Career Connectors

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Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants

1/14/16 – Finding Your Internal GPS

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Written by Kevin Spear, MBA: @kevinhspear

Opening

Jessica began the event by announcing she was on ABC15: Sonoran Living this week. She discussed Career Connectors and gave three points to jump start your career search.

  1. Know yourself
  2. Make a list of the top ten companies you want to work for
  3. Have great collateral such as a resume and a good LinkedIn profile.

And of course, networking is key too. She encouraged us to meet someone we had not met before and discuss our career goals before the speaker began. This transitioned perfectly into the keynote speaker’s topic.

This was a great transition into the keynote speaker’s topic.

Keynote

Paula Shoup, @InternalGPS
Use Your Internal GPS To Stay Positive and Productive In Difficult Times

Paula said, “Whether you’re going for a new or different career, this will work for you.”
Ask yourself these three questions:

  1. Where are you now?
  2. Where do you want to go?
  3. How will you get there?

Where are you Now?

When Paula thinks of resilience, her Aunt Irene comes to mind. She had a rare form of cancer. The surgery left her disfigured at 28 years-old. She came through, but the recovery was tough. Through it all, she had a great sense of humor. She was incredibly resilient. She went through ten years of reconstructive surgery. Some of the tools Paula suggested, her Aunt used.

When we face trials, it’s very easy for our brains to go into a downward spiral. Our survival instinct is wired to look for danger. Then we see everything as a potential danger. Fear makes us want to keep things the same and not change.

Paula mentioned the work of Brené Brown. (I also recommend her TED Talks.) In her studies, Brown observed we tend to avoid resiliency as an answer because we want a quick fix and to be done with it. It’s the “Seduction of the Quick fix.”

One of the tools Brené uses is writing permission slips. It’s a great tool to use when you feel stuck. You write, I give myself permission to…

What do you need to give yourself permission to do?

  • Let go of _____
  • move forward with _____
  • forgive him/her/myself for _____

Many times we go to our strengths, but neglect our values. If you get a match between you and a company’s values, then you will be successful.

Stuck on some good value words? Paula suggested googling images of values to brainstorm values.

For strengths, Paula suggested  StrengthFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

Where Do You Want to Go?

When you don’t know which way to go, Paula suggested Brene Brown’s Rising Strong. It talks of the reckoning, rumbling, and the revolution.

Reckoning: Emotions will drive you whether you acknowledge them or not

Rumbling: What is your story? Own it! What is the truth of your story versus what are you making up in your head?

Revolution: How do you show up to choose what you want to do? How do you change? A good book about change is  Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath.

Get clear about where you want to go. focus your search on:

  • Your desired
    • Industry
    • company
    • Type of people
  • Values match
  • Your needs and wants

How will you get there?

Paula suggested reading The Gifts of Imperfection. Brene Brown.
Hope is really a cognitive process that can be taught

  • Set realistic goals
  • Move forward and recalculate
  • Belief in your ability to arrive

What is your mindset? There is a difference in belief versus wanting. Belief is knowing with certainty versus wishful thinking of wanting. It is a shift in what your thinking and how you are feeling.

You have control over where you are going.

For shifting to a positive mindset, Paula recommended Barbara Fredrickson’s Positivity and the  3:1 Positivity Ratio.

  • Three positive emotions to one negative emotion
    • Negative emotions are much more powerful. You need to outnumber the negative with more positive emotions.
  • You can’t be in denial and stuff your negative emotions. But you can shift your daily habits. It will make a huge difference in how you show up.

Think about your daily routine. Where do you have opportunities to shift?

Re-write your story

  • Resilient people dispute their story like a lawyer
  • What is the reality of what happened versus our interpretation of the events?
  • How can you re-write that story to a more positive way?
  • Write a new ending

Identify your strengths

From The Gift of Imperfection: here are the five most common factors of resilience:

  1. Resourceful—Problem Solving Skills
  2. More likely to seek help
  3. Belief in managing feelings and coping
  4. Social support available
  5. Connected with others: Friends/families
    1. You can connect in many different ways
    2. Connecting with ANYBODY along your path will help you feel better
  6. Most important: Share laughter!

