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Farmers Insurance

06/06/19 – Readiness Redefined

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Written by Cathy Cepielik

Keynote

Trevor Stokes
Curious on how the job market is looking in Phoenix? Want to know how to set up an intentional career? What do employers want? What are the five factors for career readiness? All great questions that were unraveled during this event!
Trevor is making the world of work understandable, accessible, and manageable. He is president of Regional Analysis Partners, a specialty firm providing consultation and support. He served as the Workforce Programs Manager for the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, Arizona’s labor market information, and workforce policy hub. His extensive background in economic research and labor market analysis includes more than 350 regional labor market studies conducted for school districts, economic development organizations, and workforce boards across the country.

Trevor opened by showing we are in a Seller’s Market. Some facts that pertain to that:
• Unemployment rate continues to decline; it’s the lowest it has been in decades!
o 3.6% U.S. Unemployment rate, 3.7% Maricopa County
• Labor force participation rate is 62.7% for the U.S, 63.4% Maricopa County
• Massive change has taken place from 2010-present with unemployment at the forefront, down from 10.3% to 3.7% in Maricopa, which is HUGE!
• This recession took over 100 months to recover in AZ, while the average recession takes 35 months
• 1 out of 8 jobs disappeared in AZ as a result of the latest recession
• Several labor companies and labor markets are growing in AZ
• There is evidence of upward pressure in wage increases

Trevor provided tips on setting up an intentional career, spoke of life after high school, and explained how not all careers are created equal. The 6 factors that lead to career satisfaction are:
• Achievement – using your abilities and having a feeling of accomplishment
• Independence – do tasks on your own, use creativity, and make your own decisions
• Recognition – opportunities for advancement and prestige
• Relationships – friendly co-workers and able to help others
• Support – supportive company and comfortable with management style
• Working Conditions – competitive pay, job security, and good working conditions

Trevor gave an update on labor inventory in AZ and projections for 2016-2016. Arizona’s labor inventory is mainly divided in the following main areas:
• Office and Administrative Support – 17%
• Sales and Related – 10%
• Food Preparation and Serving Related – 10%
• Transportation and Material Moving – 6%
• Management – 6%
• Healthcare Practitioners and Technical – 6%
Finally, the 5 indispensable factors for career readiness in today’s job market are:

  1. Develop Critical Skills (i.e. oral and written communication, Microsoft Office)
  2. Obtain Certifications
  3. The ability to learn might be the single most critical professional skill you ever develop
  4. The most in-demand and most lucrative careers in our labor market require significant levels of math and reading skills
  5. It’s not all about academics and technical skills

HIRING COMPANIES

Consumer Cellular: Jason Brambier, Corporate Recruiter

Consumer Cellular started with a simple idea and has grown into over 4 million consumers today. It began in the Pacific Northwest in 1995 and has been targeting senior citizens with low cost, affordable cellular phone plans. They aim to make people and communities stronger. The Phoenix location continues to grow and has/will have 600 more position to fill.
The current open position is for a customer account advisor, which is the face of the company handling incoming calls from customers. Ideal candidates should have 1+ years of customer service experience, a high school diploma or GED, basic computer skills, aptitude to quickly learn and navigate new technology systems and applications, amongst a few other requirements. Consumer Cellular has competitive benefits which include 100% paid medical, dental, vision coverage for fulltime employees, 401(k) match, educational reimbursement, employee wireless rate plan, paid time off, flexible spending accounts, employee rewards program, and more! For opportunities, check HERE!

Farmers: Surrie Atkins, Recruiter

Farmers began in 1928 and is headquartered in Los Angeles. It is one of the largest and most respected insurance brands in the US! Fun fact: Farmers is part of the Zurich Financial Services Group and a leading insurer of small and medium-sized businesses along with ranking as the third-largest personal lines property and casualty group. Farmers was certified Great Place to work 2017 and 2018 amongst other rewards and recognitions. Why Farmers? Simply put, because it is a career you are choosing with Farmers, there is plenty of growth opportunity, it is a stable company, there are a lot of fun activities, it is a casual work environment, and more!
Farmers has customer service and inbound sales position available now. Surrie pointed out that the sales positions do include commission and some of the top sales folks are able to truly make an impact production-wise while earning an income well above industry average. Check out opportunities HERE!

