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4/13/17 – Developing and Living Your Personal Brand

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Developing and Living your Personal BrandWritten by: Daniel Tetrick

When we think of a brand, we traditionally think about a business or product. Companies work very diligently to craft and protect their brands. After all, a strong brand ties together the perceived value and emotional satisfaction that a consumer receives from purchasing or using a product or service. The concept of a brand, however, also applies to individuals. A job applicant needs to convince hiring managers they will obtain value and achieve emotional satisfaction upon hiring the applicant.

Keynote

Developing and Living Your Personal Brand
Michael Seaver, @michaelsseaver

Michael Seaver is an executive coach and leadership consultant. He is a Certified Professional 12 Driving Forces® Analyst, a Certified Professional Behavior Analyst, and a Thunderbird School of Global Management MBA. Michael sees personal branding as “connecting your life’s narrative into direction.” This entails a concept he calls storypathing, or integrating past experiences into your future. Lessons learned and knowledge gained from past experiences are the building blocks for building a personal brand for the future.

Entrepreneurship
Employment does not have to mean working as an employee for a business, government, or non-profit entity. Employment can also mean entrepreneurship and contract work, and job seekers should consider seriously starting and running their own businesses. Many job seekers have skills and experience gained from their career paths that could be applied successfully to starting their own businesses. Why don’t more job seekers consider being an entrepreneur? A common reason is fear of failure. But as we shall see, failure should be embraced, not feared.

Celebrate Failures
It sounds antithetical to how most of us feel after failure, but failing to achieve one’s intention should be celebrated and rewarded. There is no success without taking a risk. Inaction results in nothing. Everyone hopes to achieve success, but even if you fail after taking action you have gained valuable insight. And those lessons learned are the building blocks for developing your personal brand for the future. For example, while job hopping is not criticized as much as in the past, some hiring managers may question an applicant about recent short-term stops listed on his or her resume. In such a scenario, the applicant should convey the circumstances, acknowledge the mistake, and articulate the lessons learned. For additional information on overcoming mistakes Michael suggests Brene Brown’s book and TED Talk “Daring Greatly”.

Individuality
Individuality is what makes each person’s brand unique, and that individuality is influenced by our various social groups. You are the average of the five people that you spend the most time with outside your family. Think of those five people. What are their characteristics? How are they different? That composite profile is likely a core component of your personal brand.

The Hero’s Journey
Superheroes in movies today follow a common a path:

Introduction of Characters > Bad Guy Wins > Superhero Works to Resolve > Superhero Wins

The journey a superhero takes to overcome failure is not unlike the journey everyday people take to overcome great challenges. And the lessons learned from failure and overcoming challenges are the basis for a personal brand of the future. Here is how to apply the Hero’s Journey to build a personal brand:

1) Take the DISC Assessment to identify behavioral traits, talents, and motivators

2) Past: analyze past experiences

Past by Michael Seaver3) Present: assess current interests and activities

Present by Michael Seaver

4) Future: identify goals and desired outcomes

Future by Michael SeaverCompleting the four steps will result in the discovery of patterns and themes. These can be used to build the guiding statements of a personal brand:

Guiding Principles by Michael Seaver

Using a Personal Brand
• Use branding statements on resumes and LinkedIn profiles
• Tailor communication to fit your personal brand
• Color can play a large role in branding. Blue conveys stability and trust. Red conveys excitement and boldness.
• Body language sends a nonverbal message about a personal brand
• Take a strategic approach to building an online personal brand

Living Your Brand
Need a jumpstart on creating a personal brand? Michael suggests sending an email to those who know you and your work well to ask for their input on your top three strengths and to provide an example when one was displayed. Look for commonalities in their responses. You may have found the start of your personal brand. Finally, remember that personal brands are largely derived from the lessons learned and knowledge gained from the journey taken to overcome obstacles and failures. These lessons often occur during times of great transition: around ages of late twenties and then again around age fifty. Wouldn’t it have been helpful to gain insight from someone who has been through the struggles? Be the person you needed when you were younger.

