessica Bowles, Director of Recruitment and Selection

Northwestern Mutual has been around for 160 years, with offices today in all 50 states. Known as the Policyowners’ Company, their products include mutual funds, disability insurance, annuities and life insurance. The company prides itself on being an industry leader with high ratings from all four major agencies. Supportive team environment and capable, encouraging leadership are among their hallmarks. Opportunities currently available at Northwestern Mutual in Phoenix include Marketing Assistant, Financial Representative/Advisor and Assistant Financial Representative. For more information or to apply, visit their website.

Career Evolutions

Christian Kaijser, Managing Director

Career Evolutions, a Hiring Company, offers support throughout the full employment lifecycle in functional areas of Accounting & Finance, Sales & Marketing, Technology, and Direct-Hire & Consulting.

Advice from Christian

Christian reminded us that it’s all about attitude (80%) and aptitude (20%). Employers are looking for people with desire and passion for the job and people who are tech savvy. To stand out, today’s candidate should possess appropriate appearance, intellect and presentation.

He urges everyone to use social media including LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Blogs to brand yourself and to stand out. He admits that the job search sucks, that some careers and locations are hot, some not. Administrative and Finance are hot areas right now. Going to Houston may not be so “hot” right now for the job hunter.

  1. Start the job search immediately.
  2. Treat the search like a job.
  3. Be open to interim positions, freelancing or consulting.
  4. Don’t panic, be patient, but don’t be overly picky.
  5. Stay fit.
  6. Network.
  7. Have a dynamic, relevant and error-free document portfolio.
  8. Manage your personal and professional brand.
  9. Do your homework; stay fresh and engaged.
  10. Don’t prematurely talk salary, vacations, and schedules.

If you’re worried about age discrimination, take time to get current. He explains his own metamorphosis from 1995 to present day — where he’s evolved from yesterday’s a little overweight and out of fashion guy to today’s with-it businessman with spiky blond hair and a leaner silhouette.

For more information on the company, visit their site.

TJX

Susana Romero, HR Recruiter

TJX is the leading off-price apparel and home fashion retailer in the U.S. Brands include such stores as T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods. “Off-price” indicates brand names, fashion, price and quality. Typical benefits as an employee include direct deposit, associate discount, holidays/sick time/ bereavement leave, Medical/Vision/Dental insurance, and much more. Current home office positions in Phoenix include Fulltime positions of Distribution Center Supervisor, Finance Supervisor, Merchandise Controller, and Loss Prevention Specialist. For more information or to apply, visit their website.

Resources

New Horizons Learning Center

Zack Hiscock, VP Learning and Development

New Horizons Learning Center is the world’s largest independent IT Training Company “turning ambitions into marketable skills.” Their goal is to empower people to success through training. Most programs they offer end with a certification which can help students differentiate themselves from the competition. Certifications include Microsoft Office, Cisco, IT Programs, Office Management or Healthcare Records Management and more. The training center helps students find just the right program to suit each person including experience, job market, salary requirements, funding, and flexibility of training needs. Courses are offered using a variety of methods including traditional instructor-led, online LIVE learning, and online ANYTIME learning. Tools include hands-on labs, reference materials, practice exams, learning guides, course ware, and exam preparation. Job placement assistance is also available at this State-of-the-Art facility. Funding is also available. Contact them for a free consultation, or visit their website for more information on classes and funding.

Closing

Executive Director Jessica Pierce closed the formal part of the meeting, thanking volunteers and the host site, Highlands Church. Attendees were reminded to take advantage of the free DISC assessment available to Career Connectors’ members. During breakout sessions, everyone was invited to participate in the free resources available including talking directly to hiring managers, getting professional head shots taken, consulting with professional resume writers, and networking with other attendees.

The next meeting of Career Connectors will be held Tuesday, September 27, 2016, in Gilbert, starting at 9:00 AM. and featuring keynote address by Pamela Heward –The Work Before the Work: Box Free Breakthroughs for a New Career and Mind.

The next Scottsdale event will be Thursday, October 13, 2016, at 9:00 AM. Keynote address, The Key to Improving Your Job Search, will be presented by Greg Harnyak.

