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Susan Lamphiear

7/1/20 – Discover and Unleash Your SuperPower

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Written By Susan Lamphiear

Jean Briese

With every experience, you alone are painting your own canvas, thought by thought, choice by choice. ~Oprah Winfrey

All of us have choices to make in our lives. Even in this “season” of the Pandemic and challenging societal unrest, when our lives seem to have constricted so suddenly and dramatically overnight, many of us feel it’s hard to breathe, literally and figuratively.

Our keynote speaker has masterfully interwoven deep thoughts about meaning in life, with practical advice, too, about the job search, transition into and out of a Pandemic, and ways to be happy even in the midst of multiple and simultaneous crises we’re all sharing in real time.

Keynote

Jean got an early glimpse at age 15 into how life feels when everything we know to be true turns upside down. Sort of like how we all feel at being thrust into an uncertain world caused by the current Pandemic.

It was the most defining moment of her life.

Jean Briese was only 15 years old then, and the oldest of four siblings, when their mother left the house to go out on a date, and literally never came back. After the fifth day, it was Jean, as the oldest, who finally called social services when the four siblings started running out of food. Just days before Christmas, Jean also had to tell her sister, 12, and brothers 10 and 5, that not only would there not be a Christmas with gifts and food that year, but likely the four siblings would need to be separated. Even Santa had abandoned them.

The social worker arrived, bringing kind strangers from a local church, who got out of cars they’d filled with food and Christmas gifts. And hope. Though she was traumatized and couldn’t thank them at the time they came to rescue her, she remembers the power of their kindness.

At the time, Jean now realizes, she was deep into survival mode, comparing the overwhelming topsy-turvy feeling she and her siblings experienced to the uncertainty brought on so suddenly by the current Pandemic. She describes that chain of events as a turning point in her life when she vowed to live a good life, and to approach that life with kindness, because, after all, kindness can change a life. And it changed hers.

Jean has achieved much in her life but it was that upside down world at 15 years old that made her the person she is today.

Introduced as Arizona’s highest ranked and most reviewed motivational speaker, she blogs about leadership, high performing cultures, and empowering women. She’s an entrepreneur and a recognized business leader.

Her focus during her online presentation for Career Connectors, was to share with her audience that extraordinary people who achieve extraordinary things are ordinary people who happen to share some important traits in common, traits she calls Super Powers. Throughout her presentation she’s able to relate her message to job transition and to surviving the transition into a world post-Pandemic. And to living a happier life.

Five Super Powers
  • The Power of Habits
  • The Power of Your Purpose
  • The Power of Your Beliefs
  • The Power of People
  • The Power of Action

1. The Power of HABITS

Jean highly recommends all of us develop proactive habits. She lists her own as examples and recommendations from high achievers or research.

  • The first thing she does each day is to meditate, asking God to give her the right words for the people she encounters during the day.
  • Next, she selects the three most important things to accomplish during her day and they must align with her 90-day goal. She asks the audience to consider the last time they implemented a new positive habit. She suggests turning off notifications like email and just check at certain times of the day. Studies show for every 30 second interruption it takes 23 minutes to get back on track.
  • The fitness goal must include both physical fitness and mental fitness.
  • Adequate sleep is a must.
  • Self-talk is vital. Talk to yourself like you’d talk to a friend. Jean mentions Michael Phelps, Olympic swimmer, who boils it down to two things. 1) He’s banished the phrase “I can’t” from his vocabulary. 2) He visualizes success. But he takes it a step beyond and visualizes obstacles in his way and how he will overcome the obstacles.
  • Life gets better when you DO something. If you want to write a book–why aren’t you writing it NOW?
  • How do you HELP others?
  • How do you spend your money?

Asking the audience “What’s your BEST habit?” they typed a number of responses which included getting weighed daily, walking, biking, praying, writing a grateful list, and going to bed. Jean stresses that habits are what we do without thinking. We just do them.

2. The Power of PURPOSE

Do you know your purpose? Jean asks. Out of seven billion people in this world, NO ONE has the same gifts and experiences you do. Especially during this Pandemic time, if you don’t know, what better time to focus on or determine your purpose? What is something you do and never get tired of? Pick one strength and become amazing at it. Our culture loves the spectacular but too often we strive to overcome our weaknesses instead of concentrating on our strengths.

Towards determining or solidifying your purpose, Jean recommends the following activity. Send an email to 5-7 friends and ask them what they consider your top three strengths and then something you could do better. She did this with one of her successful teams but was very disappointed at first when so many of the responses came back saying “Jean Cares.” She was looking for a response she could put on her resume. She wanted action items since our culture is so heavily fixed on outcomes. She was always taught to produce results. But as it turns out one of the chief reasons her teams succeeded was they felt Jean cared. It was, in fact, her “secret sauce.”

Too often we don’t give credit for our strengths because we feel society doesn’t value our strength. When she feels down, she still reads those emails pointing out her strengths.

3. The Power of BELIEFS

Belief is the conclusion we’ve come to. What is our truth? Two kinds of truth include lower case truth and upper case TRUTH.

Her truth with lower case is she was abandoned. But that doesn’t mean she’s unlovable. The first was a truth for a season–she was abandoned. Her truth with a capital T is something else. And sometimes, Jean says matter-of-factly, truth isn’t truth at all.