For more information on Paula and to visit her blog, go to www.internalGPS.com.

Hiring Companies

Paychex,
Andrea Olson, Recruiter
@Paychexcareers

  • Based in Rochester, NY and now reaching into the Phoenix area.
  • They provide any solution and HR department would do.
    • Employee benefits,
    • time-off requests, etc.
    • Not every company would have a system for themselves.
  • Niche is helping companies with fifteen employees or less
  • Hire from entry-level to IT security and management
  • They also hire for sales positions, national and virtual sales opportunities
  • Located at I–17 and Bell
  • nettime solutions is part of Paychex and is near Loop 101 and Chaparral Road

Aetna
Le Nguyen: Director, Recruiting Operations
Dani Sykes: Senior Recruiter
@Aetna

Le encouraged us to look for companies that know why they do what they do. Do you want to work for a company with a product or with one that makes the world a better place?

  • In Arizona, Aetna has seven Phoenix area locations with an eighth in Tucson. They have seven thousand employees in Arizona.
  • The core of their culture is the people they serve. It drives what they do every day.
  • Aetna made a social compact with their employees in 2015
    • Raised the minimum salary of all employees to $16 an hour
    • Enhanced medical benefits with lower out-of-pocket costs
  • Their goal is to reshape the future of health care by making it more affordable and accessible
  • Across the country, they have one thousand career opportunities today.

To apply, visit aetna.jobs.

TEKsystems
Nick Bielinski, Technical Recruiter
@TEKsystems

They are part of Allegis Group and are one of seven divisions. If you are not specifically in the tech industry, they may have other roles.

  • TEKSystems works with 50 to 60 positions in the area
  • Supplies companies with IT talent with all types of skills
    • Applications
    • Network Infrastructure
    • End-user Support
    • Communications
  • They seek especially project managers and software developer skills

Charles Schwab
Shannon Grimes, Talent Attraction Manager
@SchwabJobs

Schwab believes in the power of investing. Chuck began the company forty-three years ago and wanted to create a bridge between the average person and investment.

Careers at Charles Schwab:

  • They have over sixty openings in Phoenix. a few “hot” jobs:
    • Broker Training Program (AFSP)
      • In-bound, phone training position
    • Client Service Representative
      • Much of Schwab’s banking is online and phone. You become the customer’s banking expert
    • Estate Services Professional

Their culture:

Why Schwab?

  • Engage in work that matters
  • Meritocracy
  • Financial Fitness
  • Work life balance

To apply, go to http://tiny.cc/careerconnectors and set up your profile.
Look at their talent board even if you don’t see a position you want right now.

Resource

Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants
Roger Brubacher, Director of Continuing Education

DWTC is a professional certification training school. They have several certification including digital marketing and social media strategist as well as cyber security certifications.

  • Work with several partners including Project Management Institute
  • Located in Tempe, off the Rural Road exit
  • Teach in multiple platforms including online and hybrid classroom and online options.

Benefits include:

  • Low student to instructor ratio
  • Post-graduation placement assistance
  • Over 95% of students pass their exams on the first try.
  • Financial aid available through WIOA and is certified through the Arizona Workforce Connection
  • GI Bill compliant

Closing

Jessica Pierce reminded us to take a free DISC assessment through Career Connectors and Top Talent Consulting.

Upcoming Events:

The next Career Connectors Event will be in Gilbert on Tuesday, January 26. Abby Kohut will be speaking on “The Benefit of Being Overqualified.” Career Connectors is also partnering with Best Companies AZ to bring the Military Career Event on February 17. For more information, please visit the events page.

11/12/15 – The Power of You

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Written by Kevin Spear, MBA: @kevinhspear

Jessica Pierce (@JessicaPierceAZ) opened our session with an encouragement to find five connections while at Career Connectors. After all, this is all about connecting with people!

