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02/20/2020 – Go from Tired & Stressed to Inspired & Blessed

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Written by: Connie Huber SHRM-CP PHR

Jean Briese

The tragic and untimely death of Kobe Bryant prompted me to reflect and gain a more optimistic perspective on life. Kobe was an amazing basketball player, man and cultural icon. Many tributes shared how Bryant inspired basketball and non-basketball fans alike. One individual highlighted the following Kobe quote, “Everything negative-pressure, challenges-is all an opportunity for me to rise”. Another impactful message shared was “You have a choice. When you make a choice and say, ‘Come hell or high water, I am going to be this, ‘then you shouldn’t be surprised when you become that.’ Kobe had a unique mindset for success and embraced it relentlessly. More importantly he practiced what he preached. His philosophy on life, “Have a good life. Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. Put one foot in from of the other, smile and just keep on rolling.” Kobe’s legacy is a powerful reminder how a positive outlook can open the door for much personal and professional success.
Thank you, Kobe! RIP

Keynote: Jean Briese, Speaker, Business Success Coach, Author

Jean’s message “go from tired and stressed to inspired and blessed” shared with the group how to deal with stress and lead a more balanced life. Everyday we are challenged by the stresses we are presented with. As a job seeker our efforts and days are met with one of the biggest stressors in life, “job loss”. In addition, you have multiple demands placed on you that further require your attention. Your daily goal of work and life balance is swirling in a tornado of busyness.
Jean encouraged us to eliminate the biggest stress in our life. Her goal was to share tips and strategies on just how to achieve this goal. Jean has over 25 years in the corporate world and shared with us how she developed a positive mindset. When Jean was a young girl her mother and father divorced. Two weeks before Christmas Jean’s Mom decided to go on a date. As she left with her date, they told Jean and the other kids they would be back in 3 days. Jean was the oldest and the youngest 5. Jean’s mother did not return home that night or on day 2 or day 3. The children were beginning to run out of food. As the oldest, Jean knew she had to do something and reached out to the community for assistance. The social workers told Jean they had spent their budget for Christmas presents; and Jean & her siblings would not be getting any. The social workers also informed Jean they didn’t know if they could find a home and keep all the kids together. Jean was assigned the responsibility to tell her siblings about the life altering changes they would be encountering. The biggest takeaways for Jean were that kindness matters, ways to repay others for their thoughtfulness, and to pay it forward. Whatever privilege you have or wish you had doesn’t matter. Jean noted success relies on your mind and putting it to work.
Jean encouraged us to have a firm understanding of what our ideal life looks like.
There are five areas in life to be effective in to achieve a balanced life. Those areas are:
1.(F)-Family
2.(F)-Finances
3.(F)-Fitness
4.(F)-Faith
5.(F)-Friends.
You should rate yourself on each category using a scale of 1-10. Time management is crucial in achieving the 5Fs. Establishing goals and placing them on a calendar is a great beginning. Each day plan your day and have a to do list. If you start the day in a reactive mode, your entire day will be reactive. Non negotiables need to be determined and practiced. Distractions will occur; each distraction you will lose 23 minutes of productivity and 30 hours per week. Setting healthy boundaries will help keep your focus. When planning your day, build in in time for urgent things to happen. In determining your 90 day goal, consider what is your return on your investment and if you can delegate tasks.
In applying these practices to your job search, look at the activities you need to pursue and achieve in your search. List all the activities and use a calendar to plan your days. Be sure to utilize your own network; reach out to those folks who can help you connect with, not necessarily those people you are close to.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There are 7.2 billion in the world. No one has the same gifts as you.

  1. Know what your gifts are; reduce the words describing your gift to commonality and limit to 3-5 words.
  2. Put activities and thoughts that energize you at the beginning of your calendar.
  3. Eliminate those things that drain you.
  4. Do not allow culture to devalue your gifts.
  5. Share your gifts/blessings with yourself, others and network.

HIRING COMPANIES

AEROTEK
RICHARD NORTH, ACCOUNT MANAGER

Aerotek was founded over 30 years ago and grown to be one of the top global recruiting and staffing agencies. The organization has a number of subsidiaries falling under the title of Allegis. Allegis is composed of 10 companies including Aerotek, TEKsystems, Ashton Carter, and Allegis Global Solutions. Aerotek’s divisions are diverse and are represented by professional services, commercial, environmental, scientific, energy, engineering and aviation. People are everything at Aerotek and the company is committed to their people success. There are three placement types: contract, contract to hire and direct placement. The company was awarded the “Best of Staffing Talent Satisfaction” for 2020. Benefits are offered after a period of time. Currently, there are over 300 openings companywide. For more information go to the following.