Jean gave an example of a man, successful in business, who had a heart attack. It was only then he began to question the “truth” he’d been told as a child–that art wasn’t valued because his parents felt he couldn’t make a living with art. But the truth was he’s a gifted artist but didn’t pursue it until after that heart attack. Soon his art teacher fired him saying he was the better artist. Sometimes we can retrain our brains about what is true in the lower case versus our truth with all caps. A belief is acceptance that something is true.

Jean explained that she found her truth through prayer. She learned that sometimes you have everything you need. She’s succeeded at her career though at times feeling she didn’t measure up because she didn’t have a college degree. With her background, she explains, she felt lucky to have graduated from high school. When she speaks to groups no one asks her about her formal education.

4. The Power of PEOPLE

In a study measuring stress level, individuals who had a friend by their side found a hill easier to climb. So we really do need people, and certainly in a job search or job transition. Still, Jean points out that some people are lessons, and some are blessings.

In the Pandemic, we still have people.

However, there will always be people who don’t understand us and sometimes it’s people closest to us. That doesn’t mean we throw them out. Instead, we surround ourselves with people who “get” us. “You are never too old or too young to be who you were meant to be,” Jean said.

In her own business she’s had to find new people–she’s sought out people who were already doing what she wanted to do. She’s an entrepreneur so she sought out other entrepreneurs. Don’t forget to use LinkedIn to expand your circle. Ask someone in your circle of influence to introduce you. You don’t have to go it alone.

Consider getting a coach, a mentor. That doesn’t mean they’re necessarily smarter than you are. They are beside you to help you on your journey. To guide you. Ask yourself, who are you learning from? Your goal is to discover your absolute truth.

5. The Power of ACTION

Action is key. Did you know that only ten percent of people who attend a conference or take a class ever take ACTION? The number one reason we don’t take action is FEAR. Jean tells the story of watching a group on America’s Got Talent with her daughter who was ten years old at the time. A group called Zucaroh introduced themselves as amateurs who wanted to improve, to be better. They accepted everyone who wanted to be in their group. During their act they performed acrobatics she and her daughter had never seen before, and they received the Golden Buzzer. If you receive the Golden Buzzer in the first round of the show, you go directly to the live how. Her daughter turned to Jean and said, “I wonder how many fails that took?” Lesson here for life is we ACT, we FAIL, we LEARN and we ADJUST. And Repeat.

Four Steps to Engage Your Super Powers

  • You must BELIEVE
  • You must be DELIBERATE
  • You must STRATEGICALLY PLAN YOUR TIME
  • You must HAVE A MENTOR

In taking action, people are exhibiting their POWER of Choice–and sometimes in life (like Jean at 15 or all of us during the Pandemic) the only choice we have is how to react. Reframe your thoughts–instead of “I HAVE to do this” say, “I GET to do this.”

Be Happy.

  • Habits
  • Action
  • Purpose
  • People
  • Your Beliefs

Hiring Companies

Leslie’s Poolmart

Kim Contreras, Recruitment Manager

Leslie’s Poolmart, experts in their industry, was established in a home backyard in 1963, and now operates from over 900 locations in 38 states.

Leslie’s  is your local neighborhood pool store, offering a broad selection of pool and spa chemicals, pool cleaners, pool equipment, cleaning accessories and pool inflatables and floats.

Reasons to work for Leslie’s include their 85% internal promotion rate, their core values, company perks, and their distinction as an Arizona Veteran Supportive Employer. Besides that, Leslie’s is fun, offering discounts plus holiday and employee success celebrations. Towards morale, they even brought in puppies one day, and some of the puppies were adopted.

Open positions include the following: Logistics Coordinator, Account Payable Representative, Windows System Administrator, Network System Administrator, Linus System Administrator, Engineer (2), Manager of IT Development, Business Analyst/Project Manager, Project Management Office Manager, and Vendor Management Compliance Coordinator.

To Learn more about the company or to apply, go their website. From there, go to “Careers” at the bottom of the home page and search by job title.

Equality Health

Aimee Bennett, Director, People & Culture

Marci Rollo, Generalist, People & Culture

Equality Health, at four years old, is the nation’s leading integrated healthcare delivery system, focused solely on improving healthcare delivery through the lens of culture.

Their vision is a world where everyone has equal access to quality health care and achieves optimum health; and their mission is to ensure all people receive quality health care that improves and enriches their lives.

Equality Health and Bashas’ Family of Stores’ Food City brand partnered in 2019 to launch a full-service health retail clinic that will provide under- served populations with personalized, quality healthcare that’s easily accessible and affordable. The Equality Health Walk-in Clinic was scheduled to open in April last year at the Food City located at 9020 West Thomas Road in Phoenix, offering the full-spectrum of health and wellness services supported by an onsite care team that includes a nurse practitioner and health navigator. A pharmacy and onsite lab services will also be available.

Equality Health has powerful software and a network of 3000 providers. Their data analysis determines who is best served by their tailored care delivery and social support system. In Phoenix, for example, six care delivery districts have been identified based on demographics, access, quality of care, and social/cultural barriers.

Visit their website to see a full list of benefits, to learn more about the company, and to apply. All interviews are remote or on the phone. No healthcare experience is necessary for some of the positions.

Resources and Closing

Founder/CEO of Career Connectors Jessica Pierce closed the meeting, thanking volunteers and reminding the audience of the free resources on the Career Connectors website including free DISC assessment.

