Career Connectors

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Career Change

11/12/19 – Confront Change with Confidence

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Written by Michelle Rock

Keynote

The first full time employee to join Jessica Pierce and the Career Connectors organization was Sheila Coulam. As the VP of Operations, she coordinates the volunteer team, oversees event logistics, directs marketing and communication, creates and maintains the website, plans the keynote calendar and provides overall support for the entire Career Connectors Team. Per Jessica, “Sheila takes my crazy and makes it work. She is the backbone of Career Connectors.” As today’s keynote speaker, Sheila shared how we can all Confront Change with Confidence.

To have a clear understanding of the term “change”, it is important to review the definition of change according to Merriam Webster:
a. to make different in some particular way, ALTER (i.e. never bothered to change the will)
b. to make radically different, TRANSFORM (i.e. can’t change human nature)
c. to give different position or direction to (i.e. changed his residence from Ohio to California)

Change is both PLANNED and UNPLANNED. Personally, Sheila chose to become a stay at home mom for 10 Years. When the economy changed in 2008, she had to go back to work. Sheila was scared to get back out there and volunteered for a year before actually excepting a position with a salary. She was inspired when she heard Dave Sherman say, “People want to help you. But if you don’t know what you want, they don’t know how to help.”

7 Strategies to THRIVE during CHANGE

Strategy #1 Expect CHANGE always.
Always “be open-minded”.

Strategy #2 Embrace the CHANGE cycle.
There are 5 Stages of Change and it is important to NOT resist or skip any steps to ensure you are not looking at the PAST but looking to the FUTURE. However, if you feel you are resisting the move from one stage to another, take time to ensure you have truly processed that step in the cycle.

Stage 1 = SHOCK
Stage 2 = ANGER
Stage 3 = ACCEPTANCE
Stage 4 = PLANNING
Stage 5 = ACTION

Sheila shared her sister’s personal story. After being diagnosed with cancer she was able to quickly move though the Change Cycle and turned her treatment plan into a project plan. She embraced the change and stated, “It is what it is!”. And she successfully dealt with the cancer. 😊

As quoted by John Kabat-Zinn, “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf”.

Strategy #3 Understand your emotions.
As you work through the process of change, “be deliberate” in who you include in your network. Ensure you have the right support system to help you through this time of growth that might feel awkward and uncomfortable.

Strategy #4 Work towards balance.
Do you have Balance in your life? Some say balance is the key to everything! Using Sheila’s Balance Circle (diagram below) chart the key aspects in your life that you are trying to balance. For each area you identify, evaluate how satisfied you are today with that area and place a dot on the line for that area. Once you’ve done this for all areas, connect your dots. The result is a visual representation of your overall balance. Do the same evaluation for where you’d like to be a year from now. Now you have a goal to strive for!

Balance CircleDownload

Strategy #5 Visualize a great future.
Images are the language your brain best understands. If you intentionally visualize what you are striving for, your subconscious will help you get there. Top athletes use visualization because it works!

Strategy #6 Demand a positive outlook.
Be resilient, persevere and always push through; striving for the goal even when you might feel deflated. Remember Thomas Edison failed over 1,000 times before he was successful in creating the light bulb. JK Rowling was turned down by 12 publishers before finding success with Harry Potter books. And Walt Disney was fired for lack of imagination and no good ideas. Imagine if Walt Disney had given up on his vision! We would never have grown up knowing about classics like Aladdin, The Lion King or Beauty & The Beast. Disney World, Disney Land and the global media and entertainment empire that the Walt Disney Company is today wouldn’t have existed.

Strategy #7 Keep moving forward.
Pick an action and take the next right step. As Dory says in the Finding Nemo movie, “Just Keep Swimming”.

Hiring Companies

Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona
Ron Mack – Community Awareness Partner

The mission of Goodwill is: “Through the goodwill of others, we create the pathway for all by helping those who desire self-sufficiency”. They want to help people find employment. Goodwill Career Centers provide:

  • Career Advisors
  • Career Navigators
  • Mock Interviews/Resumes
  • Employment Support
    o Job postings inside and external to Goodwill (i.e. Amazon and Target)
  • Digital or Computer Basic Skills Training
    o Internet Skills
    o Email
    o Microsoft Word
    o Social Media
    o Excel
    o Powerpoint
    o Windows
    o Mac
    o Information Literacy

The East Valley center is located at 106 E. McKellips, Mesa Arizona, 85201. Check out the website for more details. Goodwill also has a Virtual Career Center located at www.mycareeradvisor.com.

Dexcom
Micaela Drewett – Recruiter

Dexcom was founded in 1999 and develops, manufactures and distributes continuous glucose monitoring systems for diabetes management. Their focus is to provide better outcomes, deliver solutions and empower our community to take control of diabetes. The Mesa location opened in 2017. Dexcom is proud of their great culture focused on Patients First.