Jessica noted people stop looking for jobs during the holidays. Don’t stop! Employers are not taking the holidays off. It may be a good time to search while other job seekers are taking a break.

Keynote

Gloria Petersen, CPP (Certified Protocol Professional)

The Power of You

Gloria is founder of Global Protocol, Inc. She has appeared on numerous television shows and served as etiquette judge on The Learning Channel. Gloria has a series of books entitled, The Art of Professional Connections.

Gloria began with an encouragement to make it about us and project a commanding first impression. She brought up a participant to tell a little about himself. He was dressed sharply, with a suit and tie. He also had a good elevator speech.

Gloria encouraged us to go back when you were a child and write down what you were really good at, that gave you joy, that was your escape. That is key to where you should be today.

The Inside

When you were in school, what course of study were you really good at? What class did you really struggle at? These are the keys to your success. You were born with a gift of knowledge.

You are on the wrong track if you go after something just for money, for prestige, or just to get a job. Don’t make yourself something you were never meant to be!

When you look at a job you’re applying, peel the layers and see if the role has what you really want, what you are really good at.

Opportunity Not Happening?

You need rejections to find out what you’re made of. Does anyone want to hear that? Not as much as we need to hear it!
Determination is what it takes to beat the odds.  When Gloria went through a trial, she had to persevere to make it through the other side. That is the power of each one of us.

Reassess your image. You have to help people see what is on the inside of you with what message you are sending on the outside: perceptions

Make challenges work for you, not against you!

How can you stay determined?

  • Acquire: the skills
  • Utilize: your newly acquired skills
  • Learn: strategies to get beyond any uncertainties

People make perceptions on what they think they see: Perception

Don’t let your knowledge die with you. Write down your knowledge and experiences.

The Strategy Behind a Tie

When you have the perfectly tied knot, people tend to focus with what you are saying. For women, a scarf can give a similar effect. And remember: Posture sells confidence!

Seven Steps to Impressive Greetings and Confident Interaction

  1. Check your appearance and stance
    • You should dress for an interview more formally than the job you are applying.
    • Wear your confidence like a power jacket. In fact, wear a power jacket, whether you are male or female, a business jacket makes you look more powerful and confident.
  2. Exchange names
    • Greet to acknowledge someone’s presence
    • A person’s eyes and smile set the tone of an interaction
    • You never know who you are greeting
    • You are at an advantage when you actively meet and introduce people to others
  3. Repeat names accurately
    • Include the last name along with the first
    • Yes, it’s hard to remember names, but so crucial. After all, we’re scared of last names
    • Beware of international names and respect name preferences
    • Repeat the name at least three times
  4. Deliver a confident handshake
    • Don’t get rushed!
  5. Make a courtesy comment
    • Ask about their position or title
    • Discover a commonality
  6. Ask for the business card
    • Ask for theirs before you offer yours
    • If you don’t have a business card, get at least a name card for yourself
    • Include your LinkedIn profile
  7. Take your leave and follow-up

These seven steps will help anyone exude confidence in an interview.

Hiring Companies:

International Cruise & Excursions, Inc.,
Jason Brambier, Corporate Recruiter
@ICEJobs

Jason said that ICE has a similar model as Expedia, except for cruises. They are located in Scottsdale. Some of their benefits include a gym, nail salon, and massage therapist. They sent 200 employees to travel on one of the new Princess Cruise ships. Employees can take cruises for up to 50% off retail price.

They also do many charity events such as Christel House and Phoenix Animal Care Coalition.  They have a large sales center. They assist inbound callers with their travel plans. Average inbound sales rep makes $50,000 a year. Outbound callers can make six figures.  Jason explained you are selling fun and vacations, not boring necessities!