Click here for information about virtual coaching offered by Career Connectors including free 10 minute virtual consultations in the following areas:

  • Resume Review
  •  LinkedIn Review
  •  Career Coaching/Development
  •  Financial Coaching

6/3/20 – Tackling the Job Search Obstacle Course: Age, Race, Gender

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Written by Susan Lamphiear

Brenda Cunningham

Change is hard under the best of circumstances and certainly anyone facing job search or job transition will give an “Amen” to that. Add to that any other ongoing challenges, personal or societal, and it can be almost impossible to bear. Throw in a Pandemic and nationwide unrest and protests created by the latest heartbreaking death of still another Black man at the hands of police, and it’s the definition of overwhelm.

If we could, like Charles Schulz’s character Linus, many of us would like to clutch our blankies and huddle in the corner sucking our thumb. That’s not an option. Even as society cannot wait for the Pandemic to end in order to address long overdue societal changes, those in job search cannot postpone their search until all the other storms pass.

Fortunately, our June 3 keynote speaker shared her expertise in the job search. Her guidance made the usual obstacles and changing dynamics of the job quest seem just a little less scary.

“Change is Gonna Come” Sam Cooke, 1964

“Change is Gonna Come” Jennifer Hudson, 2019

Keynote

“I’m not your token Black person, Brenda Cunningham explained, speaking before an online audience of job seekers this week. Perfect timing has brought her to speak just days after George Floyd’s death at the hands of police. Her presentation, entitled Tackling the Job Search Obstacle Course: Age, Race, Gender, was booked months ago.

Brenda acknowledges the very real racial crisis currently facing the country. Over the years as more beautiful Black lives have been violently taken from us, a state of real frustration, along with anger and upset, has gripped her and the Black community, as the country and the world focuses on the message “Black Lives Matter.”

Brenda stresses she doesn’t speak for all Black people. Over the years, as a Black woman, she’s been singled out, she’s been called the “N” word, and she’s been followed around retail stores. As a result, she has no patience with any kind of “–ism” whether it’s “racism” or “ageism,” in particular regarding the job search. A former engineer in corporate America for over nine years, Brenda’s qualifications also include being author, CEO of PUSH Management, Career Development Strategist, Outplacement Provider, President of the Resume Council of Arizona, and Job Search Coach.

She explains how meaningful it’s been to her during this particular crisis and racial unrest, that other people, not of color, are speaking out and standing up for justice. “Now, we choose as best we can to move on.”

Besides “isms” like racism and ageism, which add to the job search challenges, the Internet has complicated the process even further. It’s no longer possible to simply walk into a business and snag an interview. Instead, via the Internet, dozens, or hundreds, or thousands of people find themselves competing for any one job. As a result, human resource departments have attempted to make the process fair by utilizing the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

Brenda’s presentation includes tips for navigating the ATS and tips for overcoming other obstacles such as education, age, racism and gender.

Navigating the Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

  • If requirements state you need a degree, but you don’t, there’s hope. Brenda emphasizes that she personally wants her medical doctor to have a degree! And experience. However, in other cases experience becomes just as important as, or even more important than a degree. Brenda uses her own career transition as an example. She has a college degree and experience in engineering. However, in her current job in career management, she has developed expertise through experience and certifications. She’s earned trust by joining professional organizations and gained experience in her chosen field. She’s helped many people in her current field succeed. She recently discovered that a CFO she counseled who’s a CFO, with no college degree, who is so successful she changed positions recently right in the middle of the Pandemic!
  • On your resume, be sure to articulate your experience or any certifications. If you started a degree but didn’t finish it, put it on your resume but include “course work completed” because it shows you have the determination and intelligence to complete college work. Plus the ATS picks up your experience in college.
  • If you haven’t been to college, clearly articulate your other qualifications. For example, be sure to include the military or trade schools.

Tips for Hiring Managers

  • If tempted to focus on age, remember you’ll be there some day. Don’t focus on Black Lives Matter while discriminating against candidates based on their age or gender.
  • Consider reviewing The Crown Act which seeks to end discrimination against Black hairstyles.

Obstacle of Age

Yes, unfortunately, ageism exists in the job search. Brenda met with a recruiter who said she was having trouble “sourcing candidates over age 55.” Brenda was shocked and hurt, even though she’s not in that group yet, but asked “why?” Brenda has worked successfully with many age groups including people in their 60s.

Brenda makes the following suggestions based on her conversation with the recruiter. Don’t make it easy for hiring managers to exclude you before you’ve even had a chance to meet. Don’t use the phrases “seasoned professional” or “over 35 years of experience” or graduation dates. Instead, Brenda suggests, if it applies to you, use “15 years plus” of experience. Show that you are current by avoiding older email addresses like “aol.com.” Don’t ever use the word “retired.” Market yourself so it’s clear that you are current and energetic.

Obstacle of Gender and Sexual Orientation

Brenda was one of only four women in her engineering class of 100, a field dominated by men. She reminds the audience– on your resume it’s important to articulate how you can do the job so gender does not become an issue. It’s important to remember that if a requirement appears emphasizing the ability to lift 75 pounds, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s gender discrimination if you personally are able to lift only 25 pounds. Focus on whether you are mentally and physically able to do the job. Articulate your qualifications on your resume and then in the interview.

Obstacle of Race

As a Black woman, Brenda says, “Stop pulling the race card every time.” A few bad actors exist. That’s a fact. But not everyone in the world is a racist. Not everyone wants to see harm done.