Benefits:
Medical, dental and vision
401 (k) Retirement Plan
5 sick days
3 weeks PTO
2 Floating Holidays
Work-life Balance with Flexible Schedules

Open Positions
Supervisor Manufacturing
EHS Specialist
QA Inspector 1 & 2
Engineering Technician 2
Director of Facilities
Hardware Engineer 2
Manager Materials
Senior Hardware Engineer
Manager Purchasing
Senior QA Engineer
Staff Process Sustaining Engineer
QA Engineer 2
Research Associate 1 & 2
Quality Assurance Analyst 2

TTEC
Rob Briggs – Corporate Recruiter

TTEC is a global customer experience and technology services company focused on the design, implementation and delivery of exceptional customer experience. Some of their customers are Verizon, Google and Facebook. The company offers:

  • Fun, talented and witty teammates
  • Knowledgeable, supportive and present leadership
  • Family-friendly environment
  • Free-spirited, theme-based employee events
  • Career-growth and lots of learning opportunities for aspiring minds
  • Community-minded organization
  • Competitive pay and benefits

They are located at:
o 40 E Rio Salado Parkway, floors 1st and 10th, Tempe, AZ 85281
o 8123 S Hardy Drive, Ste 100, Tempe, AZ 85284
o 16404 N Black Canyon Hwy, Ste 100, Phoenix 85053

Currently recruiting for Sales Representative / Online Marketing Sales Executive. Account Management positions will be available at the beginning of 2020.

Optima Tax Relief
Desiree Smith – Talent Acquisition Partner

Optima Tax Relief helps individuals with a lot of tax debt. The company has grown from 30 employees in 2018 to 96 employees today and is targeting 100 by the end of the year. The office is located at 450 N. 54th St. in West Chandler. The growth over the past year is due to robust business growth, a business-friendly environment and the ability to attract skilled labor. The company is also known for its great culture based upon the goals to have fun, enjoy the work and like the people you work with. The Leadership Team invites you to “make this a career for you”. Check out their job openings at www.optimataxrelief.com.

Closing

Jessica Pierce, Founder/CEO of Career Connectors, took the stage to thank everyone for taking the next step in finding a new career. She recognized the many hiring companies, sponsors and partners including Brighton College. Every seeker was encouraged to network with other seekers, build more LinkedIn connections, take a free DISC assessment and have a professional portrait taken by a photography volunteer at the event. Professional resume writers, LinkedIn experts and Career Coaches are also available at the event to perfect your search tools.
Thank you to Central Christian Church for hosting the event and the 90 volunteers that serve Career Connectors around the Valley.

Advancing Your Healthcare Career

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Advancing Your Healthcare Career

Written by: Daniel Tetrick
Professionally edited by Kitty Carlisle

While the healthcare industry has employment and career characteristics that are unique, it also shares many of the same issues faced by mid-career professionals in other industries. What is a typical career path? How to get new challenges and experiences? How to grow? How to advance? How to make more money? Here are a few ways to address such questions and continue a fulfilling career in healthcare.

Continuing Education

Healthcare careers start with education. From front-line CNAs to neurosurgeons to hospital administrators, proper education, credentials, and licenses are mandatory. So any professional looking to move to a new specialty or assume additional responsibilities will likely have to consider obtaining new credentials and licenses.

Such formal education is not cheap, though. It takes a considerable amount of time, money, and commitment. For those considering going back to school, here are a few suggestions:

  1. Have a goal and a plan to achieve that goal
  2. Research accredited schools and programs that offer the desired degree or credential
  3. Consider the length of the program and the impacts to work and family for going to school full-time, part-time, and online
  4. Look for scholarships, grants, tuition reimbursement programs from employers, and work/school combinations to minimize out-of-pocket expenses

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) looking for advancement through education frequently obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). Registered Nurses (RNs) looking for advancement through education can seek certification as an Advanced Practice RN, Nurse Practitioner, or obtain specializations based on treatment (e.g., critical care), disease or condition (e.g. oncology), organ or system (e.g. cardiac), or population (e.g., geriatric). Networking and making contacts with professionals in specialized fields can help a healthcare worker decide if additional education is best for his or her career goals.

Changing Your Service Category

Another way to gain new experiences and prevent boredom is to consider moving to a different specialty or service line. Kuder, the career research and guidance firm, breaks down healthcare careers into five different categories¹.

  • Therapeutic Services- provide direct patient care
  • Diagnostic Services- perform medical tests
  • Health Informatics- manage health-related data, systems, and facilities
  • Support Services- administration, technicians
  • Biotech R&D- research

Each category has a variety of occupations, with therapeutic services being the largest. Patient care can entail working bedside with patients, but can also include preparing for surgical procedures, pharmacy, fitness, and nutrition. Career advancement can include moving into growing fields of imaging, data management, or biotech research. Movement to another category may require additional certificates or licenses, but not necessarily. An RN often has adequate licensure to perform and succeed in other categories.

