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Event Recaps

9/9/21 -Resume Mythbusters: Certified Resume Writer Panel

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Panel of Experts:
Donna Tucker, Brenda Cunningham,
Jeri Hird Dutcher & Lucie Yeomans

Resume Panel

Written by Sheri Kerr

The Résumé mistakes:

  • Typing or adding your contact information in the header of the résumé. Instead applicants must put contact information in the body of the résumé. This way the applicant tracking system will be able to identify the job seekers’ contact information.
  • Creating your résumé with the task or position responsibilities instead of contributions and accomplishments.
  • Seeking people with no skills to help you develop your resume.
  • Using PDF documents to submit a résumé to ATS (applicant tracking system).

What TO DO:

  • Explain to the recruiter how you did a certain task by providing metrics.
  • Answer the question, “What can you do for me?” Adding your value.
  • Measure results – help the reader understand what you can do for them – Again SHOW YOUR VALUE.
  • Look at the job description – use keywords from it on your resume.
  • List measurable accomplishments.
  • Format the résumé using MS Word and submit using Word. ATS (applicant tracking systems) can read MS Word and not PDF.

GAPS IN A RESUME – How does a person address this on a resume?

Must address gaps of 6 months or more.
Take a class or volunteer during gap times to add this experience to the résumé and explain what you have done during the gap time.

Hiring Companies

Concentrix

Eboni Weekes, Associate Director, Talent Acquisition

Concentrix collaborates with the world’s biggest brands to create a smooth customer transaction. Concentrix has 225,000 employees, in 40 countries, 6 continents, 70+ languages, Fortune 500 clients, 50 disruptors and unicore clients, and 12 years average client tenure. The company has multiple positions open! Learn more about the amazing opportunities at Tempe, Arizona using the link: careers.concentrix.com/united-states.

Pearl Interactive Network

Sherica Rhymes, Talent Acquisition Consultant

Pearl Interactive Network is a certified woman-owned small business. Founded in 2004, Pearl Interactive Network has quickly become a respected federal subcontractor for program management and contact center staffing. They give priority to skilled and talented people who comprise a niche workforce. Pearl is hiring Virtual Customer Service Representatives. All the positions are work from home (wfh) and require quite confidential space to accept service calls. High speed internet is required and the ability to hard wire into a desktop or laptop computer. Candidates can check out the open positions at Pearl’s website: www.pinsourcing.com.

8/26/21 – Networking Anywhere

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Written By Susan Lamphiear

Erica McBeth Networking Anywhere

This doggone PANDEMIC. Now, doesn’t it just bring so many human basics into laser focus? Sort of in your face? Like the importance of making connections with people. Real connections. Meeting people. Looking people in the eye. Hearing the sound of the human voice. Hearing the voice of the human soul through connection. Listening, really listening to people. Not occasionally eyeing them as they speak, your real attention fixed on your iphone. Or your own attention focused on what YOU’RE going to say next, not on what they’re saying. In the present moment.

Career Connectors’ keynote speaker on August 26, 2021, day # “what seems a billion” of the Pandemic, brings added relevance to a little thing, often known in the context of the business world, as “networking.” But guess what. Networking is not just a means to a job, though it helps. It’s about so much more. Thus the title, “Networking Anywhere.”

Keynote

Whether you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert, do you ever find yourself in the throes of networking dread? When she was in her early twenties, our keynote speaker Erica McBeth admits she didn’t feel all that confident in the networking process. Walking back from an event, a friend reassured her, “You are the best at networking, Erica.”

“Why would you say that?’

“Well, I sat and watched you talk for an hour to someone you didn’t even know.”

“But we were just talking about his dog!”

“That’s what networking is!” her friend said.

Erica talked to an online audience of job seekers at Career Connectors recently, where she defined networking as “just talking.”

But first, Erica told her back story about a life-changing aha moment that centered on–you guessed it–just talking to people.

Turns out 2017 was rough–her heart had been broken, her health took a detour, and a lucrative job she thought would be easy–WASN’T.

Depression she’d battled her whole life came creeping back. Night after night she’d retreat to her condo with her three little dogs and watch Netflix.

By chance one day hearing about a suicide prevention walk in downtown Phoenix, Erica decided to invite her friend Katie, whose brother had died from suicide the year before.

In the midst of that crowd of 2000 people who gathered that day in Phoenix –because they felt passionate about preventing suicide–it dawned on Erica–“I bet a lot of people lost someone they loved because they felt sad and lonely and depressed.” Kind of like Erica was feeling right there in that moment.

“If there are this many people in the world lonely, and I’m lonely, then why aren’t we just talking to each other, ’cause that seems like the thing that could make us all feel better, right?” And suddenly she was filled with a desire to do something about it.

That’s how the idea emerged–to meet 52 people in one year–one per week. That seemed like a lot of people. So began Erica’s project which led to her book, 52 New Friends and her video series How to Make Friends and Beat Loneliness. Plus a whole lot more. It’s basically changed her whole life.

In 2018 Erica met people in all different ways. It wasn’t even hard, she says. She’d imagined having to wander throughout coffee shops pathetically begging strangers to talk to her. Instead, slowly but surely, people actually starting catching onto her ways. “They actually started coming to me, and I actually had a waiting list of people who wanted to sit down and talk to me–how crazy is that?”

“I’m not some big important person. I’m just a regular person they wanted to sit down with and it was only because I was willing to listen.”