Hiring Companies

Varsity Tutors
Adriana Martinez, Recruitment Manager
Varsity Tutors provides tutoring, test prep, and other educational services to students of all levels. Its vision is “to connect experts to learners in any subject, anywhere, any time.” With its headquarters in St. Louis, MO, and a local office in Scottsdale, Varsity Tutors provides its services either online or in-person on over 700 subjects. Technology is a priority for Varsity Tutors as it looks to expand its subject list and expand internationally. The typical office attire is casual: jeans and a t-shirt. Current open positions include Sales Representative, Sales Trainer, Sales Manager, Customer Care Specialist, Software Engineer, Tech Support Specialist, and Human Resources Director. Get further information and apply on Varsity Tutors’ website here. Interested in being a tutor? Click here.

Arizona Office Technologies
Octavio Duarte, Corporate Recruiter
Arizona Office Technologies (AOT), a wholly owned subsidiary of Xerox Corporation, is Arizona’s largest consulting firm specializing in workflow optimization. With its headquarters in Phoenix and offices in Tucson and Prescott, AOT provides services and technology related to print and document management. Benefits at AOT include: medical, 401k, PTO, life insurance, corporate discounts, and eligibility to qualify for the President’s Club trip. Job seekers looking for opportunities in sales, administrative, field technician, and warehouse operations can find open positions and apply on AOT’s website here.

Modis
Courtney Cassano, Recruiter
Modis is a subsidiary of The Adecco Group, the largest staffing agency in the world. Modis specializes in placing IT and engineering professionals in temporary, direct placement, and contract-to-hire positions. Benefits that Modis offers its contractors include: medical, dental, 401k, short-term disability, and term life insurance. Modis also provides its contractors with professional development resources and training from its SkillBuilder application. Modis is proud of its recognition and retention programs with its associates. Job seekers looking for positions in application development, project management, data management, web and content development, architecture, or IT infrastructure management can search jobs and submit a resume here.

Resources

Goodwill of Central AZ
Carter Ellis, Professional Career Advisor @GoodwillAZ
Goodwill works with all job seekers. Its services are free to both job seekers and companies. Goodwill maintains a job board with many internal leads from companies across the Valley. In addition, Goodwill provides resources to job seekers, such as career advice, resume preparation and mock interviews. Please reach out to Carter Ellis with any questions.

Closing

Jessica Pierce concluded the event with some final thoughts and reminders:
• Check out Career Connectors’ Career Advice Blog for insight and suggestions to empower and energize your career search
• Take a free DISC assessment courtesy of Career Connectors and Top Talent Consulting
• Utilize the available resources offered by Career Connectors at each event: resume review, career coaching, LinkedIn coaching, financial/insurance coaching, and business portraits
• The West Valley Healthcare Career Expo is April 19, 2017, from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at The Colonnade at Peoria Sports Complex

Next event is Tuesday, April 25th, 9:00 am in Gilbert: “Start Strong, Finish Stronger: Your Best Self in Your Next Chapter”

12/13/16 – How to Find a Great New Job in Half the Time

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Dave ShermanWritten by Marty Allison

Opening

Jessica Pierce, Executive Director of Career Connectors

Jessica opened the event and let people know that due to accidents and delays on the freeways there would be more people attending the event who were running late.  She talked about an email that she received from someone who attended Career Connectors on Wednesday and based on a referral at that event, they are now employed!  Jessica also explained that the 2017 calendar of events has updated and in January there will be a presentation by a representative from LinkedIn Corporate.   Today’s keynote presentation will be recorded on Facebook Live on the Career Connectors Facebook page.  She noted that Dave Sherman does not sugar-coat things, because he has seen what works.

 

Keynote Speaker

Dave Sherman, Sales Trainer and Speaker

Dave went through his personal job history and joked that over the past four years he went from never being laid off or fired to having both of them happen to him.  While those experiences both stink, the situation does change.  Everyone who is in career transition will find a new job.  It is up to you WHEN that happens.  How badly do you want to be hired?  Crediting his mother for this advice, Dave noted that it is important to get out of your comfort zone.   He provided tips to help connect you with your next job at a faster rate.

 

Tip 1: GET OUT OF YOUR HOUSE.

This promotes socialization.  Go to another location that has wifi and work from there.  This could be a coffee shop, bakery, library or anywhere that has internet that you can use for your career transition needs.  This routine “stops the voices” by getting you in a different environment.

 

Tip 2: HANG OUT WITH EMPLOYED PEOPLE.

While Career Connectors is an important resource, in order to get a job you want to go to places where people have jobs.  Maintain contact with people who are working.  Dave works at Mobile Mini and his company is hiring.  He loves his job and noted his willingness to help others who were seeking employment.