For an ongoing list of events and details about time, address, and program, click here.

 

 

 

7/14/2016 — LinkedIn’s Power of Connection

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LinkedIn Power of ConnectionWritten by Susan Lamphiear

Just as you wouldn’t even dream of applying for jobs without a resume or a proper suit of interview clothing, or your most updated  hairdo or eye glasses, then why would you start your job hunt without maximum use of LinkedIn? These days all the experts tell us it’s a given.

And as our keynote speaker and LinkedIn guru stressed today, nearly all employers will seek and find your online presence, starting with LinkedIn. So, be there or be square, or continue to wear your nerd eye glasses and bouffant hairdo.

Keynote

When Kevin Dumcum left a successful marketing career in 2009 for his current work with Arizona@Work, Maricopa County, LinkedIn helped him with that transition. In fact, he was already connected with people from his team by the time he arrived at the new job. Among other evidences of his expertise, Kevin teaches LinkedIn classes and came today to share LinkedIn Tips.

LinkedIn continues to be more and more important to employers, so for anyone in career transition, and anyone seeking to build their network and develop their career, LinkedIn is a must. Assume that your next position isn’t going to be your last position. With that in mind, LinkedIn is not just for the job hunt. It’s a tool to help you in your continuing career.

If you have any doubt about the importance of your involvement on LinkedIn, check out the numbers. If your total connections equal 470, and each of your connections is connected to 470 people, the total size of your network is, drum roll,  220,900.

LinkedIn TIPS from Kevin

  • Be careful what you post on social media because employers do check you out. Anything offensive or even political you may want to avoid or delete. As Thumper in Bambi said, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say nothin’ at all.”
  • Alongside your profile you can turn off notifications. This means when you make a change to your profile, it won’t be broadcast to everyone. Kevin suggests leaving this feature off unless you receive a new job or a promotion. Then, leave it on long enough to receive all the congratulations, and then turn it off again.
  • Kevin has switched his blog link from LinkedIn to his wordpress site. He now posts his blog on LinkedIn first and after that he redirects a link to his website. He recommends this if you have a blog.
  • Make sure you have a professional head shot as part of your profile. No disembodied arms. No spouses since the employer is hiring you, not a couple. Some people want to avoid a head shot because “I’m not 25 years old any longer.”  If you’re in the running for the job, the employer will meet you anyway. If they’re going to discriminate, you might as well know. Besides, people want to know who you are. And if you meet someone during networking, new connections can more easily identify you on LinkedIn.
  • Your profile headline defaults to your most recent job. But you can change that to a headline that better describes what you do. Take a look at what other people have for their headline and design your own.
  • Customize your URL. Simplify it to match your name as much as possible.
  • Check out Skillful.com — especially if are underemployed or lack a college degree (like 70% of the American population).
  • Don’t connect with everyone. But strategically build your numbers to 50 and then to 500. After 500, LinkedIn doesn’t post the number, but there’s something validating about having at least 500 connections. LinkedIn used to tell us not to connect with someone we don’t know. But, now that LinkedIn realizes how people are really using the feature, you can strategically select people you would like to know. He recommends never selecting “I don’t know John Doe.” But he’s never seen LinkedIn telling anyone whether you selected “friend’ or “did business with” the person you want to meet.  Oh, and always personalize your invitation to connect.
  • Ways to connect include joining LinkedIn Groups to create a commonality, sending a Get Introduced request to mutual connection, crafting a carefully worded request, pointing out some commonalities from their profile, or going Old School by picking up the phone and calling a mutual connection, asking to be introduced.
  • Avoid one of the biggest mistakes people make by taking full advantage of the space you have for your summary. You can use up to 2000 characters,  which is 300 words. What jazzes you up? Why should anyone care? It’s not an essay, though. Look at other people’s summaries. Don’t copy them, but study them and write your own. Use Tagcrawd.com to see what words pop up when you cut and paste a sample summary. Then carefully craft your own summary.
  • In your profile summary it’s quite appropriate to use first person “I” because it reads better. Just don’t use first person “I” on your resume.
  • Remember that you can re-order your skills and endorsements, calling attention to your most important skills first.
  • If you think endorsements and recommendations are not important, think again. LinkedIn places high value on the number and type of endorsements and recommendations you have. The best way to get endorsements and recommendations is to offer to give them. Aim to build your numbers.
  • Consider adding videos to your profile.
  • Rule of thumb on LinkedIn is to go back as far as possible in your job history. But with your resume just go back 10 years.
  • Groups. Join strategically but then be involved. If you post on a group it gets posted to your timeline and that’s a great way to show what you know.