“Three months into the project I suddenly realized–all of that depression I had in 2017–completely gone!”

“Six months into the project I realized it was changing me in ways I couldn’t explain.”

“You can change almost every aspect of your life in a positive way just by talking to people. And that includes finding a job.” Erica has lived the mantra.

When she was growing up, Erica honestly believed most mothers had the kind of information her mother had about the townspeople her mother ran into–their names and all about their families. “Everyone in that little Kentucky town loved my mother because she stopped to talk to them and made them feel important.”

“Networking is just an exercise in kindness that we give to ourselves and to other people,” Erica says.

Where to Find People

  • Old and Current Co-Workers
  • Your Current Friends
  • A Friend Referral
  • Social Media
  • Your Neighbors

Where Erica Has Found Jobs

  • Erica reached out to a former co-worker on social media she hadn’t seen in nine months who mentioned online she was going through a divorce. Erica knew this was a difficult situation and wanted her friend to know she supported her. Her friend mentioned she was working for a company she really liked and since friend Amy had really liked working with Erica, Amy invited her to apply. As it turned out it wasn’t the job for her, but Erica reminds everyone that because she showed genuine interest in her friend, it led to a job prospect and interview. You really never know where your job leads will come from
  • A current social media friend asked Erica to lunch and after Erica said yes to a specific time and day, she started to panic a little because she couldn’t remember how she originally connected with the friend. Turns out it didn’t matter because they had several things in common and now they really enjoy hanging out together. Friend Heather works in HR and since Heather knew Jessica Pierce of Career Connectors, that’s the reason Erica’s speaking to Career Connectors today. So, get to know people on the “fringe” of your circle, because you truly just never know.
  • A man she was dating invited Erica to his young daughter’s birthday party but no one at her job could take time off over the weekend. When Erica asked for an exception, they said “No” which quite frankly made her a little mad. The guy she was dating mentioned the issue to his co-worker who said she had a friend in Erica’s industry. That friend called Erica who ultimately got a different job through that referral!
  • She reached out to someone she didn’t know on social media because she thought they looked “cool.” At the time Erica thought the opportunity could lead to a side hustle but it turned into a marketing consulting company in its own right–all because of an opportunity someone gave her over social media. Again, you just never know where opportunities may come from.
  • Five years ago Erica lived across from Jen but hadn’t talked to her for six months. One day they had lunch and Erica mentioned she wasn’t all that happy with her current job. Jen said, “We’re hiring. Why don’t you come and work with me?” Erica thought Jen owned a daycare out of her home. But since they’d moved, Jen now worked in HR at a tech company. Shortly after that lunch, Erica applied and got that job, too.

What to say

  • I think you’re interesting.
  • I’d like to get to know you better.
  • Could I buy you a cup of coffee sometime? (Or during Covid: Could we do a Zoom call sometime?)
  • When would be a good time for you?
  • How can I contact you so we can get something set up?

Homework on The Art of Chit-Chat

Once you’ve set up a coffee OR Zoom, try this:

  1. Ask an open-ended question.
  2. Listen to the response and acknowledge.
  3. Ask another question.
  4. Repeat these steps.

Erica demonstrated these steps live by getting to know the new Executive Director of Career Connectors Joey Richardson. At the conclusion of the demo, Erica said, “Now, see how easy that was?”

Hiring Companies

Amkor Technology

Brenda Perry, VP HR and Privacy Officer

Amkor employs 33,0000 workers in nine countries. In business for 50 years, they are an innovative global semi-conductor processing company with headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, looking for equally innovative employees.

  • Recognized as a great place to work, the company offers many benefits including matching 401k and a diverse workforce.
  • Amkor prides itself on very little employee turnover; they emphasize work-life balance for all employees.
  • Award-winning Amkor Health Happenings (AHH). Medical premium costs can be offset by employees improving their lifestyle choices with a fitness tracking device.
  • Many opportunities are available.

Benefits

  • 401k with company match
  • Medical, Dental, Vision insurance
  • Flexible spending accounts
  • Supplemental life dependent insurance
  • Short/long term disability insurance
  • Travel accident insurance
  • Paid holidays
  • Bonus vacation (after 5 years of service)
  • Employee assistance program
  • Pre-paid legal
  • Profit sharing
  • Service recognition
  • Skills development
  • Tuition reimbursement

Current Positions Open in Tempe, AZ

Engineering

  • Advanced Flip Chip Product Management
  • Director, Water Services Business Unit
  • Director, Advanced Product Development
  • Sr. Engineer/Software Developer, Design Automation
  • Sr. Manager, Power Product Line
  • Sr. Manager, Leadframe Products
  • Sr. Manager, MicroLeadframe Products
  • Sr. Manager, Business Enablement
  • Manager, Engineer Pricing
  • Manager, Leadframe Products

Accounting/Finance Position

  • Sr. Accountant, External Reporting

Legal/Human Resources

  • Director, Compliance
  • Manager, Human Resources

To apply, or for more information, visit their website.

Rogers Corporation

Bea Trembath, HR Manager

Rogers Corporation is a global leader in engineered materials headquartered in Chandler, Arizona. They manufacture advanced electronics and elastomeric solutions, elastomer components, and Durel drivers. They make material for computer chips. The company has been around many years but moved from their Arizona headquarters in 2016.

Known for their innovation and delivering results, they employ 5000 people worldwide.

The corporation offers much to its employees.