RESOURCES

PipelineAZ Katherine Pappas, Director of Workforce Strategy
As Director of Workforce Strategy for the Partnership for Economic Innovation (PEI), Katherine Pappas manages the deployment, adoption, and ongoing enhancement of Pipeline AZ, the community workforce platform funded by the Maricopa County Industrial Development Authority (MCIDA).
PipelineAZ is Arizona’s resource for career readiness. Arizona supports programs to train and educate at every career stage. It is about connecting the dots between dreams, talents, and careers. PipelineAZ’s platform explores where your skills are locally valuable. Educators, employers, and career mentors on PipelineAZ are looking for your skills and competencies and guide you through your career search. Building a skill footprint today on PipelineAZ makes you career ready for the digital marketplace. Your profile communicates directly to employers. You can explore career paths at every stage!
For more information or to set up a profile on the platform, go HERE!

Sheila Coulam provided additional resources and closing comments. Resources such as the DISC assessment, Event Recap blogs, and Professional Portraits are available on CareerConnectors.org post event to follow along and encompass more. Big shout out and thanks to GCU for lending their campus for our event and volunteers for helping with setup, photographs, financial counseling, LinkedIn coaching, and more!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Thurs., 6/20 in Scottsdale; Tackling the Job Search Obstacle Course: Age, Race, Gender
Tues., 6/25 in Gilbert; Get LinkedIn or Get Left Out

09/06/18 – Salary Negotiation – Make More Money

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Jack MilliganWritten by Kalpita Mahapatra

Jessica Pierce, the brainchild of Career Connectors, commenced the event by introducing the re-branded logo of the company and sharing her heartwarming story and motivation for starting Career Connectors in 2009. As a matter of fact, she volunteered to help job seekers write their resumes in the local church and the number of people seeking help grew phenomenally from fewer numbers to 250 candidates within three months. Frank Schab, CEO of the branding agency Six Degrees and member of the Board of Directors of Career Connectors, created the new brand.

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

Jack Milligan, SPHR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP

Jack, a founding partner of Leathers, Milligan & Associates (LMA), a Human Capital Consulting firm, is a seasoned HR expert and honorable recipient of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award and the Professional Excellence Award by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). He has encapsulated a wealth of information about career transitions and his real-time experiences in working with people during employment offers in his book titled “Make More Money” which is available for purchase on Amazon (don’t forget to use Smile.Amazon!).

Through this highly informative and convincing session, Jack encourages us to not settle for what is offered and to practice the art of salary negotiation. He walks us through the salary negotiation process by analyzing the method inside out.

As Jessica puts it wonderfully, Jack is also called “Mr. HR” in Arizona.

According to Jack, most people do not negotiate their salary; of all the people who could negotiate, 75% of them do not negotiate; out of the remaining 25% who do negotiate, only 10% do it the right way because they are gravitated towards a particular behavior called “Requestive Channeled Negotiation” (RCN) behavior.

He underscores the importance of asking and mentions that most people generally do not ask because:

• They are just happy to have an offer
• They do not think they have leverage
• Gender differences
• Generational differences

Jack suggests three legitimate behavioral channels of salary negotiation:

1) Ultimatum: Excessive both in amount and attitude and has over 70% failure rate. Might work for a candidate who is passive, well rewarded, and well situated.
2) Demand: Sincerer in amount and attitude and has about 30% failure rate. States a specific amount, leaves negotiation choice up to employer, and walks away if the demand is not met.
3) Requestive: Most attractive and successful method. Implies flexibility, creates much better negotiable environment, makes positive impression, and requires a response. Of those who try, 91% are successful in getting something tangible and the remaining 9% at least get peace of mind.

RCN does not work for all types of jobs. There are two types of jobs: Rated and Ranged.

Rated: Rated jobs are non-negotiable, have fixed hourly, weekly, or monthly rates.
Ranged: Ranged jobs are absolutely negotiable, are salaried jobs, and typically come with the range.

How to negotiate your salary once you get the offer:

1) Key: Do not accept the offer. Validate your interest in it.
2) Get some time: Employers do not handle ambiguity very well. You do not need a lot of time. You just need some time.
3) Come up with your NISL (Negotiating Items Short List): Base cash compensation is always on the NISL list and usually should be one of the last items on the list.
4) Call them back: Re-validate your interest through Requestive Channeled Negotiation (RCN). When you ask a question, you get an answer or they will say NO. 91% get something tangible after re-validating the offer.

To sum up, following are nuggets of wisdom from Jack that are worth pondering and implementing in our next salary negotiation:

• The reality is “All jobs are temporary jobs”. Realizing this early in the process will put us in the mindset of negotiation.
• Practice patience (for it is all about patience), courage, and planning to get better at negotiation.
• Do not accept that offer on the spot and do not hesitate to ask questions. Always ask appropriately.
• When you ask questions, you will hear either Yes or No. 91% of those who tried RCN got some tangible results.