Besides sales roles, they are looking for:

  • Director of Purchasing
  • Procurement
  • Senior Accounting Clerk
  • Accounts payable
  • Administrator coordinator
  • Software developers
  • Executive Director of Talent Management
Workway
April Miller, Market Director
Gina Gumaskas
Recruiting Manager
@Workway

Workway performs staffing and recruiting, specializing in finance and administration.  They focus in the banking and credit union industries.

Why work with Workway?

  • They are expert in marketing your specialized skills
  • You won’t pay a fee
  • They guide employees and follow up during your job search and hiring process
  • It is a candidate-focused model
  • They offer tutorials and training within and outside the company

Current opportunities:

  • Underwriters
  • Tellers
  • Loan processors
  • Client Care Specialist
  • Director of Marketing
  • Controller within the Hospitality industry
  • Branch Manager
  • HR positions

You can join their network without an intensive application process. The application is all online at www.workway.com.

State Farm,
DeAnne Prigmore, Recruiter
@StateFarm

DeAnne began at an entry-level position with State Farm.  State Farm’s mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams.  They have very competitive benefits including 401K and pension, work life, and wellness.

They have more than agency positions in Phoenix:

  • Claims
  • Customer Care Center
  • Systems/IT LinkedIn contact: Rich Ortiz, Recruiter
  • Creative Services: Graphic Designer

You can apply at http://www.statefarm.com/careers.

The Marina Heights campus is under construction but one building is occupied. It will have five buildings and 2 million square feet. It will hold 5,500 employees. It will be open to the public and will have shops in the courtyard as well as wifi.

Charles Schwab,
Shannon Grimes, Talent Attraction Manager

Charles Schwab’s mission was to bring Wall Street to Main Street. Today, they’re still true to the original values, yet have expanded.  They like to see the world through clients’ eyes.

They serve:

  • Investors (9.5 million)
  • Advisors (7,000)
  • Employers (1.5 million workers served)

Schwab has their largest employee base in the Phoenix Valley. They were the recipient of 18 awards in 2014 for employee-friendly workplaces. They close the gap between the power of investing and their clients’ ability to experience it.

Careers:

  • Broker Training Program (AFSP)
  • Estate Services Professional
  • Senior Specialist, Operational Risk

In Phoenix, they hire for almost every area of the company.

They also have:

  • Technology Roles
  • Operations
  • HR
  • Public Relations

Values:

  • Meritocracy: Schwab is very open to rewarding those who do a great job
  • Financial Fitness: Access to programs that help you become financially fit
  • Sabbatical: After four years of service

You can apply at http://tiny.cc/careerconnectors.

Resources

Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants
Rodger Brubacher,
Director of Continuing Education @DWWTC

DWWTC is a certification training school preparing students for the workforce.

  • Professional Development
  • Project Management
  • Six Sigma
  • Medical Front Office Administrative
  • Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
  • Digital Marketing & Social Marketing Strategist
  • Information Technology
  • Cyber Security

They have prime partnerships through various institutes.

They have instructor lead programs as well as hybrid online training and virtual classroom platform.

  • Low student to instructor ratio (typically 6:1)
  • Post graduate assistance
  • Online certification test prep materials
  • 95% of students pass certification exams on the first sitting
  • They use Pinterest to supplement materials

There are funds through Workforce Development, Veterans and Trade Adjustment Act.

Closing

Jessica Pierce closed the session with these announcements:

Our next events will be:

New sponsor: New Horizons Learning Center

Ted Robison has the LinkedIn Workshop on Wednesday, November 18th, 1–5PM at the City of Phoenix Business Services Center. The event is full, but there is a wait list.

10/27/15–The Work Before the Work

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Written by Kevin Spear, MBA: @kevinhspear

Jessica Pierce opened the session and introduced Pamela Heward. She said that the great thing about Pam is that  she will help you connect a little differently. Pamela is the owner and founder of BoxFree Minds. She has assisted thousands in finding new careers. She has received great joy in helping others find their way through careers.