  • Competitive Salary
  • Annual Incentive Compensation Bonus Plans
  • Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Life Insurance
  • Short and Long-Term Disability
  • Flexible Spending Health Savings Accounts
  • 401(k) with Company Match
  • Wellness Reimbursement Program
  • Paid Vacation Sick Time
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Global Stock Ownership Plan
  • Matching gift program for charitable donations
  • Corporate Training

Current Openings

  • Production Operator (multiple openings/shifts)
  • Pricing Analyst
  • Tax Manager
  • Quality Engineer
  • Talent Acquisition Manager
  • Technical Service Engineer
  • Sr. SAP Solution Architect
  • Sr. Tax Accountant
  • Quality Director
  • Director Accounting Controls
  • Sr. Accountant

For more information or to apply visit their website.

WealthWave

Jason Wiseman, Senior Marketing Director

WealthWave, through its network of financial leaders, strives to create a financially literate world. Made up of independent business owners, WealthWave professionals seek to educate the masses and make investing and financial success easier for regular families all over the world.

Concerned because he wanted to know more about financial planning and retirement, Jason Wiseman talked with his wife about their need to educate themselves for their own financial health. At one point he turned to his CPA and said, “What does it take to do what you do?”

After several years in corporate America, when Jason transitioned into his current role at WealthWave, it helped him ease into the field by working part-time, something unheard of in the industry.

WealthWave strives to educate people and help them navigate the world of finance to have more peace of mind, including in their retirement plans.

Why Choose WealthWave?

  • Turnkey Solution
  • Licensed Profession
  • Ownership
  • Digital Marketing/Media
  • Start Part-time
  • No layoff or Furloughs
  • Hands on Training and Mentorship
  • A long history of helping families

Jason is currently looking to train either two full or part-time professionals. To apply, contact Jason Wiseman.

Resources and Closing

Founder/CEO of Career Connectors Jessica Pierce closed the first part of the meeting in preparation for online breakout sessions, turning that part of the meeting over to Sheila Coulam, Director of Operations at Career Connectors.

Jessica thanked all in attendance and referred everyone to the free resources available on the Career Connectors website. Among upcoming events include the Resume Mythbusters: Certified Resume Writer Panel September 9, 2021, and East Valley Job-A-Palooza, September 23, 2021. Click on the links to register for these online events.

Anyone interested in volunteering as a blogger for the events, click on this link.

7/29/21 – Professional Sales & Client Services Career Event

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Written by Miles Tucker

professional sales panel

At our Professional Sales & Client Services Event, Arizona’s best companies shared why their employees loved working for them. Panelists from these companies discussed company culture, employee benefits, and the skills you need to bring to the table to land a sales job.

Career Opportunities for Customer Service Professionals Panelists:

  • ADP, Laura Lynn Smith, Division Vice President/General Manager
  • Freedom Financial Network, Brandon Peterson, VP of Client Experience
  • Robinhood, Taeshima White, Site Lead
  • USAA, Lee Jacobs, Director, Insurance, Sales and Service

What do you like most about your company?

Laura Lynn Smith from ADP says that the company culture is what has convinced her to stay with the company for 17 years. “We have amazing people that work here,” Smith says. “We also have amazing leaders that are connected and engage with our associates.” ADP is a leader in the human capital management industry and is a member of the Fortune 500.

Brandon Peterson from Freedom Financial Network says he joined because the Freedom team has a great deal of passion behind what they do. “We are a debt relief company. We believe that to do that we really have to have an outstanding client experience which is solely driven by our people,” Peterson says. “We truly care about our employees developing and growing.” Leaders at Freedom are excited for workers to join the team and gain new skills. Freedom was named a Top Company in diversity and women in leadership.

Taeshima White from Robinhood said that she is in love with Robinhood’s mission and what they achieve by helping clients. “It’s really a space where each employee is an owner of our culture,” White says. She noted that while she is the site lead, she does not dictate the culture of her Tempe office. “Every person comes in and gets to do that. What I love even more is that each of us gets to do that in a way where we get to be our full selves every day.”

Lee Jacobs from USAA stated that he appreciates the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and also the benefit packages offered to the employees from the very beginning. USAA has both in-person and remote options to accommodate workers. They have been recognized a top employer on a national level and on a local level.

Describe some of your customer care opportunities? What skills are you looking for?

Brandon says that a variety of roles offer many different opportunities for employees at Freedom. “Our job is to advocate for our clients to help them become debt free.” Workers assist clients using phone calls, chat messages, and email communications. Brandon says, “We look for individuals that truly have a passion or empathy for a client situation and can problem solve.”

Taeshima highlighted Robinhood’s CXR Pathways program. This program offers workers the chance to learn skills and earn licenses associated with positions at Robinhood. Robinhood will pay for employee’s licenses and support passionate individuals as they onboard.

Lee mentioned that USAA offers customer service roles on and off the phone. “What we look for in our candidates is those that seek to improve themselves from a development standpoint and those that like a relationship,” he says. “We want a relationship with our members. We want to know and support them through every stage in their life. We really invest in our people.” While licenses are required to handle property and casualty insurance, USAA is prepared to help applicants train and prepare for tests and even pay for the licenses.

Laura Lynn shared that ADP has many opportunities in client service, sales and implementation. “We are really interested in candidates who are looking to grow their career in the long-term with ADP,” she says. “We are looking for talent who is passionate about learning, solving problems, and excited about providing great service to our clients.” Client service positions at ADP entail problem solving for clients and the company supports workers as they earn certifications to better assist clients.

