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8 Women’s Networking Groups In Phoenix

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Whether you’re new to an industry or a seasoned professional, networking offers the chance to connect with other business-minded individuals. Women navigating the world of business face a unique set of challenges that their male counterparts may not. If you’re in search of a women’s networking group in Phoenix, you’ve come to the right place. 

Below, 8 female business leaders share their favorite ways to get connected right here in Phoenix.

Participate in BestCompaniesAZ Networking Events

BestCompaniesAZ! We are consistently partnering with local organizations (like Career Connectors) to host networking events in the Phoenix area. From “VETTalks” (a business networking and career event for veterans) to our annual Diversity and Inclusion career event, we have a little something for everyone who visits our upcoming events page. 

Denise Gredler, Best Companies Arizona

Stay in Touch with Your Alma Mater

While it’s not technically an “official” networking group, the alumni network for the Eller College of Management (University of Arizona’s business school) is home to some of my strongest personal and professional relationships. ASU alums may hate to hear this, but throwing out a “Bear Down” to a fellow alum helps establish a common ground and opens up opportunities to help each other. Regardless of whether you’re a Wildcat or Sun Devil, some of the best networking opportunities lie with your alma mater. 

Megan Hari, Swoon Group 

KNOW

KNOW – it’s so much more than a networking group. It’s a sisterhood and I’ve never been part of a more supportive group of women.

Stephanie Riel, RielDeal Marketing

Arizona Foundation for Women

Arizona Foundation for Women. It’s a very open, inviting group that offers a ton of resources and opportunities.

Angela Bratt, ON Semiconductor

SheLEADS

My best experiences have been with SheLEADS.

Cameron Robb, GPEC

iStartFirst

iStartFirst Community that I created. Most women groups I know are competitive and sales driven, and I wanted to create a true community where women share, collaborate, and support each other.

Olenka Cullinan, iStartFirst

Local First AZ

I love connecting with local professionals through Local First AZ events. 

Niki Ramirez, HRAnswers.org

West Valley Women

I am a proud member of West Valley Women and have enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere that focuses on building relationships and friendships.
Lorraine Bosse-Smith, Concept One, Inc.

What Employers Look For On A Resume: 12 Hiring Managers Share Their Tips

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There is a lot of information swirling around the internet about resume creation. But why not go straight to the source? After all, if anyone knows what makes an effective resume, it’s the people doing the hiring. In this article, 12 business leaders from varying industries share exactly what they look for in candidate resumes. 

So if you’ve ever wondered how to make your resume stand out, read below.

Make Your Resume Results-Driven

The first thing I look for on a resume is how well it’s creatively put together; the overall design. The way the resume is designed speaks largely for the type of person they are. The second thing I look for is how the bullet points are written under each job. If someone is vague or cliche, I rarely consider them. I’m a results-driven individual, I like to see passion, results, and leadership in the bullet points–don’t just tell me you influenced the company’s overall revenue. Tell me how you did it and what the metrics were. A candidate that can show me real results gets an interview every time.

Janelle Amos, Marketing Manager

Nail the Interview

I actually am not a fan of the resume. I will briefly look to make sure they at least have the basic competencies, but I find my candidates in the interview. Passion and curiosity are the two biggest traits I seek. I figure if they have those, any deficiencies (within reason) will be overcome. I would rather have someone that will spend a weekend YouTubing things to learn than someone that is complacent with three degrees.

Eric Rutin, Rutin Marketing

Show How You’ve Advanced Your Skills

Regardless of employer or position, I really look for what you’ve contributed and how you’ve advanced your skills. A great example of this would be our marketing coordinator. A recent grad who worked at FedEx managing event shipments, we hired him on to manage our trade show coordinator. On top of that, we knew that he had a passion for web development and design outside of his job. Seeing passions and applicable skills being developed on his own time, we knew he would be an amazing fit. 

Megan Chiamos, Cannabis ERP Software 

Keep It Accurate and Concise

Organization is essential to organizations. Make sure that everything presented on your resume is accurate and concise. Resumes must fit all on one page, one side. Too much information, sends a message of disorganization. Employers want their employees to represent the values of the company. We hire on energy and attitude more than experience and aptitude. One resume tip is to have business owners, that you trust, review your resume and provide constructive feedback. 