Give yourself a chance to succeed by relying on networking, not just the same job boards everyone else uses. Surround yourself with people who know you and will advocate for you. Networking is vital to your job search.

Was it race or age or gender that kept you from consideration for the job? Or were there hundreds more people qualified? Did you clearly articulate your value in the work place?

If you’re told you lack fit for an organization, that doesn’t mean it’s because you’re Black. Maybe your attitude or personality doesn’t fit the culture of the company.

Brenda explains she was still working as an engineer when she began transitioning to her current role in career development and job search coaching. She gradually earned people’s trust. If you lack experience in a new field, volunteer or accept an internship or join a professional organization. As an example, she joined a resume writer’s group when she was a total newcomer in her new field, and now 12 years later she’s in her fifth year as President of the Resume Writers Council of Arizona.

During her presentation, filled with tips about how to design a job search around obstacles such as education, age, race and gender, she pointedly asked the audience, “Do you really want to work for a company which demonstrates prejudice?”

Hiring Companies

Desert Financial

Robert Zammit, Director, Talent Acquisition

Desert Financial Credit Union started in 1939 when 15 school teachers with $78.75 had a vision to start a credit union. Eighty-one years later Desert Financial serves over 300,000 members in the Phoenix area, having become a $5 billion organization, with the goal of 500,000 members by the year 2025.

The company mission is driven by their belief that relationships drive success. Driven by the family-based environment, employees tend to stay, the average tenure being 10 years with many employees marking 20 years with the organization. One benefit/gesture that Robert particularly appreciated, and showed the organization’s commitment to families, was the $300 he could allocate for his daughter’s sports costs.

The organization is committed to sharing success, lifelong learning, and “Give & Grow” (their volunteering program). As a nonprofit organization, the company gives back $12 million to customers and offers team bonus eligibility to all employees. Benefits include loan payback, 401K match and health insurance. As part of lifelong learning the company offers resources that include training modules for anyone who wants to strengthen abilities in their current role. “Give & Grow” includes designating hours employees can use for volunteer work. Also, since 2018 the organization has performed 5500 Random Acts of Kindness.

Current opportunities with the three subsidiaries include Desert Financial–Human Resources Business Partner and Contact Center Personal Banker (Inside Sales/eBranch). Define Mortgage Solutions–Outside Sales Mortgage Loan Officer and SwitchThink–Data Warehouse Analyst II & III.

To obtain more information, or to apply, visit their website.

TEKsystems

Nicholas Bielinski, Direct Placement Service Manager

TEKsystems is a leading IT staffing and services company. They offer a range of services from technical staff to direct placement services to full management of technology projects and comprehensive workforce management solutions.

With over 25 years of experience in the IT staffing and IT recruiting services industry, they are experts at connecting technical professionals. TEKsystems was ranked by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the top 100 companies to work for in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Open positions include Project Managers, Software Engineers, Database Programmers/Engineers, Helpdesk/Desktop Support, Information Security, and Field Technicians. Arizona companies are still hiring during the Pandemic. Nick indicates each day things are changing. Work in the beginning is remote but with the possibility for that to change within 60-90 days.

For more information or to apply, contact Nick Bielinski or visit the company website.

Resources

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

Closing

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

Interview with founders of Black Lives Matter October 2016

How Not to Hijack Black Lives Matter from Psychology Today January 3, 2020

Ted Talk “You Have the Rite?” by Joseph Bamuthi, jazz musician 2019

Getting rid of the distance between us’: Flight attendant says conversation on racism with American Airlines CEO was important reminder Dallas Business Journal June 5, 2020

4/15/20 — Where the Jobs Are

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“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities 1859
Trevor Stokes Where The Jobs Are

Written by Susan Lamphiear

As we struggle to navigate this new normal we’d wish away if we could, we are surrounded by heroes. Our lives have turned upside down and inside out in a nanosecond by this thing called the novel corona virus and now simply Covid-19. We find the word “interdependence” fused with new meaning. But in the midst of pain and fear we never thought we’d see or feel in our lifetime, the meaning of the word “hero” has once again expanded. Heroes emerge from the mist. Some of them from our TV or computer screens. Some of them emerge due to our isolation. Doctors and nurses who save lives, risk their lives, and comfort the dying, of course. Journalists. Delivery drivers. Scientists. Grocery store clerks and restaurant workers adapting in record time. Meditative historians. People who suddenly set up Zoom meetings. Strangers and neighbors and little acts of caring magnify in our eyes. And we find ourselves in both fear and awe sometimes within seconds of the other. For we’re witnessing, during our collective nightmare, some of the best humankind has to offer. The best of times amidst the worst of times. And we bow our heads.

The Prayer from One World at Home

Keynote

The new quarantine and isolation stemming from the worldwide Covid-19 virus crisis has changed our lives in so many ways– including, apparently, what keynote speaker Trevor Stokes wears during online presentations. Dress shirt, Nice tie. Scooby-Doo Boxers. At least that’s what he tells us. And even in our new trauma, he makes us smile for a moment. We only see Trevor speaking from behind his desk. Via Zoom.

But the current situation is no laughing matter Trevor adds, though weeks in quarantine with families bring some positives among the challenges. He has four daughters and a wife who moved to Arizona six years ago. Trevor, an admitted lifelong optimist, and subject matter expert in labor market analysis and community profiling, realizes the added challenges for anyone in the job hunt or career transition at this particular time in history.