Do you have established career pathways?

Taeshima said that employees at Robinhood can choose their own path, and new careers are waiting for applicants. New jobs are always being created so the job you will have in the future might not even be created yet! Taeshima also says, “on the flip side, there are some established career paths where you come in as an unlicensed agent, you could move into becoming licensed and then be able to move into our more specialty roles.”

Laura Lynn shared that ADP has multiple different career paths. There are opportunities for growth in many directions. “We focus on our associate strengths. The first week at ADP you take an assessment of your strengths, and every week you’re meeting with your leader about those strengths,” Laura Lynn says. These meetings are meant to help workers grow their strengths and identify things to optimize those strengths.

Brandon says that there are lots of opportunities for growth on the client services team at Freedom. After 90 days in your position, you become eligible for a role change either laterally or as a promotion. “If there’s opportunity and you’re a strong performer with leadership support, we’ll look at it. We really care that our employees are able to grow their career,” Brandon said. Over 70% of supervisors at the Freedom call center have been promoted internally.

Is working in a call center a requirement to starting with your company?

Lee Jacobs from USAA said, “depending what your career path looks like, and what you apply for there could be member-facing jobs where you’re on the phone supporting the membership. But those lead into other opportunities to move into leadership. There are also non-member contact jobs that you can apply to directly and get right into.”

Brandon said that most entry-level positions at Freedom are at the customer service call center. “There are so many positions available whether it’s on the product or engineering side, or even some of our administrative roles that that’s not a requirement.”

How to Build a Sales Career with a BEST Company Panelists:

  • CarMax, Richard Buscher, Regional Vice President/General Manager
  • GoDaddy, Joe Lawrence, Employer Brand Manager
  • Liberty Mutual, John Walters, Sales Director

Tells us a little about your company and its culture.

Richard Buscher said that after being at CarMax for 17 years that it has been an amazing experience. Richard enjoys how associates are treated in the company. “We’ve been voted Fortune 100’s Best Places to Work for 17 years in a row.” CarMax was also awarded Best Place to Work for LGBTQ community, millennials, and veterans along with many other groups. Richard says, “not only do we have a customer experience center, but we also have 223 stores across the entire country which creates an enormous amount of opportunities for folks to grow and develop their career throughout CarMax.”

Joe Lawrence shared that GoDaddy is the largest platform for entrepreneurs to host their domains and websites. “We are very diverse here. We want our employee base to look just like our customer base so having different communities at the table is definitely a key here at GoDaddy.” GoDaddy has over 11 employee resource groups that represent the diversity at the company. Some of the groups represented are Women in Tech, Veterans in Tech and entrepreneurs.

John Walters noted that Liberty Mutual is a Fortune 100 company that reaches across the nation and even in a few other countries. Opportunities at Liberty Mutual are wide ranging and open workers that want to work around the globe. “Liberty Mutual is consistently awarded top awards for veterans, working mothers and LGBTQ,” John says. “The culture I love the most about Liberty Mutual is rewards and recognition.”

What skills do you look for in a sales position?

Richard said that the first thing CarMax is looking for is ethics, culture, integrity and honesty. “We are looking for people who are really passionate about customer service and have great teamwork skills,” he said. “We use competency-based feedback for our associates. That’s how we grow and develop others as well.” Candidates don’t need to have car experience, they just need to be passionate about helping people.

At GoDaddy, Joe says that they are looking for passion. “It’s amazing that people that aren’t typically in that sales profession can definitely do the job. You just have to have those people skills.” Recruiters at GoDaddy also look for employees that will fit into the team culture. They welcome team players that can help others that are struggling within a caring environment. Rather than looking for sales experience they are looking for talent that can connect with people.

John says the characteristics that make someone a great employee at Liberty Mutual are drive, an awesome attitude, and coachability. It is for this reason that sales workers at Liberty are some of the highest paid in the industry.

What does success look like to receive higher compensation bonuses?

At CarMax employees are offered a base salary with a combined commission bonus. Average associates earn $22.50 an hour and there is no cap to earnings for customer experience associates. “Our whole intention is how can we help our associates be more successful and how can we help our customers throughout their car buying experience,” Richard says.

John mentioned that Liberty Mutual has a base salary and a commission that work together. An average associate can make between $60k – $70k their first year. “The compensation piece is driven by your desire and where you want go because the business model is there for you,” he said.

GoDaddy offers both a base salary and commissions to its sales representatives along with a compensation plan that allows for bonuses. Employees can see first year wages as high as $50k – $70k if they are hard workers. Employees will also receive first day benefits that allow for trips and other incentives.

Hiring Companies

GoDaddy has over 9,000 employees worldwide that empower over 20 million entrepreneurs every day. They are searching for Inbound Sales Representatives and Technical Support Representatives to work on their Gilbert team. Benefits range from full medical, dental, vision and disability to day care discounts and paid parental leave. You can visit Careers.godaddy.com to apply and learn more.

ADP provides companies of all sizes help with recruiting through retirement. They are recognized as one of the most innovative companies in the world. New hirers have reported that they enjoy the supportive environment. Employees enjoy benefits like stock purchases, a work life balance, and merit opportunities. Over 100 open positions in implementation, client service, sales and technical roles are available with very competitive pay at the Tempe location.
Visit https://jobs.adp.com to learn more about open roles.