 

Tip 3: ATTEND MORE NETWORKING EVENTS.

The five weeks after Thanksgiving are the best time of the year for networking since there are social gatherings around the holidays.  Asking people about their holidays naturally opens up conversation.  Remember that even if you are not currently working, you still have a lot to offer.  Dave suggested attending two networking groups per week, with a breakfast meeting being a good way to start off your day.  Chambers of Commerce, Professional Associations, Business Groups and Networking Groups are all places that you can go for networking.  While in career transition, it is important to know what you are looking for.  Know not just job titles, but know three companies that you want to work for.

 

Tip 4: STOP LOOKING FOR A JOB.

Your focus while attending events should not be on finding a job, but on being likable to others.  Find some commonality with others instead of just telling them your resume and background.  Be genuine and be likable.  Be interested, not interesting.

 

Tip 5: WHO DO YOU KNOW?

The words “Who do you know” are the most important words.  Most people do want to help you as long as you don’t make it too difficult for them.  You need to more specifically know what you want so that other people are better equipped to help you reach that goal.  Networking is only effective if you know what you want.  Ask everyone!  Most people have been impacted by career transition, and if you know what you want… people are willing to help you.

 

Because he hopes that these tips get you to your employment goal, Dave closed out his presentation to an audience in career transition by saying “I hope I never see any of you ever again!”

 

Event Sponsor

Coder Camps, Jason Jones

Coder Camps is a sponsoring organization for Career Connectors.  Jason talked about the difference between Career Connectors and a typical job fair, commenting that job fairs don’t care for you the same as what he sees at Career Connectors.  Jason explained that web developers either stay relevant or job hunt.  98% of them work full time with only 2% experiencing unemployment.  Coder Camps help people stay relevant.  Once you complete your initial class, future classes are free.  Because coders typically need to look for new jobs every 2-3 years, Coder Camps has job placement assistance.  In January, classes in Java will roll out.

 

Hiring Companies

Transperfect   

Abir Sultana, Lead Recruiter

The language services industry is currently one of the fastest-growing markets.  Transperfect works with every major industry.  Over half of the market is in Europe, with the growing North American market being the second largest and growing.  In Tempe the company has expanded to a second building, with both centers near I-10 and Warner, so that they can meet the demand for language services.  Recently, they have expanded from having access to translate 170 languages to now 180 languages.  They do telephonic interpreting, but also handle needs such as subtitling movies into other languages.  In providing examples of the company, Abir noted that at this year’s Thanksgiving potluck, employees brought food representing different cultures to share with others.

 

Arizona Office Technologies

Octavio Duarte, Corporate Recruiter

Arizona Office Technologies is a local company that has been in business for about 30 years.  They are a Xerox company with a goal of optimizing other businesses.  They seek ways to increase efficiency and save costs, so it is important to understand the company culture of their clients.  Octavio described that AOT values giving back to this local community, which includes involvement in community programs such as Christmas Angels and Toys for Tots.  Benefits include that a President’s Club (for all employees, not just sales) will have a trip to Mexico in April.   They seek energetic individuals for business to business sales roles.  In addition to current openings, Octavio anticipates that there will be an upcoming position for a Sale Trainer.

 

Education Management Corp

Mark Pierce, Manager of Talent Acquisition

Mark let the audience know about his work history and how that impacted his wife Jessica and their family.  When previously without employment, Mark was resistant to taking a certain open job position based on his prior income history.  Given changes in the economy, seeing benefit to earning an income instead of no income, and possibly sleeping on the couch until employed… (that last one disputed by wife Jessica as never being a genuine threat), he decided to accept that position and the choice to do so helped him position himself for his current role.  Mark spoke about Education Management Corp (EDMC) having an online presence with the Art Institutes, Argosy, and South University.  He recruits for other positions primarily at Argosy, but offered to be a resource if the recruiter that needs to view your resume is assigned to those online campus positions.  Benefits of employment include 1 day off which can be used to help a non-profit organization.  Mark noted excellent education benefits and is personally using the tuition benefit to obtain a Master’s degree in Counseling.