Trevor offered his predictions and overall optimism to the group, comprised of a number of participants who interacted with him in real time via chat technology (from their homes). Several participants, responding to his question, have recently experienced job loss or layoffs, or reduced hours–specifically due to the corona virus pandemic.

Recommendations from Trevor

  • Develop and validate your skills in office technology.
  • Lean into online learning–this is not just a crisis, it’s an opportunity.
  • Never stop building your story including everything you’re doing right now during the shelter in place. Keep building your skills.
  • Map an intentional, informed strategy for the post-COVID-19 world of work.
  • Earn the certifications that matter.

Impact of the current pandemic is huge as far as unemployment–and Trevor follows experts who say the U.S. can expect 13% unemployment, the highest since the Great Depression of the 1930s. But the good news, Trevor reassures us, is this will be short-lived at that level–but it will take awhile to recover, and many things, he says, may have been changed forever.

Crisis Can Offer Opportunity

A stock market expert Trevor follows very closely tells the story of the worst year in his career when he lost more than $18 million in the market–in a single year–and his best year he made $22 million in the stock market–the kicker being– both the worst and the best happened in the same year.

First of all, face it. The reality our current economic crisis, brought on by the pandemic, brings with it unprecedented opportunity. Realize some companies are still hiring and you are wise to use the extra time at home to prepare yourself when the economy opens up again. Make use of the time to finish a degree or complete a certification.

Second, before the pandemic hit, the economy was good, so there is reason for optimism. Labor has been interrupted but not killed. Currently we’re in a stumble–a big one–but we’ve had these challenges before and have come through them.

Five Predictions Based on Trevor’s Judgment

  1. This will not last forever. Remember, where a crisis emerges there is also opportunity. Remember, companies are still hiring. See this LinkedIn link.
  2. The nature of work will never return to normal. A lot of what we’re seeing now will be integrated into the new normal–there will be fundamental changes. It remains to be seen if some of the change will be good or bad, but Trevor wants to make sure all of us, as job hunters, have prepared for the changes in the best possible way.
  3. New emphasis on productivity is inevitable along with a new openness to remote work. When employers become more open to remote work–they’ll have to address the concept that has kept remote work from expanding more–as employers have been afraid employees will be tempted to slack off, impacting productivity. Employers worry employees will be distracted by personal activities, families, pets– and bottom line is employers fear workers will be less productive than while on site. And for this reason, employers may begin relying on technology to keep abreast of remote workers’ productivity–so he says don’t take that personally–if they put something on your computer that requires you to be working at certain times–embrace that. Understand that the employers rely on you because of what you can produce.
  4. Collaboration technologies like Zoom will become even bigger components of our work days. If you can develop your skills not just in looking at collaborative technologies–that you’re more than an attendee–you know how to administer these meetings, you will become even more valuable at work. Precisely because of the pandemic we’re experiencing, employers will continue to need to develop ways to do things formerly done in person. Employers will lean on these technologies like Zoom because many people will be less willing to go to physical locations.
  5. The ability to connect on a human level will become even more valuable when we’re restricted from connecting via a physical space. Businesses have partners and customers they want to develop relationships with. Remember that all businesses are about people and the ability to connect person to person. Also if you’re able to connect on a human level with a hiring manager or co-worker or customer–you’ve made yourself even more valuable.

Which leads him to prediction 5A ACTIVE Listening

A lot of people are good at talking but not listening. Uni-directional he calls it. People who listen are in reality those who are waiting to talk. He used to call it combat listening–where one person is getting ready to disagree with the other person when they stop talking. That’s NOT active listening.

Among resources available include lots of no cost training. (Take a look at resources links at the end of today’s blog.) You can develop skills that will make you successful at work. But remember skills don’t help you get work. Being able to PROVE you have the skills helps you get work. Validate your skills by getting a degree or earning a certification. Trevor says he’s probably gained as much opportunity from certifications as he has his degree.

Of the most valuable assets a candidate can bring to an employer, according to a project Trevor did in New Mexico communication and integrity were cited often by employers.

Over the years Trevor has interviewed many job candidates and one of the most important questions he asks is, “How did you prepare for this interview?” This question shows Trevor what kind of time and effort the person put into preparing for the interview. What did the potential employee want to know about the company? The way the job candidate handles this question reveals a glimpse into the candidate’s attitude.

Hiring Company

Axon

Elizabeth Hart, Vice President–People at Axon

Axon, once associated with Taser weapons, has now branched out. The company has evolved from Taser hardware to a variety of software used in law enforcement. This software allows law enforcement to streamline their administrative needs including body cameras, cameras in fleet vehicles, and drones. Also, a software suite of communication tools replacing dispatch allows law enforcement to access information as soon as they arrive on the scene.

The company is involved in philanthropy including their recent campaign to donate a million dollars towards Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers.

A worldwide company, Axon has a presence in Arizona with offices including Amsterdam, Seattle, the UK, Vietnam, and Finland. The company currently plans to hire for 290 positions worldwide.

Axon is growing fast and has zero debt, something which is unusual for a tech startup.

