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Coder Camps

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

December 16, 2016 by Marty Allison

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

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!

Filed Under: Event Recaps Tagged With: Transperfect, Coder Camps, get a new job fast, arizona office technologies, Charles Schwab, Education Management Corporation, Job Transition, networking

10/13/2016 – The Key to Improving Your Job Search

October 19, 2016 by Chris Layfield

Written by Chris Layfield

Opening

Jessica Pierce, Executive Director of Career Connectors encouraged everyone to stay engaged with CareerConnectors:

  • Join the LinkedIn Group Discussion, and check the event recap
  • Consider volunteering – looking for photographers, audio/visual, and bloggers
  • Take the DISC assessment online anytime, and get your business portraits at one of the events

She also announced a new sponsor for Career Connectors:  Coder Camps is a 12-week coding skills program to transition people into an industry that currently has a 2% unemployment rate.  95% of incoming learners finish the program, and 75% are employed within 90 days.  Coder Camps offers financing, and their “coder for life” program enables graduates to come back to take any other courses for free.

Keynote

Greg Harnyak, job search expert, author, and leader

Your Marketing Plan is the MOST important tool in implementing and conducting a successful job search.  Job search is a competitive activity based on fundamental marketing/sales principles.  In addition to giving you a competitive edge, a Marketing Plan brings order out of chaos, provides structure and direction, affects your attitude and feelings in a positive manner, and decreases time of search.  Most of the world is not doing this, so you’ll stand out.

How do you create an effective Marketing Plan?  Here are some high-level guidelines:

  1. Create your personal Job Search Balance Sheet
    • Identify the assets you bring to the table: Use your resume, past performance reviews, and feedback from colleagues to generate a list of your skills and experience
    • Make a parallel list of your liabilities: Your liabilities can include salary expectations, age, geographic area limitations, gaps in education or credentials, extended unemployment or job hopping, single company experience, and any personal traits/characteristics/attitudes that may raise concerns (e.g. low energy level, introversion, passive attitude, etc.).  Once you have a complete and honest list, you can determine if you can/want to mitigate any of them.
  2. Develop Positioning Statements and Target Markets/Companies: Positioning Statements articulate specific job function(s) and industry(ies) you want to position yourself for.  Positioning Statements are what makes sense based on your Assets and Liabilities.  Clarify whether your search is national, regional, or local and limited by commuting time; your target markets and companies exist within those boundaries, and there are usually fewer than you think there are.  Source specific companies from online, from the Book of Lists, the library, etc. to give you grounding and focus for networking
  3. Generate interviews by advertising your search: Create your 2-minute summary, develop short Situation-Action-Result statements for key points on your resume, get active in industry groups, send out letters seeking information and network!

Hiring Companies

Abrazo Health

Christine Beck standing in for Michelle Eliseo, Lead Recruitment Specialist

Abrazo Health is a network of Arizona community hospitals that are part of the national Tenet Healthcare network.  Abrazo Health is defined by their values, and spends 53% of net revenue on a competitive benefits package.  PTO is banked, and you can use it however you want – take a holiday off or work the holiday to take time off later.  Highlighted positions include Directors of Nursing and Quality & Risk management, Nursing Managers, and Managers of Medical Staff Services and Clinical Documentation.  Abrazo has every position available on its website – create a profile at Abrazohealth.com/careers.

Nextiva

Kathleen Klein, Corporate Recruiter

Nextiva is a leading cloud communications provider, serving over 100,000 small/medium businesses, mid-market/enterprise companies, government, and educational institutions.  They are headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ.  Nextiva’s motto is “Amazing Service” to anyone that interacts with the company, from customers to candidates.  They are one of the Phoenix Business Journal’s best places to work.  On top of a casual and upbeat place to work, the benefits package is extensive.

Check out Nextiva – they are hiring for a number of positions in Sales, Operations, and Development/Product Management.

Revana

Mary Ann Lopez, Recruiter

Revana provides outsourced sales and marketing solutions for business-to-business and business-to-consumer clients.  There are over 1,500 employees in the Tempe and Phoenix locations that handle inbound and outbound solutions to increase revenue for clients.  Benefits are competitive; after 6 months on the job, Revana allows employees to rotate to build exposure to different roles and business lines.  Revana is looking for staff to support Facebook in the next several weeks.

You can apply at www.Revanajobs.com, or complete all steps on-site Mon-Fri between 9am and 3pm at 16404 North Black Canyon Highway, Suite 100, in Phoenix.

Charles Schwab

Curtis Crawford, Talent Attraction Specialist

Schwab serves the investment and asset management needs of individuals, advisors, and employers.  Schwab has centers near the Biltmore and in Chandler.  Schwab’s culture is strengths-based, meritocratic, and volunteer-oriented; Schwab encourages work/life balance and financial fitness with on-site advisors.  The average tenure of Schwab associates is 8 years.