 

Charles Schwab

Salma McHorney, Sourcing Advisor

Investors have historically had barriers of: High Costs, Lack of Choice, and Lack of Transparency.  “Own your Tomorrow” is tied to the culture at Charles Schwab as they seek to close the gap between the power of investing and their clients.  The company is based in San Francisco, but has several operating centers.  Phoenix is the largest employee base for those operating centers.  Salma discussed that types of employment are typically either “Client Facing” or “Support Role” positions.  Most of the hot jobs in the Phoenix area are looking for candidates who have 1-2 years of financial or customer service experience.

Resources

Canyon State Institute

Laura Eckles, Academic Advisor

As an Academic Advisor, Laura talks to people about their career paths and about ways to get on a fast track to their next career.  Laura discussed the WIOA grant, which is funding for training.  She noted other funding sources, such as TAA for individuals who had a job that was relocated overseas.  Canyon State Institute offers classes on a schedule of day, evening and online sessions.

 

Closing

Jessica Pierce closed the event with some announcements.  For those interested in the WIOA grant, there were three schools on site at the event which accept that funding.  The Facebook Live recording of today’s presentation by Dave Sherman is posted on the Career Connectors Facebook page.  There are additional resources on the Career Connectors website, including the Career Blog section where 15 career experts post different career advice 1-2 times per week.  The DISC assessment is a free resource too.  Jessica thanked those who volunteer for Career Connectors and noted that there were over 85 volunteers contributing this year.  Having an updated LinkedIn page will be important for anyone attending the January 18, 2017 session in Phoenix where a representative from LinkedIn corporate will be presenting.  That presentation will be more beneficial if you already have an established LinkedIn page.  Your successful career transition is in prayer!

2/24/16 – Get LinkedIn or Get Left Out

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Written by James Tousek, SHRM-CP: @resultsresumes

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Ted Robison (aka Mr. Link Me In), @tedrobison

“Get LinkedIn or Get Left Out”

Ted Robison is a subject matter expert on networking and creating powerful LinkedIn Profiles that help people get hired. Mr. Robison’s passion for helping people in transition was immediately evident as he took the stage and began his presentation. He is a dynamic speaker and he quickly engaged the audience with his energy and humor.

He stated his one and only goal is to help get us a job!  He then emphasized the importance of not simply having a LinkedIn account, but having a professional LinkedIn profile that will capture the attention of recruiters and hiring managers. The statistics he mentioned are eye-opening:

  • 87% of us will get a new job through networking!
  • The odds of landing a job through a job board is approximately 3%!
  • 80% of job are not even posted on job boards, and exist in the “hidden job market”

I do not know about you, but I am somewhat of an introvert, so networking and building relationships does not exactly come naturally for me. But when I heard these numbers there was a definite shift in my attitude toward networking with LinkedIn. Ted said, “Networking is good, but relationships are gold!” Most recruiters and hiring managers use LinkedIn exclusively to find top talent, he went on to explain.

Ted, also known as Mr. Link Me In, went on to distinguish the difference between getting in front of the hiring manager at your target company, versus working with a corporate recruiter who is often too overwhelmed vetting hundreds of resumes. LinkedIn is the social media platform to tap this hidden job market, and approach hiring managers directly using 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree connections for introductions.

Many people ask Ted if they should have a Premium account.  He suggested the free account, especially if you are new to LinkedIn. There are some features and benefits to the Job Search Premium service which you may consider in the future. You need to weigh the monthly premium with the benefits you might receive.  Sign up for the free trial month and maximize its use for the first month.  If your resources allow it perhaps you will want to continue with the premium job search account. You can cancel at any time.

Key things we learned in this presentation for an effective LinkedIn profile are:

  1. Use Keywords: How can I be on the top pages of LinkedIn’s search engine?
  2. Picture: a must have and make it a professional headshot (attend a Career Connectors event for a free professional headshot)
  3. Headline: Job Title + Tag line
  4. ***Current Job Title***/ Past Job Titles
  5. Summary – S.E.E.S. (Skills, Experience, Expertise, Style)
    1. Style -> Value Proposition -> Differentiation
    2. WOW Factor! / Brand
  6. Skills & Experience: Endorsements
  7. Recommendations: (4 – 8)
  8.  Interests: Business Interests & Personal Interests
  9. Status Update – (Home Page – Activities)

The Summary section is where you place your value proposition statement or branding statement. This is a powerful 3 to 4 sentences similar to your elevator speech. Some people get confused around identifying Value Statements. Being a “hard worker” is not really a value. Also, I am a “professional” is over used. Mr. Robison recommends dropping the clichés like professional, driven, and strong work-ethic. Your value is who you are in your field. For example, if you are a Manufacturing Engineer, your value may be that you are “crazy about quality and leveraging lean manufacturing best practices to increase profitability.”