AMERICAN EXPRESS
DREW FOSTER, MANAGER-US RECRUITMENT

American Express was founded in 1850 as a freight company and has transformed to travel to cards to innovative digital products and services. AMEX has maintained unwavering commitment to earn their customers’ loyalty for the long haul.
AMEX Phoenix is the #2 employer in the area with over 1,000 employees who have a tenure of 20+ years. AMEX has made significant impact to the community and employees alike. Employee benefits are top-notch, and some can be used by employee’s family members.
Currently, there are 168 jobs posted in Phoenix. Some of the open positions are in the following departments: technology, finance, travel & lifestyle services, credit & fraud and internal audit. Additional information and open positions go to the website.

CLOSING
Jessica Pierce, Founder & CEO, Career Connectors, closed the meeting by thanking Highlands Church & the volunteers. The next Career Connectors meeting will be March 4, 2020; Phoenix, “Activate Your Strengths” presented by Stephanie Clergé. For additional information on this event & future events, please visit the Event Schedule.

10/04/18 – Myths and Advantages to Working with Staffing Agencies

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Written by Rachel Gersten

Staffing Panel Discussion

Jessica Pierce welcomed the group and explained the agenda, which was a bit different from a traditional meeting. Instead of one keynote speaker Career Connectors was fortunate to welcomed six staffing agency experts. There were two panel discussions:  the first panel discussed myths associated with staffing firms, and the second panel discussion reviewed the advantages of working with staffing firms.

1st Panel Discussion: Myths About Working with Staffing Firms

The group of experts included:

Joe Skrzymowski, Branch Manager for NESCO Resources
Donna Dietrich, Managing Partner for Tech Finders
Rich North, Account Manager for Aerotek

Question: What are the different types of staffing firms?

Answer: There are a number of staffing firms to choose from based on the type of industry and work the candidates are seeking.  Agencies have all types of employment options available for job seekers: direct hire, contract to hire, temp to hire.

Question: What is the conversion rate? How many clients do you help land jobs?

Answer: We don’t have stats on our conversion rates, however many times employees are hired for full time work. By partnering with a recruiter, you land the job.

Question: Why do you think people don’t trust staffing firms?

Answer: It’s like many other industries, such as used car dealerships. Generally speaking a used car salesperson doesn’t have the best reputation. These generalizations are based on bad experiences. Sometimes when you work with one staffing firm, you are never called back and the assumption is that all agencies work that way. Next time you speak with a staffing firm, interview the agency. Ask questions such as: How long have you been in the industry? What does the process look like? When will I be called back?

Question: If I use a staffing agency, will I make less money?

Answer: The pay rates are competitive with the market.

Question: Does the staffing agency only work for the company seeking employees?

Answer: If we don’t have the candidates, we don’t make any money. We need to work for both the employer and candidate.

Question: If a candidate wants to work for a specific company like Google, how do they find out the staffing firm that works with them?

Answer: Call and ask the staffing firms.

2nd Panel Discussion: Advantages to Working with Staffing Firms

The group of experts included:

LT Ladino-Bryson, Founder of vCandidates
Ashley Jenkins, Business Development Manager for Paladin Staffing
Nicholas Mazur, Executive Recruiter for APN Staffing

Question: Why work with a staffing firm?

Answer: A staffing firm provides you with insider information on everything they can including income information, process time involved and anything else they may know about the company. Additionally, recruiters are well connected and will be your biggest advocate.

Question: How to best prepare to work with staffing firms?

Answer:  Know what you want. Spend time thinking and researching what direction you want to pursue, but also have an open mind.

Question: Who pays you?

Answer: The company seeking employees pays the staffing agency. It is a free service for job seekers.

Question: What do you like about staffing?

Answer: It is a fast-paced environment, where we as recruiters get to help people on a daily basis to improve their lives.

Question: How are people most successful working with you?

Answer: Candidates that stay in touch regularly do very well.

Question: How do you help the job seeker prepare for a job placement?

Answer: We help by coaching on interviewing skills.

RESOURCES

Grand Canyon University
Rob Loy, Head of Education of Non-Degree Technology Programs

Grand Canyon University offers an in-depth boot camp for Java Programming. There are many perks that this curriculum offers to individuals such as; additional skills in the dynamic IT field, and a more competitive advantage in the job market. Entry level positions average $65,000 a year.

CLOSING

Jessica Pierce concluded the meeting by thanking our wonderful host Grand Canyon University for their support, our event sponsor LT Ladino-Bryson from vCandidates, as well as all our amazing panel, corporate sponsors and volunteers. Jessica went on to remind our guests to visit the Career Connectors website for additional information and support such as the complimentary DISC assessment and other helpful tools. The next meeting will be held on October 11th, 9 am at the Scottsdale location of Highlands Church – 9050 E Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale, AZ. Please remember to sign up online for our next meeting.

04/24/18 – Master Your Mindset to Land Your Next Job

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Vered KoganWritten by Cindy Nowack

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Master Your Mindset to Land Your Next Job
Vered Kogan

Vered Kogan, a professional certified coach and job search expert, tells us that career transition can be an exciting time of growth and possibility. It can also be a stressful and overwhelming time in our lives. The key to your job search success is in your mind.