As Kevin reminded us, a whopping 90% of employers review a candidate’s online profile, and 70% have based a hiring decision on what they find, or don’t find, online. You really need to pay attention to your LinkedIn tool. You really have no choice in today’s job market.

Hiring Companies

Aetna

Le Nguyen, Talent Acquisition

Aetna is a health care insurance provider, marketing company, consulting organization and information technology enterprise, which employs 50,000 people. The company has won numerous awards for workplace equality, flex jobs and jobs for veterans. Aetna takes pride in its family values. In 2015 Aetna announced plans to improve wages and medical benefits for thousands of their workers. In 2015 the minimum base hourly wage for U.S. employees was raised to $16. Then in 2016 they’ve launched enhanced medical benefits to lower out-of-pocket health care expenses for some of its U.S. employees. Company paid benefits include paid time off (PTO) and holidays, life insurance, disability and more. Current job opportunities include customer service rep, IT project manager, national nurse educator, financial associate and more. To see a complete listing and to apply,  visit their site.

AMEX

Caitlin King, Lead Recruiter and Sara Flynn, Recruitment Relationship Manager

AMEX, American Express, provides customers with products, services and experiences to enrich their lives and make businesses successful. A trusted company for over 160 years, it’s won, among other awards, the J.D. Power Awards for eight consecutive years, as well as Fortune Magazine 100 Best Places To Work. Featured Career Areas include customer care, marketing, finance, risk and information management, technology, digital commerce, consulting, virtual career opportunities and more. Current Phoenix openings include engineer, collections analyst, staff architect, project manager, business analyst, travel counselor/customer service, and many more. Benefits include health, dental, vision and life insurance; AD&D insurance and disability coverage; healthy living benefits, family leave, onsite gym and cafe, and more. For additional information, or to apply, visit their career site.

Education Management Corporation (EDMC)

Kelly Moncada, Talent Acquisition

Education Management Corporation (EDMC) is one of the largest and most diverse providers of proprietary post-secondary education in the United States with over 40 years of history in 110 locations, including 122,990 students. Schools include The Art Institutes, Argosy University (which includes Western State College of Law in California), Brown Mackie College, and South University. Benefits include EDMC Tuition, Paid Time Off, 12 paid holidays, 16 PTO days, 401K and 401K Roth participation, community service policy, life insurance and more. Student success is their first priority in providing an education that builds careers, integrity, innovation, and excellence. Open positions include admissions representatives in Chandler/Phoenix, academic counselors and more, including Argosy Ground. For more information and to apply visit their site.

Freedom Financial Network

Linda Luman,VP HR

Freedom Financial Network helps clients transform their lives by helping them towards financial freedom. The company launched in 2002 by Stanford Classmates Bradford Stroh & Andrew Housser because they had so many college buddies with lots of debt. It started out with an online business and 14 years later they have three locations including two in Phoenix and one in San Mateo, CA. Some of their clients don’t even know how they got into financial difficulties. But the company employs 300 negotiators who work on behalf of their clients to help them become debt free in anywhere from two to four years. Company benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401K, life and LT disability, vacation, paid holidays, paid time for volunteer activities, employee discounts and recognition and four hours off on your birthday. Top career opportunity with the company includes Account Executive. For more information or to apply, visit their website.