Dr. Levi Nelson DC, Scottsdale Chiropractor

Include Numbers and Timelines

Recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds looking at a resume, so you’ve got 6 seconds to impress. The worst thing you can do is load your resume with menial, vague accomplishments. Edit, edit, edit. Distill your resume down to one page that highlights specific, meaningful wins. Include numbers and timelines. Bonus points if you can make it look pretty. Once you feel like your resume is complete, flip it upside down and see if it looks readable. If you find that it’s still too blocky and dense, edit it again then pass it on to a few friends to edit as well. This is your moment to brag about yourself, just make sure it’s delivered in a palpable way.

Emily Bosak, SEO Marketing Company

Customize for Each Application

Have they customized their cover letter and resume for our company? We receive a lot of response to our career opportunities with candidates who are sending their resumes to as many companies as possible. Sometimes, you can even tell when a candidate resume comes in with a file name of, “JONATHAN-GENERAL-RESUME.” The resumes that stand out are ones that have been customized to our company (“JONATHAN-GENERATED-RESUME”). When candidates take the time to look at our company, we will take the time to evaluate their resume.

Jonathan Cohen, Industrial Recycling Services

Have a Good Elevator Pitch

Resumes can catch my attention if they can summarize their expertise in the first few sentences with a good elevator pitch. I look for people that make lateral moves, spent time in the military, and volunteer as indicators of the desire to be of service to their community. It is essential that people are dynamic and can demonstrate that they are open to learning.  Working for different companies can be an indicator of adaptability.

Erica Scott, Civilian Connections

Make Sure Your Resume Matches Basic Qualifications in the Job Description

There was a time when companies would look for transferable skills or someone who was “ready next”. To successfully make it past the initial computer “screen” it is important that your resume maps to all of the basic qualifications listed in the job description.  Hence, in this time of heavy competition, you want to first ensure that you meet the basic qualifications.  After that, list your achievements against your responsibilities and quantify them wherever possible.

Kelly Chapman, Kegelbell

Keep it Straightforward, Concise, and Thoughtful

When I look at a resume I look for brevity and I look for results. When a candidate takes the time to craft a resume that is straightforward, concise, and thoughtful — it shows! It shows they can speak to the most important aspects of their work and it shows they value the hiring manager’s time.  I also look for quantitative results. Show me your success in numbers or in major accomplishments. I want to know by what percent you increased blog traffic at your last job, or how much money you added to the pipeline, or how much you improved the open rate of your email campaigns. Make your resume one page and really pack it full of the successes your hiring manager likely wants to replicate. And of course, be honest.

Marisa Krystian, Content Marketing Manager

Include Clear Outcomes

You cannot argue with results. I look for clear outcomes over a vague indicator of participation. The single biggest tip I could give someone is to make it crystal clear that you not only have the skill set that a company is looking for but you know how to transfer that knowledge into real value to that organization. It is one thing to say that you “know JavaScript” it is another thing to say that you “increased performance by 32% using component driven architecture in a JavaScript application.”

Lukas Ruebbelke, BrieBug

Include a Relevant Cover Letter

When screening candidates, the first thing I look for is a cover letter that highlights their skills or accomplishments that relate to the role they are applying for. It shows that they took a few minutes to read the description and look at the company website. In the past we’ve even asked applicants to provide their favorite YouTube video to see if they read the whole job posting.

Michael Ashbaugh, Coplex

Tell a Helpful Story

Great resumes tell a helpful story showing me a candidate has solved the exact problems I need him or her to have solved in order to help me. This isn’t done with buzzwords, but with clarity on specific actions taken and (measured) results achieved. Job seekers should take the time to tell the hiring manager just the relevant story or stories to get a call back – or otherwise just don’t bother.

Yuri Kruman, HR, Talent & Systems

How To Use LinkedIn To Find Employment

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How To Use LinkedIn To Find Employment

LinkedIn can certainly help a person looking for work to get connected to the right career. It’s all about choosing the right tactic in this competitive environment. Should you optimize your profile in hopes of being scouted? Should you message employees in your dream position? Or should you just take to the job board and apply to everything that seems remotely interesting?

Below, thought leaders and employers spill their top tips for utilizing LinkedIn to better your chances of employment.

Showcase Your Purpose and Values

Utilizing LinkedIn to streamline the process of getting connected to the right career can be a wonderful tool. LinkedIn is your personal professional brand, you want to be authentic and comprehensive about your current skills and goals. Leverage your network and connect with people in your industry that also align with your purpose and values. Do not be afraid to ask for an introduction to gain insight and advice about other’s career paths. 