Axon Hot Jobs Specific to Arizona

  • Digital customer experience developer
  • Firmware validation engineer
  • Software engineers
  • SQL Database administrator
  • Revenue accountant
  • Manager of revenue
  • AP specialist
  • Customer success manager
  • Manufacturing supervisor–night shift
  • HR business partners

To learn more about the company, or see job updates or to apply, please visit their website.

Resources & Closing

Career Connectors Academy

BestCompaniesAZ

DISC Assessment

Who’s Hiring Who Right Now–LinkedIn

Virtual Coaching via Career Connectors Volunteers

Career Advice

CEO/Founder of Career Connectors Jessica Pierce closed the meeting by thanking volunteers and inviting attendees to use the resources available through Career Connectors including the online events taking place each Wednesday morning from 9-11. Prior to the Covid-19 Crisis, events took place in person. If you registered for this week’s online event, you will automatically receive an email each Monday. If you accessed the live event via Facebook, sign up on the Career Connectors website to be kept informed via email about events and other related career information.

One more thing..

Higher Love Keith Urban from “One World: Together at Home” Be inspired by three Keith Urbans and their technology. You’re welcome.

01/16/20 – Put Your Strengths to Work-Find a Job that Fits

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Stephanie Clerge Find a Job That Fits

Written by Susan Lamphiear

“You grow most in your areas of greatest strength. You will improve the most, be the most creative, be the most inquisitive, and bounce back the fastest in those areas where you have already shown some natural advantage over everyone else. This doesn’t mean you should ignore your weaknesses. It just means you’ll grow most where you’re already strong.” Marcus Buckingham

Keynote

Individuals who focus on their strengths are SIX times more likely to be successful in their roles. And THREE times as likely to say they have a high quality of life.

Keynote speaker at Scottsdale Career Connectors Stephanie Clergé reminded attendees of these remarkable stats as they define their own strengths to better navigate their own career search or career transition.

Stephanie shared her passion for helping others understand one another better, and helping them leverage their strengths. As a young child, her leadership strength meant she was considered “bossy” but that appears to have served her well.

 With a background in helping people discover their strengths, Stephanie  has developed expertise in coaching and training.  Stephanie holds the title of Director of Training and Consulting at Kolbe Corp, an HR consulting firm specializing in assessments and interventions. She also runs her own coaching practice. She holds an industrial Engineering degree from Stanford University and an MBA from Babson College with a focus on corporate entrepreneurship.

Stephanie’s entire background has reinforced her belief  that each of us needs to become aware of our own strengths, both to be more successful in the work place, AND to live a happier life.

How do we become aware of our own strengths? Stephanie suggests you take a look at your strengths in three ways.

Thinking – It’s what we CAN do!  What is your intelligence, knowledge,  experience, education and learned behavior?  

Example of THINKING from Stephanie’s life: “I have nearly 20 years of people management and training skills. I have big corporate, solopreneur and small business experience. I’m skilled at managing large projects.”

Feeling – This is what we WANT to do. This includes your motivation, preferences, desires, values, and personality type.

Example of FEELING from Stephanie’s life: “I am naturally curious and enjoy leadership positions because I can provide my perspective toward strategic decisions and day-to-day execution. I am passionate about helping others understand one another better and helping individuals succeed, especially by leveraging their strengths.”

 Doing – This is HOW you get things done.  Consider your striving instincts, problem solving approaches, decision making methods, innate purposeful actions, and creative talents.

Finding your “doing” strengths

  • Fact Finder–How do you gather and share information?
  • Your follow through–How do you organize and arrange?
  • Quick Start–How do you deal with risk and uncertainty?
  • Implementor–How do you handle space and tangibles?

Example of DOING from Stephanie’s life: “I naturally solve problems by getting detailed information about the issue and potential solution. Then I brainstorm the practical alternatives and figure out the most efficient way I can fit my solution into an existing process or system.”

How else can I find my strengths?

  • Ease–As an example of ease, try writing or printing your name with your non dominant hand and consider if it was easy, did it take more energy, and was it neat or sloppy?
  • Energy–What energizes you?
  • Excellence–Where do you excel?
  • Experience — If you didn’t love a particular job, were there specific tasks within that job that you found energizing and loved doing?

Define your Strong Career OR one task from a career you loved. When did you love the job? the task? the team? the manager? the culture? the industry? the learning?

Think out of the box–Non-work or adjacent activities, Internships, volunteer activities, side projects/businesses, clubs/organizations, hobbies. What about these areas did you love?

Develop Your Tools, including your resume

  • Your resume–Is it easy to read? What does your resume tell the employers in a quick scan? Does it reflect what you’ve done? How can you best contribute?
  • Is it clear on your resume where you should be working next?
  • Cover Letters are NOT Dead! Use the cover letter to captivate your audience, control the message, clarify a situation, or customize a response.

LinkedIn–A look from a Recruiter’s Lens

  • Is your profile at 100%–Describe what, how and impact.
  • Clear, concise headline (not cheesy or needy).
  • Does the summary show a bit of your personality and desires?
  • Does your profile contain well written recommendations by the right people?
  • Remember to list a contact email.
  • Answer InMail promptly.
  • Be a part of relevant groups, follow relevant individuals and companies.
  • Keep your profile updated!

Be able to tell your work history story

  • Where did you work, how did you contribute, how long did you work there and why did you leave?
  • What were your greatest accomplishments in each role?
  • What are your strengths and how did they help you at work?
  • Explain gaps in employment or other interesting circumstances

Be prepared for behavioral interviews

  • Tell me about a time when…
  • Have stories you can flex for different situations.