Resources

Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants (DWTC)

Rodger Brubacher, Director for Continuing Education

Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants (DWTC) prepares students to take national exams which make them more competitive in the job market. Programs and certifications include Project Management, Six Sigma, Medical Front Office, Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), and its newest program, Digital Marketing with Social Media. The award-winning school was recognized in 2015 as the 2015 Juniper Platinum Education Partner of the Year in the Americas, this being the 12th straight year to receive this honor. The state-of-the art facilities include modern computers, dual monitor student stations for each student, plus network, patented real-ILT, Smart Board, and personalized training. Classes are presented in multiple modalities including instructor-led, hybrid instructor-led, plus online training, corporate onsite training and remote training (virtual classroom attendance). Usual student to instructor ratios are 6:1. To learn more about the school and funding available, visit their website.

Closing

Executive Director of Career Connectors Jessica Pierce closed the formal part of the meeting before the breakout sessions. Those in attendance were encouraged to stay for the the breakout sessions in order to talk with hiring managers, receive free resume and LinkedIn instruction, and receive free professional head shots by a volunteer professional photographer. Volunteers were thanked along with host of the event, Highlands Church.  Click here to take the DISC assessment free through the Career Connectors site.

The very next Career Connectors event takes place Tuesday, July 26, 2016, 9:00 AM in Gilbert, featuring salary negotiation expert Jack Milligan.

For details, including times, addresses and registration, for the next events in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Gilbert, click here.

 

6/9/16 – Up Yours! Up Your Power, Up Your Performance, Up Your Personal Pitch!

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Career Connectors Up Yours eventWritten by Susan Lamphiear

What do superstars Taylor Swift and Michael Jordan have in common? Well, for starters, they’ve both gone on record as not wanting to be average. And most people would agree they rank as top achievers in their fields. Taylor says, “I’m intimidated by the fear of being average.” And Michael echoes that same refrain — “All I know is that I never wanted to be average.”

After seeing the cover of our guest speaker’s book, Average is an Addiction, I’ve been thinking about the phenomenon and googling the topic of “average.” The experts seem to agree that high achievers have particular attributes besides talent and intelligence that make them excel.

Keynote

Deborah Dubree, our keynote speaker, has a lot to say about being average, in her book,  and in her presentation today. Deborah appears anything but average. But years ago, she started out with low expectations for herself. Armed with a high school diploma, she took a job as a receptionist but after six months was bored to tears.  Urged to apply for an upcoming promotion with the construction division of the company (come over to the dark side, they said), and knowing nothing about accounting, or construction for that matter, Deborah applied, interviewed for a position that appeared to require both, and was hired. The rest, as they say, is history.

Deborah has learned so much over the years about success. She wrote a whole book about being average after she observed  many truly talented and educated people somehow fell just short of success, often when they were teetering on the brink of a breakthrough. She wondered why.

Deborah began her career as a receptionist, but gradually through research on herself, and research on success, came to be known as an expert. She received numerous certifications, educated herself in the science of the brain, and finally pursued her role coaching NFL players and others who wanted to stand out from the crowd.

People fundamentally make three mistakes, Deborah says.

  • They wonder why what they’re doing isn’t enough. But have they stayed focused, identified who they are and taken meaningful action? Have they learned their strengths and tapped into how to reach “the zone,” that often illusive peak performance high?
  • They complain, “But I’m not average.” But everyone has areas where they’re average. It’s just not possible to be average in your chosen field if you’re going to be successful, though.
  • They settle for False focus. For example, in the job search, if you focus only on resume, LinkedIn profile, business attire, professional photo and research, those are comfortable and don’t necessarily lead to that great job. While these areas are important, the bulk of your time is better spent in riskier areas like attending events, making phone calls, engaging in impromptu conversation, doing interviews, and making follow-up calls.

You have to know what you believe, and if your beliefs are justified, and then stay focused.

Lots of people out there are talented, Deborah reminds us. But the thing key that makes the difference is  successful people handle stressful situations well and manage their emotions. They also take meaningful action because they have a plan.

Deborah’s challenge to everyone in attendance: Go out there and do ONE THING that scares you. When you’ve taken risks and succeeded, despite fear, then you’ll wonder, “If I can do this, what else can I do?”