Jenae Nichols, Y Scouts

Highlight Recent Experience 

We pride ourselves on hiring and developing highly qualified staff members for our full-service dental lab. LinkedIn is one of the recruiting tools we may use to help us identify a candidate. How do we identify candidates on LinkedIn? One way is looking at recent experience. Several profiles on LinkedIn stop at listing the job title and company in their experience. However, it is important to list out accomplishments in your experience – just like you would on a resume. By highlighting recent experience, you are providing employers with a much more in-depth look at what you’ve achieved. This helps companies like ours better identify the candidates that we want to interview. 

Henry Babich, Stomadent Dental Laboratory

Keep It Up-To-Date

I was actually recruited through LinkedIn. My tip is to always keep your profile up-to-date and make sure you have the right skills listed to match keywords in the career you’re interested in. While recruiters are filtering searches for possible candidates, you’ll be much more searchable if your listed skills align with their criteria.

Megan Chiamos, Cannabis ERP Software 

Don’t Spray and Pray 

If you apply for a job, respond to the company if they reach out to you. We have a file of people we won’t EVER interview because when we reached out to them they never responded. In one case they stood up the first interviewer. Don’t spray and pray. It seems that there are those that respond to multiple ads just to see what’s out there. We have had a significant number of applicants that didn’t so much as fill in the required questions. They will never EVER get an opportunity from us.

Mike Staver, The Staver Group

Generate Content That Ranks

LinkedIn is a platform that continues to surprise me. I discovered last year that Google indexes LinkedIn articles. So, while you might not get as many likes and comments on articles as you would a regular post, if you generate helpful content, your keywords may rank on a browser search for your topic. My LinkedIn articles consistently rank within the first three results on the topic of career agility. Find your topic you want to rank for and write about it.

Marti Konstant, Workplace Futurist

Bump up to a Premium Account

Research who the hiring manager may be for the role you are going for and reach out to them. If you have a LinkedIn Premium account, utilize the InMail feature and send a personalized message directly to the hiring manager stating who you are, why you are reaching out to them and the problem you can solve for them (i.e. the role you are applying for). If you don’t have a premium account, that’s ok! Send the hiring manager a connection request and ALWAYS include a short note as to why you are requesting to connect. Simply applying isn’t good enough anymore, you need to make that personal connection and more often than not – that manager will appreciate it.

John Indiveri, Talent Acquisition Manager

Reach Out to Mutual Connections

I think LinkedIn cold calling is a complete turnoff. But, I have had good results with warm handoffs to a second-level connection, using a mutual first level connection who knows me and is a strong advocate. Finding high-potential people with mutual connections can be done with almost surgical precision using LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator capability. This allows highly customized searches to mine your network’s network.

Dennis Skinner, Many-To-One

Keep It Professional

People who post memes, jokes and viral stories that are obviously fake destroy their credibility. Connect with people you’ve met in person, and if you’re headed to an event, message a couple of contacts you’ve never met and offer to meet in person if they’re attending the same event. Not to sell them anything, just to say hi.

Chryssa Rich, Primary Health Medical Group

Focus on ‘Who’ Over ‘What’

I believe LinkedIn has done an amazing job of democratizing the sharing of resumes on the net. That said, very few LinkedIn profiles give the viewer a sense of ‘who’ someone is vs. ‘what’ they’ve done in their career. The ‘Summary’ section at the top of each profile is a great spot to expand on your purpose, your values, your passions, and the things that matter most to you. It’s time to emphasize more than just an individual’s career history.

Brian Mohr, Mohr Impact Group

Optimize Your Profile

Recruiters utilize LinkedIn to find talented candidates. Be sure to optimize your profile for the roles that you want in order to be found. Digital communication is more important than ever so start building and cultivating your brand online. Be engaging by creating content, commenting on posts and sharing relevant information. This will help attract people to your profile.

Michelle Baker, Swoon Group

5 Jobs In Demand In Phoenix

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5 Jobs In Demand In Phoenix

With the job market in Phoenix, it can be challenging to determine what jobs are actually available, if they fit with your career path and skillset, and how to secure them. Whether you’re longing for a new job or simply curious as to what’s out there, you might need a little help navigating the Phoenix job market.

Below, Arizona employers share the high-demand jobs they’re hiring for, as well as why someone looking for work may consider that career opportunity.

Business Development

In today’s climate, business development matters more than ever. Companies need business development officers who are competitive, consultative, enjoy solving problems, and building networks. If you love winning, closing deals, and live for high 5s, then perhaps it is time to look into business development opportunities in Phoenix. 