Check on-line for open client-facing and support positions.  You can create a profile, upload your resume, and complete an application at tiny.cc/CareerConnectors.  Hot jobs in Phoenix right now include the Broker Training Program, Relationship Specialist, and Estate Services Professionals (for processing deceased investor estates).

Resources

AZ@Work, City of Phoenix

Waleed Alani, Employment Specialist

There are over 53,000 job openings in October, up about 3000 from September.  Check out the variety of Phoenix’s job search resources at www.arizonaatwork.com/phoenix.

  • There are events focusing on move interview training, understanding LinkedIn, and how to create winning resumes.
  • You can create a profile and post your resume on the statewide job database
  • Access state-funded skills development packages, including WIOA grants for training

In addition to the DISC assessment, go to www.maricopa.kuder.com to take a kuder assessment to isolate your career interests and to build confidence in your skills

Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants

Rodger Brubacher, Director of Continuing Education

Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants is a professional certification training school in Tempe with programs that can be funded through WIOA, TAA, and GI Bill grants.  Programs include:

  • Project Management and Six Sigma
  • Medical Administration and Coding
  • Digital Marketing and Social Media
  • IT/Networking/Cybersecurity

Class sizes are small (typically 6:1), 97% of students pass on the first try, and the school provides an interview coach.  Look them up at www.DWWTC.com.

Filed Under: Event Recaps Tagged With: Coder Camps, Step Up Your Job Search, Abrazo Health, Nextiva, Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants, Charles Schwab, Revana

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Testimonials

I just want to thank you and compliment you and your organization, all the people involved, for providing this free service to the people in the Phoenix area. Last August found me in the unforeseen, unplanned position of being without a job. This circumstance, anytime but especially being a single mom, is very unsettling, sometimes downright frightening and anxiety inducing. I began attending many of your weekly meetings through November, when a job opened for me. I found solace and guidance at … Read more
Dalene U.
Career Connectors is dedicated to bring the job seeker to reputable employers in the valley. I appreciate their professionalism and their consistency to continue to provide great leads.
Leslie B.
I want to follow up with you about the position I had hoped to get. I got it! And thanks to Jack Milligan’s Salary Negotiation talk, for the first time I didn’t feel like an idiot when I accepted a job. No one else offers that kind of information.  Thank you for all you do. I appreciate your efforts to bless others.  May you and yours be blessed every day. Thank you for everything,
Cheryl
Thank you for all you do! I’ve been nine loooong months looking for a full-time position and Career Connectors was a real life-line. I was pretty discouraged by the time I found your organization on-line and first visited. The speaker provided some great information but most importantly, encouragement and hope. The panel discussion on resumes was incredibly helpful! Last month I had the opportunity to sit with Brenda and she suggested I really pare back all but the last 10 years of experience an… Read more
Robin C.
Navigating the world of career transition can be an overwhelming experience.  In addition to the mechanics of transition (updated resume, career search strategies), there is the deeper need to connect to people who are in the same situation as you are.   For me, all of this was answered by Career Connectors!  Had it not been for this organization, I might still be sitting in my house, wondering what to do next!  At just one Career Connectors meeting you can be inspired by great speakers, … Read more
Iris M.
It was amazing, you guys did a great job! I found several potential companies!
Irene
I own a Leadership Company, and have enjoyed attending the Career Connector events. With gratitude I listen to the speakers you line up… they offer phenominal and practical information. What has struck me each time has been the audience. My heart hurts for them. They are in a desperate place in their lives. I have had the opportunity speak with a few of the people in attendance, and they have shared their stories… I walk away thankful to God for the opportunity to meet these people and they … Read more
Bonnie M.
I just wanted to let you know that there’s a reason why I haven’t come to any recent Career Connectors events. It’s because I found a job! This past week, I started working as a data scientist for a technology startup in the financial services space that’s based in downtown Phoenix. It’s an ideal opportunity for me to break into the data science industry with an exciting company. I wanted to thank you and your staff for putting together all of your fantastic networking events and bringing … Read more
Chris M.
A good friend told me of her success using Career Connectors networking.  She landed an interview and later, a job in her field, after attending one networking event.  So, when it was my turn, I had to check it out. I was starting to get the blues about being unemployed but the speaker lifted me out of the dumps and put my life back in perspective. So many people were there to help and offer support!   Just by networking that day, I was given a job lead that has led to two interviews and a… Read more
Mary B.
I wanted to take the time to write you to express my sincerest gratitude for all that you and those who work with you do for so many of us!I lost my job due to our medical office being closed. Your company came highly recommended by an HR person who worked with us as employees to help give us a hand up to become employed again through a very generous program provided by my employer. I am employed again in a job that I really love. It came with wonderful, kind, encouraging management and coworker… Read more
Ann Marie H.
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