Keynote

Pamela Heward
@BoxFreeMinds
The Work Before the Work: Box Free Breakthrough for a New Career and Mind

Pamela began her recruiting career in the 1980s. After interviewing thousands of job seekers, she realized there were several mental blocks that kept individuals from realizing their work goals. She concluded many job seekers forgot what they were passionate about.

Pamela asked, “What is unique about you that wouldn’t be on your resume?” Or to put it another way, “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?”

What is the “Work Before the Work?”

Pam challenged us to do the work before the work: preparation! The first step to preparation is to consider what makes you unique.

  • What excites you?
  • What are you passionate about?

Pamela warned us about using online sources to find what is unique about us. The problem with using the Internet for this is it doesn’t help you figure your passion. It just makes us feel like we don’t measure up to an ideal persona. Pamela reminded us about the voluminous job search articles that make us feel hopeless because all the tasks and exercises don’t work. The secret is they don’t work if you haven’t already figured out your passion!

Mindshift #1: Let go of your assumptions

Too often, we believe we already know the outcome of an event and give up before we start. Pam asked us what if some of the assumptions we make weren’t the whole truth? There are so many assumptions or old wives tales that we accept as truth:

  • If you drop a coin from the top of the Empire State building, would it kill someone? (Rest easy! No.)
  • Can you really see the Great Wall from outer space? (not according to NASA)
  • Do dogs only sweat from their tongues? (No)

Let go of all of these assumptions! Do you have any of these?

  • Assumption 1: The most qualified person always gets the job.
  • Assumption #2: The best job search results come from recruiters, websites and job boards.
  • Assumption #3: You should search for a job based on just your skills, not your passion.
  • Assumption #4: In order to achieve your goals you have to make lots of big changes in your life.
What’s your White Banana Story?

Pam told us when she was in elementary school, her teachers were concerned she didn’t know her colors because she said bananas were white. They called in her mom. She explained to the administrators Pam loved bananas and that she observed the fruit of the banana is white when you peel it. Pam was making a correct observation, though it wasn’t the conventional answer.

  • What you interpret may be totally legitimate even though others don’t see it your way.
  • It’s how you frame it. Do you call yourself weird or unique?
  • How do you like to spend your time when no one pays you or no one pays attention to you?

The key is finding out how to do what you love and make money at it. Asking this kind of question will help you tremendously when you have job interviews. Pam reminded us companies hire people, not resumes!

Letting go of your assumptions is the first of eight mindsets Pam says we must change in order to change our career paths and lives. She is holding a workshop that covers all the eight mindshifts that will allow you to free your mind and get your career going again. The workshop is in Phoenix November 7, 2015.

For more information, you can visit her website at Box Free Minds.

Hiring Companies

Manpower
Jo Bryant, Recruiter
@ManpowerGroup

Jo works in the Chandler office and has helped over 1,000 people get back to work. Manpower connects people with the integrity of work. They specialize in all divisions of the workforce. Today, Manpower is keeping up with the technology of job search. Manpower has been named one of the most ethical companies in 2012 and 2014. In 2015, Fortune Magazine named them most admired company in the staffing industry.

Manpower began 66 years ago and is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They have four different brands.

  • Manpower Group: Parent Company
  • Manpower: Staffing
  • Experis: Professional
  • Right Management

Manpower offers several benefits including

  • Insurance
  • Paid Holidays
  • Short Term Disability
  • 401K

There are several positions open right now, including seasonal work.

Go to manpowerjobs.com to create an account and attach your resume.

PS: You can attach multiple resumes to your account!

 Specialized Loan Servicing LLC, Gail Cunningham, Recruiter

“Talent is like a jewel, waiting for an opportunity to shine.”

Gail began as a contract employee then hired permanently at SLS six months ago. She noticed it is a growing company and is hiring from within and outside the company.

They are a third party mortgage servicing company. The company expanded to Tempe in 2012. In three months, the Tempe has grown 180 positions.