Other great suggestions included:

    1. Create your target company list? You can use LinkedIn, or go to the library and look at the Business Journal’s Book of Lists
    2. Join 30 to 50 groups in your industry, and actively participate in at least 2
    3. You can create your own group within LinkedIn
    4. Get 3 to 4 recommendations (these should be from your managers and supervisors) the higher up in the organization the better – for credibility
    5. Work on getting endorsements for skills and experience

HIRING COMPANIES

AOT360 – Arizona Office Technologies

Presenter: Octavio Duarte, Corporate Recruiter

AOT is a Xerox company focused on cost effective and efficient document management technology solutions. They were voted #11 Phoenix Best Places to Work in 2014. Octavio is looking to fill key positions including Major Account Executive and a Sales Account Executive. If you are interested in either of these positions please visit their website.  As a Xerox company, AOT offers excellent and comprehensive benefits including Health, 401K, Paid Time Off, Life and A&D, Long-term and Short Term Disability, Flexible Spending Accounts, Xerox Credit Union, and GM Supplier Discount.

Derive Talent

Presenter: Sharon Milmont

Derive is a high touch recruiting agency specializing in matching IT professionals with Fortune 1000 companies. They specialize in IT, but Sharon emphasized there are many other positions open outside of the IT field. Sharon is very approachable, and encouraged us to get support during our transition including friends, relatives, and church. She even offered her own time to hear you out if you need to vent. She said, “I want to be your cheerleader!”

This company offers a lot of support all at no charge including interview preparation, resume reviews, and matching you with the right company.

Opportunities exist in the following areas

• Information Technology

• Accounting & Finance

• Professional

• Call Center

Charles Schwab – “Bringing Wall Street to Main Street”

Presenter: Shannon Grimes

Charles Schwab is headquartered in San Francisco with offices throughout the United States including Phoenix and Scottsdale. This company is the recipient of 15 awards in 2015 for their employee friendly workplace and employee-centric culture. Employees, known as Schwabbies, and are engaged in work that matters guided by shared values. Advancement is based on merit and performance, and Schwabbies are highly encouraged to use the financial services offered at Charles Schwab.

There are over sixty openings in Phoenix including:

• Broker Training Program (AFSP)

• Client Service Representative

• Estate Services Professional

You can learn more about these positions and apply at on their website.

RESOURCES

Jian Boldi, Certified Financial Planner with LPL Financial

Top Ten Financial Considerations

Jian was awarded the Five Star Financial Professional Award for 3 consecutive years, and he was included in the September 2015 issue of Phoenix Magazine. Jian began his career in finance after graduating from ASU with a degree in Business Management and a certificate in Entrepreneurship. He loves helping people with their finances and investments. Jian is very active in the community. In addition to volunteering with Career Connectors, Jian is a member of the Chandler Lions Club and a volunteer with Fresh Start Women’s Foundation.

Being unemployed comes with many stressors, not the least of which is, how are we going to pay the bills?

Jian’s Top 10 financial considerations are:

    1. Understand your unemployment benefits, and apply for them sooner than later.
    2. Do NOT forget to keep paying your taxes!
    3. Job hunting expenses are tax deductible.
    4. Go back to school to advance your skills and learn something new
    5. Become underemployed – take a job in another industry and work your way up.
    6. BUDGET, BUDGET, BUDGET
    7. If your 55 or older rule 72t states you can take money penalty free from your IRA. (you still must pay taxes on this money)
    8. You can purchase health insurance premiums with IRA money penalty free. You still have to pay the taxes on this money, but that 10% penalty can be significant.
    9. Consider reversing a contribution to your IRA.
    10. Ask for help.

Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants
Roger Brubacher, Director of Continuing Education

DWTC strives to be the best and preferred source for computer training.  They offer courses and certifications for professional and career development. This school is licensed by the State Board of Postsecondary education, and approved for grant programs like Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Trade Adjustment Act (TAA) and the GI Bill.