Kimberly Kriewald, AVANA Capital

Client Services and Customer Support

Well, what a difference a month can make. Last month, my clients were moving forward with searches as the unemployment rate held steady at 3.5%. Last week, 3.3M unemployment claims were filed. Companies in the healthcare, insurance, and technology industries are moving forward in hiring customer service type of roles. Searching for jobs with titles like “Client Services” or “Customer Support” may produce a list of job opportunities in demand here in Phoenix.

Jon Schneider, Recruiterie

Entry Level to Director 

BestCompaniesAZ in partnership with AZ@Work and Career Connectors have compiled a list of resources to help job seekers and employers navigate the workforce in light of COVID-19. There are over 80 companies hiring for 1000+ jobs right here in the valley. From entry-level part-time jobs to director level careers, there is a perfect fit for you out there.

Denise Gredler, Best Companies AZ

Engineers

Several companies in the Valley are still actively hiring the best and brightest engineers to join their team. This not only includes Software Engineers but also Manufacturing Engineers. If you have the technical skills and expertise, then there are several engineering opportunities in demand. 

Ryan Nouis, TruPath

Content Writers

As the economy has contracted, we have extended offers to Content Writers to help our company create long-form blog posts and optimized landing pages. If you can write, there’s always a need you can fill with a company. That may be a full-time role or a temporary freelance gig that can be found on services like Upwork or Fiverr. 

Brett Farmiloe, Digital Marketing Company

Networking…Evolved

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networking gearsNetworking is often described as the most important factor in getting a job, landing a promotion or even holding on to a desirable position.

Yet, people often hear the term and think it means they must attend functions where they must introduce themselves and hand out business cards, and ask strangers for job leads. If that’s what you are thinking, think again.

Networking has evolved into a process of building solid professional relationships that involve exchanging communication, ideas and information. It’s about creating ongoing dialogue with peers, associates, individuals in positions you may aspire to, and those with knowledge and insight into your profession – or a profession in which you may have interest.

Building a network
To make networking work for you, start by identifying people you already know. Those who know you, your background and your skills represent a key network foundation. From there, you can expand and develop your network both online and off. Consider these avenues:

  1. Online sources: Sites such as LinkedIn offer effective ways to get in touch with people with whom you have worked or know on a more casual or social basis. They, in turn, may be able to introduce you to other people you’d like to get to know. It pays to do more than just “connect” in these online groups. Take some time to learn how to use and leverage resources on the sites.
  2. Career and leads groups: In many locations, you’ll find groups that exist to share job leads and opportunities. Beyond finding out about specific positions, these groups can help you get a better idea of what organizations are hiring in your area. They also can be excellent sources of tips and advice on how to improve your presence in other networking situations, online and off.
  3. Professional groups: Almost every profession has an association or informal group, online or off, to further education and connections within the field. Do some research to identify the ones that best meet your goals, and become active in those.
  4. Community organizations: Whether it’s a neighborhood association, church committee, volunteer opportunity, hiking group or your Spanish language class, you often can effectively expand your network close to home. General business groups, such as Toastmasters and the local Better Business Bureau, can also be good resources.

Getting started
Networking is far less intimidating when you realize it’s really not all about you. Take the approach of learning something interesting about others. Start by asking questions about the person with whom you are talking. Learn about his or her business, career path and interests outside the workplace. Even in social situations, good conversation can easily include the chance to ask someone about what they do in their work and about their company.

Learn by listening – carefully. A good two-way conversation will almost always lead into the other person taking an interest in what you do and what you’d like to do.

As you expand your network, you’ll find that you will continue to meet more people and make more connections, receive valuable career advice and learn of job opportunities – often before those positions are openly posted. This means you can come to a company through a referral, which can be positive for both you and your referral source.

Through developing a network, you’ll likely learn about companies and organizations – of all sizes and types – whose names you may not immediately recognize, but that could open the door to new opportunities. You’ll gain input on interview preparation and may meet important role models and mentors.

Remember, too, that networking is not just a one-time activity to do while job-hunting. Developing a professional network is an ongoing activity throughout your career that will help you improve the quality of your work and increase job satisfaction.

Looking through the employer lens
Understanding the benefits networking accrues to employers also can help you understand the benefits of career-long networking.

Companies frequently fill jobs through trusted referrals, without posting the positions. They frequently find that referral employees are better performers, and create more engagement in the business when hired. Employees hired through referrals typically have longer retention periods. Many human resource executives consider referrals the “secret weapons” in building performance-driven organizations.

It may be time to update your definition of networking, and view the process as an ongoing way to meet and learn from new, interesting people. You will find doors opening to opportunities that very well might otherwise stay closed.