CarMax’s purpose is to drive integrity by being honest and transparent in every interaction. The company has won many awards generated by associate feedback. CarMax was named one of the 100 Best Companies to work for 17 years in a row. Their core values are based on integrity and respect and play a role in everyday activities. The Tempe customer experience center is hiring over 200 new associates over the next few months. CarMax is looking for Customer Experience Consultants and Customer Experience Assistants that will receive a $2,000 sign-on bonus. Learn about careers at CarMax at https://careers.carmax.com/.

Desert Financial is the largest credit union in Arizona and is continuing to grow over with 370,000 members. They are committed to people that are innovative risk-takers that care about their team. Their amazing benefits include 100% of tuition coverage at ASU because they are invested in employee growth. They are growing all over the state and are looking for Universal Tellers and Relationship Bankers along with many other roles available in subsidiary companies that specialize in technology and wealth management. Learn more at https://jobs.desertfinancial.com.

Farmers Insurance is a reputable organization that allows workers to advance their professional development. The leadership within Farmers values helping employees succeed within the organization. Their people first environment strives to celebrate wins within their workplace culture. Farmers has 10 ERGs open to all employees that allow workers to network, develop skills, and take part in volunteer opportunities. Visit https://www.farmers.com/careers/corporate/ for more information.

Freedom Financial Network was voted Best Place to Work 10 times in less than 20 years. They have been a leader in consumer debt solutions since 2002. Their company strives to have a very nurturing and inclusive environment. They have recently created ERGs that focus on awareness, education, and career/personal development for cultural groups within the company. Freedom provides spectacular benefits like new parent leave, medical/dental coverage, and employee mental health resources. They are currently hiring very heavily for sales roles and also customer service roles. Visit ffnjobs.com to apply.

Liberty Mutual has 50,000+ employees in 30 countries across five continents making it one of the largest insurance agencies. Culture is extremely important at Liberty and workers are encouraged to embrace their community. ‘Serve with Liberty’ gives workers the chance to volunteer in their community and give back. ‘Give with Liberty’ matches charitable donations with 50 cents for every dollar to any cause employees choose. Their ERGs represent the company’s diversity and create places for people to fit in. Liberty is currently looking for outside sales associates, claims, service and inside sales roles. Visit https://jobs.libertymutualgroup.com to learn more.

Northern Trust was founded in 1889 and offers corporate and institutional services to worldwide institutional investors. The company is currently growing so it’s a great time to join for new grads and those looking for entry level positions. Northern Trust makes diversity a priority and has been recognized for their efforts on a global level by Forbes. Their Business Resource Councils include 42% of the employee population and feature groups like women in leadership, Black businesses, and Asian leadership. They are recruiting Asset Specialists, Audit Specialists, Financial Consultants, Investors and even more roles in the financial sector. Visit www.northerntrustcareers.com to find more information.

Robinhood’s purpose is to create a platform for investors to learn and make investments. 50% of investors using Robinhood are first-time investors. In the workplace, the company fosters a culture of diversity and inclusivity. They have ERGs for multiple cultures including Black and Latin communities. Their benefits feature premium dental vision health insurance along with a competitive salary. They are hiring Registered Customer Experience Representatives, Customer Experience Managers, and many other roles at the Tempe site. Visit careers.robinhood.com for more information.

USAA is recognized by Forbes as a Best In-State Employer. Over 36,000 employees work for USAA and they serve over 13 million members. Over 4,600 of those employees are in Phoenix. There are many benefits to working with USAA including an on-site fitness center, parental leave, and a 2-for-1 401k match. Roles fall between banking and insurance positions that can be worked on-site or remotely. They are hiring for Bank Sales and Personal Lines Insurance Sales positions all over Arizona. Go to usaajobs.com to look at more available jobs.

Voya Financial is a financial services company that provides health, wealth and investment solutions. Applicants get 6 – 10 weeks of paid training to learn the skills associated with the position. On-going training helps employees develop skills that they can use to earn new positions and advance their careers. Voya has won awards celebrating their disability inclusion, LGBTQ equality, and ethics. Some of their benefits are medical, dental, and vision coverage from day one, a 6% 401k match, and a pension plan. Learn more about Voya at www.voya.com/careers.

Resources

Jasmine Chamblin, a Customer Relations Associate from Pipeline AZ, shared how the platform allows job seekers to connect with the companies they want to work for. Pipeline AZ is a career matching and exploration platform built for the Arizona community. It is a non-profit that allows employers and job seekers to connect for free. “You can actually go to this site and look up in-demand sales jobs, customer service jobs and see the ones from our employers here today,” Jasmine says. Start your profile at https://careerconnectors.pipelineaz.com/.

BestCompaniesAZ validates and elevates the best companies in Arizona with a variety of resources that connect top talent with top companies. Their website highlights the characteristics of the award-winning companies in Arizona and gives workers the opportunity to apply to jobs across the state. You can learn more at bestcompaniesaz.com.

Career Connectors is focused on building a better community one career at a time. Their virtual career events allow job seekers to connect with employers actively looking to fill their roles in various industries. The Career Connectors website features videos from all past events, video updates, and resources for job seekers visit https://careerconnectors.org to learn more.

7/15/21: DISC: Understand the Value You Bring

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Written by Gary Matsuda

You may have a hunch about your strengths and weaknesses but if you ask friends and relatives to give you their honest evaluation, you might get something along the lines of, ‘I love you just the way you are’. Nor are you likely to get feedback if you didn’t get the job offer other than you “weren’t a good fit”. So how can you get a true assessment of your value and areas of improvement? It seems no one else knows you like you do.
Except for DISC. This 21 question test taken in just a few minutes with about 80% accuracy, can provide an appraisal of what you bring to (or take away from) others. Good to know before you apply for jobs and prepare for interviews!