Changing Facilities

For those healthcare workers who would like added responsibility, but for whatever reason cannot obtain additional degrees or licenses, another option is to consider the same position at a different facility. Hospitals and clinics in rural or otherwise under-served locations typically rely on staff members to perform a broader array of duties than at institutions in larger or more densely populated areas. State boards and union contracts restrict the tasks of healthcare providers, but hospitals do have some leeway in what they permit for each role. Healthcare workers looking to take on additional responsibilities not available in their current positions can consider working at a hospital or clinic in a rural or under-served community whose staff “wears many hats.”

Changing Hours

Patient care typically requires staffing 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Healthcare professionals willing to work different shifts – overnight, weekends, holidays – can experience not only higher pay for those types of shifts, but can also see expanded job functions or responsibilities. Similar to working in a rural location, working shifts where the supply of labor is greatly reduced can result in higher wages, bonuses, and access to duties and responsibilities that may not be available during traditional shifts.

Management

Many front-line professionals transition into supervisory, planning, and administrative roles. Hospital administrators typically have a degree in health services management, health policy, or business. Most supervisory roles in patient care require at least a BSN. Management is not for everyone; some professionals prefer to remain as individual contributors. But for those with an interest to hire, develop, schedule, and discipline staff, management can be rewarding both personally and financially.

In conclusion, one of the best ways to learn about career options and pathways is to talk to professionals doing those jobs in the field. Conferences, seminars, hiring fairs, and networking events bring together professionals from a variety of levels and specialties. Having coffee and asking a colleague about his or her field of specialization can enlighten and energize a move into a rewarding healthcare career. Taking the time to network and learn about the career paths of others can lead to great insight and a new career path of your own.

References
¹ “Career Pathways”. 2017.  Cicapp.Kuder.Com.

 

7 Things to Wrestle Before Switching Careers

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Written by Andy Ridley
Professionally edited by Kitty Carlisle

Considering a change of employment is tough enough if you are currently employed. Beyond that, considering a complete change of career can be overwhelming. Maybe that’s why they call it a career ‘switch’ because it’s like getting spanked with that thin little branch. It’s going to sting. But, once it’s done, it could very likely be well worth the effort. Still, there is frankly quite a lot to think about beforehand. Here are 7 things you need to process before you seriously commit to a career change.

Where is your heart?
One component is truly figuring out (at least for where you are at this phase) what you want to be when you grow up. Where will your heart eventually take you? Could it be accomplished in your current career path? Is a career switch necessary to get you there? It’s essential to establish a clear destination in your career path.

Plan Backwards
Think first about the end result of your career change. Where does it position you afterward? Consider, too, where that might likely put you on a new career ladder, and how many rungs down you are willing to accept in order to make that transition. Now work the planning steps back from there. What benchmarks need to be reached along this path to reach the targeted position?

What effort will be involved?
You know you’re not going to do anything half way. So what are you willing to put into this to make it happen effectively? Do you have the necessary education or training to do it? Do you have the wherewithal to learn it or develop it?

What foundation do you have?
Do you have the monetary resources to move through a career changeover? Think about how you will provide for your needs and the needs of those who depend on you for sustenance, shelter, insurance coverages, and care. How will it affect your retirement plan(s)? Are other life things already quite a mess?

What support system do you have and how are you using them?
Taking a giant leap such as a career shift can only be done with ample resources in place. Contemplate what your professional and personal mentor(s) think about the idea. What is your career coach suggesting? When you’re not at hand, you have advocates that fight for you. What do they say? What about those who are or have sponsored you in your career advancement? Also, look into what your broader network will tell you. Don’t leave out those who make up your scaffold –family and friends – those that hold you up while you’re building.

What are the risks?
A career change move does not need to be a ‘Gotta Quit My Job’ scenario. For some, quitting now will set you up for a spiral into chaos before you can get on your feet in the new occupation. It is considerably easier to acquire a new career while you maintain your current job. Plus, you have to consider your reputation. How are you currently honor-bound? A contract? A verbal commitment? A promise to someone about your occupation over some period of time? How you weigh the risk of breaking your honor versus establishing your new career may have many long-term consequences.

Likewise, it does not need to be a ‘Plunge In’ scenario. Getting started can’t hurt anything, but you don’t have to know or do everything at the start. Learn. Grow. Evolve. But it’s okay to pace yourself. However, you definitely need to start – something. That’s always a good thing.

Balance
As with anything, altering your career requires a balance. Prepare to keep a reasonable perspective with the effort that it involves. Manage your time, your money, and your emotional investments with care. Do you enjoy entertainment time now? Will you if you switch careers?

The decision to drastically modify your career path is a major event that will affect you on multiple levels. For more on leadership, commitment, accountability, reaching financial/professional/lifestyle goals, results day-to-day and for life, find out how you can achieve more with the tools and coaching through Becoming Ideal at BecomingIdeal.com. Take your next step to accomplishing your true aspirations.