What skills have you demonstrated?

What do you WANT to do?

Strengths in Action: Contributions & Needs An example from Stephanie’s profile–“My strength is reviewing documentation (data, processes, presentations) written to influence others and providing guidance to make it more compelling.”

Stephanie’s recommendation if you’re stuck trying to communicate your strengths: Pick one strength that really describes you, or think of a task that really energizes you, or create a sentence with key elements of your talent contribution that you use to complete that task.

For more information from Stephanie on building your strengths and for slides from her presentation, click here.

Hiring Companies

InfoArmor

Stephanie Helfer, Talent Acquisition Director

Meredith Garner, HR Business Partner

InfoArmor, the leader in employee identity protection, joined the Allstate Corporation family of companies in 2018.

The company’s next milestone involves the Allstate Digital Footprint which for the first time allows customers to see their personal information and how it might expose them to risk and allows them to do things no other identity protection plan has ever allowed them to do.

InfoArmor offers a workplace where employees want to come to work every day because they feel empowered and heard. Career benefits include leadership training, bonus plans for everyone in the company, merit increases, employee awards, and free health care for employee and family.

Openings include customer care specialists, remediation specialists, account managers, software developers, marketing specialists, marketing managers, and sales managers.

For more information on the company and to apply, visit their website.

Cable One/Sparklight

Vanessa Corona, Sr. Talent Acquisition Specialist

Cable One/Sparklight, a leading broadband provider, serves more than 900,000 residential and business customers in 21 states.

Committed to employees, customers, and the community, the company takes pride in providing employees with a supportive atmosphere, including a top notch compensation package.

Cable One/Sparklight strives to provide customers with 24/7 tech support and remains determined to inspire their employees to share the company commitment to community service. Among others, the company provides outreach to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, and Feed My Starving Children.

Benefits and perks available to employees include medical, dental and vision plans starting on the first day; paid time off; 401K-100% company match starting after one year of service, up to 5% of salary; life insurance; tuition reimbursement up to $5250 the first year; up to $75 a month towards cable and internet services; advancement opportunities; collaborative work environment; food truck Tuesdays; and game room and fitness center. The fitness center includes cardio equipment and full-service locker rooms with showers.

For more information, or to apply, go to the company website.

Resources & Closing

Executive Director of Career Connectors Jessica Pierce closed the formal part of the event and invited guests to participate in the informal sessions including talking directly to hiring managers and resume experts, finding educational opportunities, visiting Coaches Corner, and posing for a free head shot by a professional volunteer photographer. She thanked all volunteers and the beautiful host facility, Highlands Church.

For details about upcoming Career Connectors events throughout the Valley, click here to visit the events section on the website for times, locations, and details about hiring companies and keynote topics.

Below, check out more thoughts on Career Transition and Finding Your Strengths.

Identify Your Strengths Marcus Buckingham, video

Forbes article about Marcus Buckingham Buckingham known as Founder of the Strength Revolution

TED Talk Felicia Ricci Tips from an actress who appeared in the Broadway musical Wicked, and who underwent an unexpected career transition

TED Talk Shane Lopez Focusing on Your Strengths

09/12/19 – Resume Mythbusters: Certified Resume Writer Panel

by

Resume Panel

Written by Susan Lamphiear

Keynote

“It’s not the evil empire out there, people,” Brenda Cunningham tells job seekers trying to craft their resumes. It’s a matter of convenience that companies are trying to deal with the huge numbers of resumes they are likely to receive for any given available position.

“Think of the resume as a marketing tool,” stresses Martha Rockwell. It’s all about using your very specific, targeted, resume to nab that precious interview.

“Focus on the HEADLINE,” Donna Tucker reminds us. Include that vital section on what VALUE you, specifically, bring to their business.

“No such thing as a generic resume exists,” explains Amanda Miller. Today’s resume more than ever before must be crafted and drafted for each position you apply for.

These four experts formed the resume panel, hosted by Career Connector’s Founder and CEO Jessica Pierce, who asked the bottom line questions job seekers long to have answered. Host of the panel, Jessica began using her own skills in resume building–and created Career Connectors eventually–when she and her husband were both laid off in 2009, and she turned to helping other job hunters at her church design their resumes.

The panel did not disappoint. Made up of professionals in resume writing, they possess certifications, belong to professional organizations like the Resume Writers Council of Arizona and the National Resume Writers Association, receive ongoing training, including national conferences, and well, they have years of experience helping job seekers design very specific resumes with the end goal of getting the interview. They are EXPERTS and their certification process is rigorous.

Biggest Resume Mistakes

  • Failing to highlight or even include your accomplishments and results of your job experience. Use numbers if possible. Percents. Dollars saved. Numbers of people served.
  • Missing, incorrect, inappropriate, or confusing information. Be sure to include your name! Include only one phone number to avoid confusion. Ideally use the preferred Gmail email account. DO NOT use inappropriate email addresses like daddyslittlegirl@yahoo.com! Retire your AOL account!! Customize your LinkedIn profile URL.
  • No goal is evident (no common theme). Include RELEVANT experience.
  • Failing to take advice from experts. Professional resume writers are always learning and keeping up with industry expectations and following Best Practices.