DISC Understanding Your Value


KEYNOTE


As a career planning application, DISC measures behaviors that are descriptive and observable, rather than your ‘why’ or what motivates you. The DISC profile report can be quite overwhelming at first, so Career Connectors brought in leadership expert, Marleen Lundy, Senior Partner, Magna Leadership Solutions. She breaks down how DISC can enhance what you know about yourself, what situations to avoid, and how to improve your professional image and connections. Not only will you know yourself better, but it will help identify others DISC profiles so you’ll know how to speak their language. What a way to create better relationships, build your network more easily, and get what you want!
D.I.S.C. stands for 4 personality styles:

  • Dominance: How you handle problems, are you driven, ambitious, strong willed.
  • Influence: How you handle people by being, enthusiastic, warm, persuasive.
  • Steadiness: How you handle pace, do you think fast, act fast. Are you loyal, relaxed, patient.
  • Compliance: How you handle procedures/ constraints, do you follow rules. Are you detail oriented, conventional, exacting.

The DISC profile report will summarize the general characteristics of your work style into:

  • Major talents.
  • How you deal with problems/challenges.
  • Your communication style.

Value to the Organization
DISC identifies what talents or behaviors you bring to the job, so you’ll want everyone to see this on your cover letter or resume! This section will specifically describe what you offer and how you could fit into an organization. Some statements in these results can actually be copied into your resume or cover letter. Easy!

Ideal Environment
No matter how strong your talents are, they’ll be of little use in the wrong place. DISC will also indicate the Ideal Environment that fits your work style. Here’s where you should consider if the work culture will be favorable or unfavorable to your behavioral preferences. During a phone screen or interview, the type of work environment that’s described could give you clues if the organization suits you. If there seem to be too many limitations on your naturally in-born behaviors, it could mean the job or the culture are not right for you.
Also, the results identify specific duties that you enjoy and those that cause frustration. Inquiring about job responsibilities can be the basis for questions that you can ask during an interview. Of course, we all need have to have flexibility and adapt to different people and situations, but at least you have warning if an organization is too far out of your comfort zone.

Keys to Motivating (you)

This describes how your productivity is driven by external wants. Generally, these motivators are short term, once they are met, they are no longer motivators. But there could be several wants that motivate you (For instance, wanting to be the best at what you do, checking off your to-do list).
Keys to Managing
Shows how you prefer to be managed so that you perform at an optimal level. These needs are more permanent within you and should exist in the way you are managed, or the working relationship will be strained. This information about you can be used to create your development plan so that your manager knows how to bring out the best in you.

Areas of Improvement
It’s easy for others to notice where we fall short, but the trick is finding someone who can tell us objectively and still be friends. Your DISC profile will objectively point out your possible limitations and what behaviors could hinder your performance. Don’t be surprised if this section shows a long list of possible shortcomings, everyone needs to improve. Break it down so that you’ll work on just one or two at a time. This is where you can get the most out of DISC since a concrete plan can be developed and put into action to reduce this barrier to performance.

Communication Tips
Also included in your DISC report are tips on how you can relate better to other DISC profiles which is especially useful during a phone screen or interview. It will specifically tell you what to say so that someone with a different profile will understand you. So, if you want to mirror the other person’s actions while you are on a call or interview, this is great to have as a reference guide.

But check this out: see if you can identify DISC profiles in TV show and movie characters. Films and shows will try and include every personality type in their show so that you can relate to (and be hooked) to their programming. This can be a quick and easy exercise to help you develop observation skills to read other people profiles without knowing their DISC test results.

Identify others by Body language
Communication is 78% body language and inflection. Therefore, to make it easier to build relationships, you should make it easier for others to read you too. That is if they can see you, so be sure to turn your camera on for virtual meetings (unless there’s good reason you want to remain hidden).

Here’s what to look for when attempting to identify someone’s profile:

Dominance

  • Voice: Does their speaking sound strong, clear, confident, fast-paced, forceful.
  • Volume: Turned up to 11!
  • Body Language: Direct eye contact, points finger, leans towards you.

Influence

  • Voice: Animated, friendly, rambles, explains, casual.
  • Volume: Fairly loud.
  • Body Language: Smiles a lot, uses expressive gestures.

Steadiness

  • Voice: Low voice tone, warm detail-oriented, methodical.
  • Volume: Soft volume.
  • Body Language: Small hand gestures, relaxed, non-emotional.

Compliance

  • Voice: Monotone, precise, deliberate.
  • Volume: Quiet.
  • Body Language: Very few hand gestures, minimal but direct eye contact, controlled and composed.

Identify Others Communication Types
These communication style indicators can be clues to determining someone else’s likely DISC profile. Not only will these sharpen your listening and observation skills, but if you can match how the other person prefers how to be communicated with, the other person may become more relaxed with you and you will be more liked.

Dominance

  • Jumps right into conversation without saying hello or using a common greeting.
  • Brief, forceful and gone.
  • Puts entire message in email subject line.

Influence

  • Entertains when talking.
  • Holds long conversations.
  • Emails are log and overuses exclamation points, underlines, and emoticons.