Our brain was programmed at the time of our birth until we reached 7 years old. Our experiences were given positive or negative meaning by our brain at that time, which then shaped our beliefs. Our brain then continued to look for evidence that strengthened those beliefs as we grew up.

Often, we are not even aware of the 60-70,000 thoughts that run through our brain each day. Breathing, eating, and even driving, can be subconscious efforts that we can do without really thinking about them. In fact, we are operating on “automatic pilot” most of the time. We may not even be aware of most of the belief systems dictating our life. The good news is our brain is a muscle. It can grow and learn and change.

We experience a range of emotions in the job search, and in life. Lots of highs and lows. Some people can ride the wave, but others resist. Those who resist struggle more. What’s the difference between those riding the wave and those struggling? Mindset!

Mindset is a belief, or a feeling of certainty, about something. Some mindsets can be negative and hurt us, such as anorexic patients who believe they are overweight, but in reality, they are dangerously underweight. We may have a negative mindset about our recent job loss too. We take the job loss personally, and have a victim mindset.

Other mindsets can be positive and empower us. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, but he bounced back after that setback, worked hard, and you know the rest of the story. Michael Jordan had an empowered mindset.

Through the MINDshift Change Process™, Vered wants you to know that we become what we believe. Beliefs make up 95-98% of our mental power. Every breakthrough starts with a change in our beliefs.

The MINDshift Change Process consists of five steps that can lead you through this mindset change:

Step 1 – Desire
Clarify your outcome. Have a clear vision of what you want to create – being hired for your target job, doing well at an interview, improving your well-being, working out, or eating healthy. Give clear, specific and positive instructions for your subconscious mind.

Step 2 – Mindset
Shift your limiting beliefs by replacing them with new beliefs. Tune in to your inner chatter – the fears and worries that may bubble up to the surface. Now wonder what if the opposite were true? Replace your fears and doubts with a positive, uplifting goal that is aligned with your new beliefs.

Step 3 – Focus
Train your brain to become more positive. As Vered said earlier, the brain is a muscle. The more you use your brain, the stronger it grows. You can take less than 10 minutes when you wake up in the morning to read your goals out loud and visualize. Imagine achieving your goal. The brain can be programmed by thought alone, so this daily practice will bring you closer to achieving your goals.

“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen” – Muhammad Ali

Step 4 – Strategy
Adopt a proven strategy. Utilize the resources at Career Connectors events. Network.

Step 5 – Action
Take mega-aligned action. Break through the barriers that have been holding you back. Your results will change, and employers will notice. Your new mindset will give you new results.

A Cherokee tells his grandson the story of the fight of two wolves within each of us. One wolf is evil, and the other wolf is good. The grandson asks, “Which wolf will win?” The grandfather simply replied, “The one you feed.”

The key to your job search success is your mindset. With these steps, you can reprogram your brain to a positive, empowering mindset, which will transform your job search and your life. Go to www.veredkogan.com for more details.

HIRING COMPANIES

Cenlar
Robin Stanton, Senior Recruiter

Cenlar started as a savings and loan in 1912. The company left the banking side in the 1980s to focus fully on the mortgage subservicing business. Cenlar serviced 1 million loans in 2013, and is projecting 40% growth through this year. They are managing that growth by hiring for many different positions and will reach 700 employees in Tempe this year. Cenlar has two offices here, at Hardy and Elliot and also Kyrene and Warner.

In addition to their robust benefits package, Cenlar offers internal promotions, a formal mentorship program, and ongoing education and training.

They are hiring for the following positions:

  • Customer service
  • Team leader
  • Quality control
  • Quality assurance
  • HR
  • Research

For more information about these positions, go to cenlar.com/careers, or call Robin or one of her team members at (480) 961-3900.

 

Aerotek
John Dvorak and Laura Barker, Recruitment Sourcing Specialists

Aerotek was originally founded 30 years ago by two cousins in a garage. Today, they have become one of the top global recruiting and staffing agencies. Their client, UTC Aerospace, needs 300 people to test airplane evacuation slides over several days in mid-May. You could earn in $600 in 4 days if you are 18 years or older and can pass a medical screening. Here’s the flyer with more detail.

CLOSING

Thank you to our 13 partner companies, including Goodwill and WozU.

On Wednesday, May 2, from 3-6pm, you are invited to the Freedom Financial Career Mixer. You can connect with the top performers and hiring leaders from all departments at Freedom Financial Network’s new location at 2114 E Rio Salado Blvd in Tempe. They are looking to hire more than 1,000 people. Come see why they were voted #1 “Best Place to Work” in Phoenix. RSVP at http://bit.ly/ffn-mixer.

Our next meeting is Thursday, May 3 at Grand Canyon University where Career Connectors will host a Technology Panel, with Vixxo, GoDaddy, USAA, Dignity Health, TechFinders, and Freedom Financial Network.