Some of the services they offer are:

  • Special Servicing
  • Real Estate Owned Asset Management and Disposition
  • Debt Recovery

Open Positions:

  • Part-time Customer Service in Call Center
    • flexible scheduling
  • Full-time Customer Service
  • Management: Customer Service
  • Collections
  • Escrow
  • Learning and development Positions

They offer:

  • 5-week Long Paid Training
  • On-site Training

State Farm
David Freedline, Recruiter
@StateFarm

State Farm is one of Career Connectors’ sponsors.

David just started with State Farm after being on active duty in the military. Even though he just started, his wife has served in State Farm for seventeen years and loved it.

State Farm’s mission is to help people manage risks, recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams. This is also true on the employee side. State Farm is a place you can move to other jobs within the organization. Lots of career opportunities. Go to StateFarm.com and find all the jobs in the Phoenix area.

Many of the jobs are virtual, so you can look beyond the local area.

Benefits include:

  • Tuition assistance
  • Fully funded pension after five years for full and part time jobs.

Immediate openings:

  • Customer Service
  • Claim Associates
  • Interpretation representatives in several languages
  • Customer Care
  • IT Opportunities
  • Creative Services
  • Graphic Designer

They have operations in five locations in the valley, including the new campus in Tempe.

Dave gave us two tips:

  • They don’t use screening software to nix applicants! So it is important a resume you submit to them is tailored to a human eye.
  • For their careers site, If you copy and paste your resume within the application, you will go further than most.

Education Management Corp
Mark Pierce, Manager of Talent Acquisition

Before he began, Mark had us all gather to take a massive selfie photo. Don’t you wish you were with us?

Mark has experienced layoffs and career transitions like us. He gave this advice:

  • Get your top 20 companies list
  • Get connected at Career Connectors
  • Add people on LinkedIn.
    • That said, your job search will be less effective if it is just behind a computer
  • Just dressing up and going Career Connectors is half the battle

Education Management Corporation (EDMC) is the parent company of four education institutions:

  • The Art Institutes
  • Argosy University
  • Brown Mackie College
  • South University
  • Western State College of Law

They’re located in Phoenix as well as Pittsburgh.

Their focus is education that builds careers and transforms the lives of those who teach, learn, and work here. They are big on internal growth development and employee development.

Great benefits include:

  • Free Education
  • 12 Paid Holidays, 16 PTO days
  • Community Service: Good works committee
  • Employee Assistance Program

Some current job openings:

  • Admissions Representative
  • Academic Counselor
  • Admissions Manager

They are hiring across the country, including Hawaii!

Resources

Dynamic Worldwide Training Consultants
Rodger Brubacher,Director of Continuing Education @DWWTC

DWWTC is a professional certification school. They include disciplines such as:

  • Cybersecurity Programs and Certifications
  • Information Technology
  • Professional Development Programs and Certifications
  • Project Management (PMP)

Roger announced the Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategist certification is now approved for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Grants (WIOA).

Their Phoenix location is in Tempe.

Some of their benefits include:

  • They have instructor led as well as online training
  • Low instructor to student ratio
  • Over 95% of their students pass their certification exams on the first sitting.

 Closing

Jessica Pierce closed the session with the reminder Career Connectors has volunteer Opportunities. We are looking for:

  • Audio/Visual Support
  • Bloggers
  • LinkedIn Coaches
  • Photographers
  • Writers

For more information, you can go here.

LinkedIn Workshop

Ted Robison is hosting/teaching this event Wednesday, November 18, 1’00-5:00 PM at the City of Phoenix Business Services Center. There is an early bird rate of $39 until November 1. Then the price is $49.

You can register at Eventbrite or Career Connectors.

Next Career Connectors Events:

November and December dates are different.  Due to the Holidays, the Gilbert events will be in the second week of November and December.

The next Career Connectors event is Wednesday, November 4 at North Phoenix Baptist Church. Kindra Hall will be speaking on the power of strategic storytelling.

You will find more information on upcoming dates here.