Steadiness

  • Asks “How are you?” and sincerely wants to know.
  • Projects genuine warmth.
  • Patient and good listener.
  • Writes to stay on touch.

Compliance

  • Prefers formal names (Pay attention how they pronounce their name and nail it.).
  • Emails are sent to clarify or explain.
  • Uses attachments as supporting data.

There is a wealth of useful information in the DISC report to help your resume and cover letter be a stand-out, how to communicate and present yourself during professional interviews and improve other personal interactions. And you can get it FREE with Career Connectors!
For more insight on how you can use your DISC profile and more of Marleen’s career services (Career Connectors get a %15 discount) contact: Marleen Lundy for more information.

HIRING COMPANIES


Arizona Department of Economic Security
Nancy Stanford, Recruiting Manager

Everyone needs genuine help now and then and if you’re sympathetic and want to make direct impact on your neighbors who need a temporary boost, consider the opportunities with AZ DES!
There are meaningful opportunities that will make you rethink that working for the government isn’t purposeful and these include:

  • Adult Protective Services Investigator
  • Direct Care worker
  • Case manager
  • Administrative Assistant
  • Financial Analyst
  • HR Generalist
  • Mainframe programmer
  • Legal assistant
  • Administrative Law Judges
  • And many more! Postings change daily
  • Get hired and you’ll be eligible for the Arizona State benefits that are rarely matched in the private sector.

Apply thorough AZ State Job Board: www.azstatejobs.gov

Express Employment Professionals
Daria Orozco, Owner

You wouldn’t think of a staffing company as a career choice, but here you are.
Express Employment Pros gives you a personalized approach to job seeking and provides:

  • Training, skills assessment
  • Career choice (over 200 positions open in many industries)
  • Time to evaluate position
  • Benefits to cover you while you are temping
  • Market you to their client companies
  • Wage negotiations, resume and interview advice

Although this is a staffing company, it has various employment options. You don’t have to stay employed with Express Pros forever, but you can if you want to.

Internally they are hiring for:

  • Outside Sales/Business Developer
  • Front Office Coordinator
  • Employment Specialist
  • Professional Recruiter
  • Franchise Manager

Express valley-wide is hiring for over 200 positions, including:

  • Accounting Analyst
  • Procurement Specialist
  • Scheduler
  • Customer Service
  • Bilingual HR Assistant
  • Bilingual Cashier

WealthWave
Jason Wiseman, Sr. Marketing Director

If you aren’t sure about returning as a corporate employee with a steady paycheck, here’s an opportunity to exploit your strengths through your own business or side gig. At the same time if you are hesitant about going all in towards being an entrepreneur, this organization is flexible enough so they can help you transition into something part time.

Their mission is to educate on financial matters so people are prevented from making easy avoidable financial mistakes, through their program, ‘How Money Works’. If you want to help those who are frustrated with investments, consider this business opportunity. You can jump in with both feet or dip your toes in first and start part time.

Speak to:
Jason Wiseman, Sr. Marketing Director
480.861.6111
Jason.Wiseman@wealthwave.com
https://wealthwave.com/jasonwiseman
https://howmoneyworks.com/jasonwiseman

6/10/21 – Success for the Seasoned Search

by

Written by Gary Matsuda

Abby Kohut Success for the Seasoned Search

Try out for a team sport, and you’ll need to meet or surpass minimum performance requirements to get on the roster. If you’ve got the talent, you’ll make the team look good and you’re a shoo-in to make the squad. However, in the job search, meeting the qualifications and having more doesn’t mean you’ll look better on paper.

KEYNOTE

A hiring manager or recruiter will almost never tell you the truth about why you were rejected for a job, especially if you are an older candidate. So, we brought in Abby Kohut, who for the past 25 years has held corporate recruiting positions and helped 10,000 people get hired. She’s got some impressive creds too. Among them is her website, Absolutelyabby.com which was selected as one of the top 100 websites for your career by Forbes.

As an independent career coach, Abby can say the things that HR really doesn’t want to (or can’t) tell you. For many of us it could simply be ageism, but the reason for job rejection could mean something else. But as Abby defines it, older really is better and she changes our job search situation from ‘Over-Qualified’ to ‘Absolutely Qualified’.

What does ‘Over-qualified’ mean?
• Too much experience
• Title too high
• Too much education
• High salary requirements

But why are these concerns? It’s because hiring managers fear:
• You will have a ‘been there, done that attitude’
• You will leave for a higher salary or title
• Your coworkers and manager may feel threatened by your skills or experience
• You may want to be promoted too fast
• You could find another job that pays better

All these are valid concerns for an employer trying to keep harmony in the organization. So instead of letting these concerns fester, you’ll need to be proactive and do some serious self-examination to find strengths that can be valuable to any organization. Such as:

• Shorter learning curve
• Dependable loyal nature
• Proven track record of success
• Strong work ethic
• Strong problem solving
• Broad range of experience
• Works with different personalities
• Role model for others

Your ‘Absolutely Qualified’ Resume

As with all advice from career experts, their opinions certainly come from years of experience but take what tips will work for you but be flexible with what you use. Try these out and see what works for you and for specific industries and demographics.

Years of experience. Should you list them? Yes but generally no more than 15 and write preferably avoid exact number, for example ‘3+ years’, ‘5+ years’.

College graduation dates. You can mention graduation dates if they are more recent, say you went back for a master’s degree later in life (and assuming it could be a requirement for the position). But generally leave them off.