When Deborah first entered her career as a coach, someone suggested she first talk to high school athletes. But she said, “No, I want to work with NFL players.” Sometimes you’ve gotta take a LEAP, she stresses. “Sometimes just a slight pivot” at the right time can take your career higher than you’d ever imagined.

More Tips from Deborah (but only if you want to be a high achiever)

Tame and Train your BEAST

B Beliefs impact our behavior. Make sure you know what your beliefs are, including beliefs about yourself.

E Emotion All decisions are based on emotions. So be able to manage your emotions and therefore mange stress.

A Acute Awareness—This includes being aware of yourself and others.

S Self Identify Who are you?

T Talk and Walk  Body language and verbal language are equally important.

The 7 Cs of Excellence

  1. Choice
  2. Consciousness
  3. Change
  4. Courage
  5. Confidence
  6. Commitment
  7. Consistency

Hiring Companies

International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE)

Jason Brambier, Corporate Recruiter

International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE), a global travel and leisure organization, provides cruise and vacation fulfillment services. Headquartered in Scottsdale, the company has been awarded Best Places to Work 2013 and 2014 by The Phoenix  Business Journal and the Spirit of Enterprise Innovator Award by the ASU W.P. Carey School of Business.  The culture there is casual and offers numerous perks including onsite wellness clinic, onsite massage therapists, free onsite Fitness Center and so much more. Employing both inbound and outbound sales for all vacation travel, other non-sales positions currently open include software engineers, member marketing, graphic designer, help desk analyst, and creative director. For a complete list of positions and to apply, visit their website.

TEKsystems

Nick Bielinski, Technical Recruiter

TEKsystems specializes in staffing for technical positions but they can point non-tech job seekers in the right direction since they are part of the family of Allegis, the largest private talent firm in the world. TEKsystems offers the largest global network of credentialed IT professionals. Recruiters in the company, dedicated to specific skills sets, also actively engage with the community so they share market knowledge with job seekers including who is hiring and who’s experiencing hiring freezes. Positions available through the company include project managers, business analysts, network engineers, QA engineers and more. For more information on their staffing services or to submit your resume, visit their website.

Charles Schwab

Curtis Crawford, Sr.Talent Adviser

Charles Schwab believes in the power of investing for everyone.  The company services investors, advisors and employers. Headquartered in San Francisco, Schwab employs 15,400 full-time employees and has received 15 awards in 2015 for their employee-friendly workplace. Opportunities in Phoenix include the broker training program, relationship specialist, and estate services professional operations. The culture of the company is strength-based and offers everyday wellness, employee resource groups and employee development programs. To apply, visit their website, submit your resume, and answer qualifying questions. After those steps, a recruiter will review your resume and qualifying questions and contact you if there’s a strong match.

Resources

New Horizons Learning Center

Zack Hiscock, VP Learning & Development

New Horizons Learning Center is one of several State-of-the-Art Training Facilities which teams with Career Connectors to offer training to adults upgrading their skills or adults seeking to gain competitive skills in their job search. Located in Phoenix near the airport, the school offers three modalities for training including traditional, instructor-led classroom training, online LIVE learning, and online ANYTIME learning. They offer a six-month free retake policy on all classes and boast four brand new classrooms and a virtual lab. Classes include information technology, office management, healthcare records, PMP, and Six Sigma, to name a few. After classes are completed, the school also helps students find a job. For more information on classes or funding, visit their website.

Closing

Jessica Pierce, Executive Director for Career Connectors, thanked attendees, hiring companies, volunteers, and host for the event, Highlands Church.  She announced that after the break, informal breakout sessions would give participants an opportunity to meet hiring managers, receive free professional head shot photos, and talk to experts about resume writing and LinkedIn.

The next Career Connectors event will be held in two weeks due to the calendar this time.

  • The very next event will be held Tuesday, June 28, 2016, at 9:00 AM in Gilbert.
  • The next Phoenix event is scheduled for Wednesday, July 6, 201, at 9:00 AM.
  • The very next Scottsdale event will be held Thursday, July 14, 2016, at 9:00 AM and will feature keynote speaker Kevin Dumcum on the topic “LinkedIn’s Power of Connection.”

For detailed information or to register for any or all events, click here.