Guidelines in Creating Your Resume

  • There’s not one single kind of resume. Different companies and positions may need different focus.
  • Remember professional resume writers use Best Practices; some companies and government agencies require specific formats. Be aware of requirements. The State of Arizona, for example, wants you to include ALL your work history. If it’s a requirement when you apply, then DO IT!
  • Regarding COVER LETTERS. If there’s no place to include a cover letter, do NOT include one and DO NOT attach it to the resume. If you do, it interferes with the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). But if directions say a cover letter is “optional,” then INCLUDE your cover letter.
  • Keywords are vital to the ATS. Don’t get creative with terms. Use standard terms like “experience.” Sometimes there are multiple names for the same or similar titles–change the title to match the job you’re applying for. If two terms describe your job, use the term used in that industry or the most standard term. The ATS may quickly eliminate you for consideration if it doesn’t recognize your key terms. Make sure your resume title reflects the work for which you’re applying.
  • Measure your accomplishments–don’t just say you did it well. Avoid empty phrases like “consummate professional.” Results matter more than adjectives. What was your budget, did you meet it, and was it on time? Use exact numbers wherever possible. How much money did you save the company? What were your accomplishments? Did you make people happy? Did you improve something or create a process? Did you reduce or eliminate or streamline something? Use bullet points starting with action words to highlight what you did at the company. Don’t just explain your job description–instead, what were your RESULTS? Scale and scope of accomplishments are important. How many? How much?

Details to Consider in Crafting Your Resume

FONTS: No smaller than 10-point font. No lower than 10-point on sans serif fonts, 11-point on serif fonts. Try to take no more than two pages. Put a header on page two in case it gets separated from page one.

EXPERIENCE: Include up to 10 to 15 years of experience. Add an “additional experience” section without dates for prior relative experience.

DATES: Only include dates on degrees if it is recent and explains lack of experience. We often give away information when we don’t need to.

EMAIL: Gmail is the preferred general email program. Don’t use funny, silly, or childish email addresses.

ATS: Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) vary. Some cannot read newer or fancy fonts. Use standard fonts. Use standard headings. Put dates on the right side. Use .doc instead of .pdf format.

BULLETS: Begin bullets points with action words, then the accomplishment and how you did it.

EMPLOYMENT GAPS: Up to a six-month employment gap is acceptable without explanation. Explain longer gaps with a simple, one-sentence explanation. Don’t use dates, even in the interview. It’s YOUR business. For mothers with gaps of years, remember to use volunteer experience such as PTA or anything at school. In the experience section, especially in the volunteer category–10-15 years of experience–it doesn’t need to be paid to be considered experience!

VOLUNTEERING: Fill in gaps with contract work or training or volunteering in your field. Volunteer work counts as experience on a resume. If you don’t have current experience related to the job you’re seeking, get some experience NOW by volunteering, getting a certification, or taking a class.

AVOID: Do Not include an “Objective” or the phrase “References available upon request.”

PROFESSIONAL HELP: Consider working with a professional resume writer because that means your resume reflects best practices. Or do your homework and at least consider having a professional review your final resume.

Hiring Company

USAA

Jeff Shewan, HR Associate

USAA seeks to be the provider of choice to the military community. Their mission is to facilitate the financial security of their members, associates and families, by providing a full range of competitive financial products and services. They offer products including comprehensive financial services of banking, investment, property and life insurance, and financial advice. Phoenix employs over 4800 people.

Jobs at USAA North Phoenix–at Happy Valley Road and I-17–include customer service, insurance, banking, IT software developers, and risk compliance. Perks include paid time off accrued by years of service, 12 weeks of paid maternity and paternity leave, a wellness program–including fitness center, energy/relax zones, and healthy points program.

USAA wants you to know military members are their primary focus, with thirty percent of new hires being veterans or military spouses, and they are mission-focused.

USAA is looking for employees who are mission focused and possess both the needed job experience and the certain fit–people who will do justice to their clients–their customers.

To apply, go online to set up a profile– including setting a keyword alert. Also, you can change your resume each time you apply for a different job. Click here to apply online for jobs.

Resources

Career Connectors Academy Training Program

Landi Carfi, Brighton College, VP Corporate Training

Career Connectors is proud to partner with Brighton College to form Career Connectors Academy. The Academy offers a wide variety of accredited online certificate programs, along with many professional development classes. Our focus is on quality and affordability. You will find the best online certificate programs!

Brighton College is proud to launch this new partnership with Career Connectors to offer the best support from both organizations.

Brighton strives to create an ultimate learning experience, driving employment skills for working, non-working and under-served adults.

The college provides short term certification programs discounted for Career Connectors Academy (30% discounts for programs already reasonably priced and payment programs while you are enrolled are available as low as $39 per month.) The average time invested typically ranges from three to four months.

Included among their certification offerings are the following: Technical Support, Programming, Cyber Security Medical Billing Coding, Pharmacy Technician, Web & Graphic Design (very big now), and Computer Aided Drafting & Design (CADD).

Throughout your time with Brighton, you receive support with issues such as awareness, onboarding and graduation. Then after you complete your coursework, career services are offered including professional development, employability and lifetime support.

For more information, visit the website and apply.

Closing

After the formal meeting, Founder/CEO of Career Connectors, Jessica Pierce invited attendees to visit with and take advantage of the expertise of hiring managers, resume and LinkedIn experts, financial planners, and the professional photographer who does free head shots. She also thanked Volunteers and the host, Highlands Church.