Advanced degrees. If you have advanced degrees which may not be necessary for the job you are applying for, leave them out to avoid overkill. Don’t worry, extra degrees won’t be found in background checks if you don’t mention them.

Direct reports. Omit exact number of direct reports, especially if the job has few or no direct reports. Instead, like years of experience you can say that you managed a team or managed a department without the number.

Old looking email accounts. Try to avoid using AOL or Yahoo email accounts as they do look dated. Instead get Outlook, Gmail or your even better, get your own domain.

Objectives and references available. Instead of ‘objective’, use summary section. No need to say references available on request since it’s assumed you have them, especially if you have experience.

Your ‘Absolutely Qualified’ Cover Letter

These are still useful, even in the age of ATS. Have them ready but send them to those ATS that ask for them. If you send them to the right people (HR) they should also be addressed to those who will be doing the hiring. In addition, use a cover letter where applicable because this is where you can show writing skills, professional insights and detail your value. Write how you are a good catch and why you do what you do.

Years of experience. Avoid mentioning number of years’ experience, if it is to be mentioned, include it on the resume.

The pay. Specify salary requirements (if it’s lower than your previous pay) in cover letter if you are overqualified. Get that out of the way so you’ll prime them into knowing you’ll fit right in.

For Abby’s cover letter template, email ‘letter@absolutelyabby.com’

Your ‘Absolutely Qualified’ Interview

If you get an interview, be confident they believe you have the capability to fill the role and are taking your candidacy seriously. Congratulations!

However:
Expect someone younger. Many recruiters/interviewers you may meet are just starting out and despite their inexperience, are a gateway to your career. Impress but don’t intimidate.

Dress code. Find out from the recruiter how you should dress, they can provide inside information to the culture so you can look your best. They called you for the interview, so they want you to succeed.

Check your ego. Again, use your wisdom and workplace relationship building skills not to overpower the interviewer but to make them feel in control.

Demonstrate your energy. Don’t just let your resume speak for itself. While face to face work into the conversation your physically active activities.

Demonstrate technology aptitude
Please keep up to date and be comfortable with current technology, like video conferencing and mobile tech. If you’re a luddite, Abby says this might help: try visibly carrying an IPad. You don’t need to use it, just show it!

Explain why you are interested in the position, tell ‘here’s why I do what I do’. If the question of why you are willing to take a position lower than your previous jobs, one thing to say is that you want to be more hands on without the responsibility of managing people. Some people actually like being an individual contributor. Or that you can afford to take a pay cut and have made enough money already.

Once they see your experience, qualifications and (gasp) your age, it’s best that you work into the conversation how you’ve nothing to worry about regarding health issues, pay, energy, use of technology, and retirement. Show that you’re definitely not on your last legs, and not here for your last rodeo.

Abby likes the use of thoughtfully applied clever comebacks. If you sense you’re getting rejected because of your ‘over-qualification’, you might try a Hail Mary comeback something like this: “If you were having open heart surgery, would you prefer a qualified surgeon or an over-qualified one?”

Mic drop.

For more tips, go to Abby’s website, www.absolutelyabby.com.

HIRING COMPANIES

Republic Services
Robie Rankins, Talent Acquisition Partner
Do meaningful work while sustaining the environment. With this company you’ll be doing all you can to keep this earth livable while working alongside friendly, energetic and passionate people. Now hiring for customer service representatives (starting at $16/hour) and inside sales reps (starting at $18.75/hr).

Find other opportunities at: https://republicservices.jobs/

Honor Health
Robin Ersland, Talent Acquisition Marketing Specialist
Instead of working to sustain the Earth, if you would rather focus on sustaining human health, look to Honor Health. With locations that cover the entire Phoenix area, there’s a location close to you in both clinical or non-clinical settings.

Find hundreds of career opportunities by various professional categories on https://www.honorhealth.com/jobs

The Entrepreneur’s Source
Anna Schulman Brambilla, Career Ownership Coach
Transitioning (or have been transitioned) out of your job and looking for something completely different? Consider owning a franchise. Even without small business experience, you can go into business for yourself! So, whether you want to see what you’re made of or you want to make something of yourself, growing a business could be the most personally rewarding path for you. While the work can be harder than you’ve ever experienced before, so many franchise owners say it’s worth it.
Ready-made for you are proven business models and systems that you’ll have to learn, implement and execute so that you’ll be in business for yourself but not by yourself.

For more information and to see if owning a business is right for you, contact
Anna at https://abrambilla.esourcecoach.com/
408-314-6831
abrambilla@esourcecoach.com

Resources

Financial Tips for Career Transition
LPL Financial, Jian Boldi
Money is often a primary concern when you’re in career transition. Jian gave a few tips to help with money management.

1) File for unemployment as soon as possible. It can take a few weeks to actually see the checks come in.
2) Don’t forget to pay your taxes.
3) Deduct job hunting expenses. That includes expenses for resume printing, travel to interviews, moving expenses.
4) Go back to school to advance your skills.
5) Become under-employed.
6) Budget, then budget and budget some more.
7) For over 55 but under 59 ½ can take penalty free withdrawals.
8) Get health insurance.
9) Consider reversing a contribution made to your IRA.
10) Ask for help – from a friend or at a networking vent like Career Connectors.

For more details, on these tips, you can ask Jian for help:

3910 S Alma School Rd Ste. 8
Chandler AZ 85248
480-722-0202 ext14
Jian.boldi@lpl.com