Some of the benefits of attending include:

    • Low student to instructor ratios (usually 6:1)
    • Post-graduation placement assistance
    • My Optimal Resume & Personal Branding Program
    • Online certification test preparation materials are provided
    • State of the art facilities with modern computers running current software

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, March 02, 2016

Crush the Pink Slip: Get Back to Work in 60 Days

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Phoenix, AZ)
Open Networking Begins at 8:30 AM

PRESENTERS:

Brenda Cunningham, Crush the Pink Slip: Get Back to Work in 60 Days

HIRING COMPANIES:

State of Arizona, Jan Plank, HR Manager II

Manpower, Jo Bryant, Recruiter

Charles Schwab, Shannon Grimes, Talent Attraction Manager

FREE RESOURCES:  Resume Review, Hiring Company Networking, Business Portraits, LinkedIn Coaching & Educational Opportunities

9/22/15 – Social Media: Your Job Search Secret Weapon

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Written by Debbie Webber

Career Connectors is all about connecting with good careers. And did you know the Career Connector’s LinkedIn group page  has job postings? Once you’ve landed on the page, click on “jobs” at the top of the page, and then “search all jobs” on the left side to see posted jobs.

Keynote

Today’s speaker was Dr. Carl Forkner. He has been a Career Connectors volunteer for two years, and is currently the Director of Marketing and Special Projects at Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants, a position he connected with through his association with Career Connectors.

Context is everything – do you want a job or a career? A job is simply something to fill your time, while a career is an investment in YOU that will provide you growth, salary, optimism and retirement benefits. Social media is your job search secret weapon.

Social media consists of websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.   It’s a wide spectrum of formats and activities. Various platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube are the most widely used, but if you’re looking for a career, you should focus on the professional parts of social media.

The internet now has billions of individuals online, with huge worldwide penetration. And, thanks to cell phone use, social media use has also exploded. As a matter of fact, the number of individuals on mobile social media is actually higher than the actual population, due to individuals using more than one device to participate in social media.

The five sites in 2014 with the most active users were Facebook (1.7 billion), LinkedIn (322 million), Google+ (300 million), Twitter (284 million) and Pinterest (70 million). In addition, over 50% of these users are in the job-searchers “sweet spot”—working professionals between the ages of 18-44.

And here’s even more data: 90% of hiring managers and recruiters use online information about job applicants before making a hiring decision and 70% of those individuals said they had rejected candidates based on information they did – or didn’t – find online.

So—given all the data you’ve just read, do you still doubt that you need an online presence?

Now let’s talk about the quality of your information. Over 85% of employers think candidates should make their profiles more employer-friendly and 60% think candidates should take steps to hide personal pictures with inappropriate subjects. 56% believe you should delete objectionable posts, even if you didn’t write them. And 36% of employers think candidates should omit political/religious views from their profiles. Obviously, employers expect to see you in social media.

So what makes you a good social media prospect?
  • Candidate conveys a professional image
  • HR got a good feel for the candidate’s personality
  • Candidate was well-rounded and showed wide range of interests
  • Candidate’s background supported professional qualifications
  • Candidate was creative
  • Great communication skills

Over half of HR managers said they also found something to convince them NOT to hire an individual.

What makes you a bad social media prospect?
  • Candidate posed provocative or inappropriate photos or information
  • Candidate’s social media included info about drinking or using drugs
  • Candidate badmouthed a previous employer
  • Candidate has poor communication skills
  • Candidate made discriminatory remarks on race, gender, religion
  • Candidate lied about qualifications
The Big Three

Employer-preferred social media sites include Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Facebook
Many people are not aware they can find a job on Facebook. Simply use the Facebook search window just as you would the Google search window.  Many companies post open positions on their company Facebook page. Type in “Phoenix Jobs” or search for a specific company name. Look for a “careers” or “jobs” link on their Facebook site. Often these links lead to job descriptions with a link directly to the application area of the company’s website.

LinkedIn – the pinnacle of online job search formats
Recruiters never see candidates that are below the “all-star” level in LinkedIn because they get so many qualified prospects without going any lower.

The six critical profile components of LinkedIn are:

  • Name, Headline, Industry and Location
  • Professional Photograph
  • Summary
  • Current and Previous Work Experience
  • Education and Skills
  • Connections (50+)

You use LinkedIn to search for jobs and network for jobs. You search for companies you want to work for and once you find them, follow them. Check out job postings and apply, just like on the company website. LinkedIn will also show you how many people have already applied to the position you’re looking at, which can help you decide if you want to apply.

You can build yourself a targeted network by identifying and sending a connection request to people in companies you’ve targeted for your career. In addition, connecting with HR and recruiters may link you into companies and other opportunities.

Use your connections to get introductions for yourself and others, which can lead to connections with recruiters or HR in the company you’re targeting.

Twitter
The secret weapon for searching social media is HASHTAGS. While they became popular via Twitter, now most social platforms use them to help you find what you’re looking for.

There is a multitude of ways to search for a job on Twitter using hashtags. Try a search using #jobs, #financejobs (replacing “finance” with the industry you want), #employment or #hiring. If you already know the type of job you’re looking for, you can avoid sifting through all the other jobs to find your niche using Tweetchat.

Tweetchat.com allows you to filter the activity happening with the hashtags you indicate. This means you can open up a direct chat with whoever tweeted the job you’re looking for. Tweetchat requires you to have a Twitter account. But what if you could have jobs come to you without opening a Twitter account? Use www.tweetmyjobs.com and enter the role, industry or location you’re looking for and open positions will come to you.

Other formats
When you enter a hashtag along with your search word into Google+, it will give you 20 other options associated with that hashtag. You can also search for and find jobs posted on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube,  which has become the second largest search network in the world. Try recording a video resume on your laptop – remember that being articulate and professional is paramount! Nextdoor.com is another site that is local to your physical neighborhood and can be valuable for making connections with your neighbors.

Get up, Get out, Get going!
The computer can only take you so far. Business is still done face to face, and networking opportunities abound in the Phoenix metro area. Google “Phoenix networking events and groups” and  you’ll find organizations like Networking Phoenix  with 75 to 120 free or low cost meetings, Meetup which is mostly free, and Executives Network  for director level positions and above.

Make sure you present a professional and articulate profile: your social media presence can be vital to finding your next career move.

Hiring Companies

Arizona Office Technologies
Octavio Duarte, Corporate Recruiter

Arizona Office Technologies (AOT) is a Xerox company that is a 30-year-old private, locally-owned company. They cover industries such as healthcare, legal, manufacturing and the public sector, with offices in Phoenix, Prescott and Tucson. AOT assesses the technology and culture of an organization to help them drive down print and production costs. Benefits include health, 401K, PTO, life insurance, and corporate discounts. They were voted a Best Place to Work in 2013 and 2014. Current career openings include Major Account Executive, Sales Consultants, Database Administrator, Assistance Controller and CRM Administrator. Apply here.

Adecco USA 
Michelle Grinberg, Regional Account Director

Adecco USA is a top global staffing agency that builds relationships with clients and companies. They have over 90,000 associates on client assignments each week across the world. They provide contract workers, direct placements and contract-to-hire. Industries covered include accounting/finance, engineering/IT, marketing, administration and medical/science. All associates are assigned a recruiter that becomes their career counselor. Adecco USA offers benefits including dental/vision, paid holidays, 401k, life/disability insurances, skills training and tuition reimbursement.

T-Mobile
Jill Fajardo, Retail Store Manager
Paul Ortega, Retail Store Manager

T-mobile culture strives to be different and challenge the status quo, which means they are searching for employees with uniqueness. As a matter of fact, they list their culture as “Unleash Your Inner Outlaw.”  T-Mobile is the third largest carrier in the world, which means there are huge opportunities for employees. Current career openings include Retail Sales Associates, Store Operations Associates, Retail Associate Managers and Retail Store Managers. Benefits include medical, dental/vision, matching 401k, PTO, stock options and discounts on T-Mobile service. Apply here.

Charles Schwab
Shannon Grimes, Talent Attraction Manager

Charles Schwab is the largest brokerage in the U.S., with a credo “We see the world through our client’s eyes.” They bring Wall Street to Main Street for individual investors, advisors and employers. Although the headquarters is located in San Francisco, Phoenix is the largest employee location, which translates to many opportunities. Current openings include Broker Training Program, Estates Services Professional and Relationship Specialists. Create your online profile and upload your resume at tiny.cc/careerconnectors. Answer the qualifying questions: a recruiter will review your resume, and if there is a strong match of qualifications to the position, you will be contacted with next steps. Shannon will follow up with you if you let her know you have started the application process.

Next Event

Wednesday, October 7, 2015 9:00am North Phoenix Baptist Church
Get LinkedIn or Get Left Out, Ted Robison
Hiring companies: Progrexion, Kforce, Christian Family Care and Charles Schwab