HIRING COMPANIES

UPS

Sarah Dalley, HR Specialist

UPS is the world’s largest package delivery company and a leading global provider of transportation and logistics services. The company is not only committed to more for its employees and customers but also committed to more for the communities and currently aims at reaching 20 million volunteer hours by 2020. UPS is currently hiring for permanent and part-time Package Handlers, and part-time Supervisors. For more information about the open positions, visit their website.

Waste Management

Matt Rocco, Senior Talent Advisor, Sales

Waste Management is a future-minded American waste management and environmental services company with focus on sustainability and community. It is highly ranked for diversity, for being world’s one of the most ethical companies to work for, and as the best workplace for women. The company is currently hiring for positions such as Inside Sales Manager – Phoenix Sales Center, HR Manager, Inbound Account Manager – retention, and Credit and Collections Agent. For more information about the open positions, visit their website.

Aramark

Victor Carbajal, HR Specialist

Aramark is a huge global corporation headquartered in Philadelphia that provides food services, facilities, and uniform services to hospitals, universities, school districts, and other businesses, and routinely serves high-profile events such as Olympic games and FIFA world cup. Arizona State University (ASU) is the largest account Aramark has. The company is recognized as World’s most admired companies and as one of the Best employers for Healthy Lifestyles. The company is currently hiring for positions such as Finance Manager – Refreshment Services, Cashier – ASU – Board Operations, Facilities Director, and Regional Field Marketing Director. Visit their website to learn more about current job opportunities.

Farmers

Surrie Atkins, Recruiter

Farmers, one of the largest and most respected insurance brands in the USA, is a leading insurer of small and medium-sized businesses and operates a large Life-insurance company as well as a rapidly growing financial services company (Farmers Financial Solutions). Certified Great Place to work, 2017, the company fosters a casual work environment and community outreach programs. Currently, there are 150 open positions in North Phoenix. Some of the open positions are Claims Adjuster, Customer Service Associate, and Service Operations Supervisor. For more information on current job opportunities, visit their website.

RESOURCES

Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona

Ronald Mack, Business and Community Development Partner

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona is a non-profit organization whose goal is to eliminate unemployment. Goodwill works with about 600 employers throughout the valley and offers candidates services such as resume writing, mock-interviewing, and career coaching for free. The organization helps candidates find employment ranging from entry-level to mid to high level. Goodwill is shifting gears from providing employment help to offering training through its career centers and sub-locations such as libraries.

Grand Canyon University (GCU)

Kyle Richardson, University Counselor

In the job market today, 58% of all new jobs are in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics), and computing jobs are the #1 source of new wages in the United States. To help job seekers acquire the necessary skills to compete in this job market, GCU offers an Immersive Java Boot Camp program. In 16 weeks, the program offers more than 600 hours of project-based collaborative instruction on computer programming and skills in a small group setting (8-10 students). The courses completed within the boot camp are part of GCU’s existing and regionally accredited programs. These courses are transferable to a GCU bachelor’s program, or eligible for transfer at the discretion of other regionally accredited U.S. institutions.

CLOSING REMARKS

Jessica graciously thanked the event host GCU, our keynote speaker, representatives of all hiring companies, attendees, and volunteers for their time and participation. She also expressed her thoughtful appreciation for Denise Gredler, her special friend who played a remarkable role in her entrepreneurial journey. Denise is also the Founder and CEO of BestCompaniesAZ, the company dedicated to building and promoting great employer brands in Arizona.

07/26/18 – Think Like a Hiring Manager and Land the Job

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Think Like a Hiring ManagerWritten by Cindy Nowack

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Think Like a Hiring Manager and Land the Job
Jessica Pierce

Jessica Pierce has learned a thing or two about what hiring managers look for when finding quality candidates. She owned her own staffing company, and is now the Founder and Executive Director of Career Connectors, a non-profit organization that connects professionals in career transition with hiring professionals and quality resources. Career Connectors has grown from 25 people meeting for the first time for resume review and interview prep to the powerhouse non-profit it is today, serving more than 31,000 people and 750 companies in the metro Phoenix area. So when Jessica took the stage, everyone in the audience paid attention to what she had to say.

Most people wonder why didn’t they get the call back for a job opening. They had the qualifications and experience, but it’s more than just that. If you think like a hiring manager, they are looking for quality candidates they know will do well in that position. If you apply online, you are just an email address, not a person. Think about ways to set yourself apart from the other applicants. You need to customize yourself.

Employers and their hiring managers prefer hiring people they know. Companies with a referral bonus give certain candidates a prescreened option if an employee refers them. The retention rates of referred employees are higher than others, so this saves the company time and money.

Social media is also an essential tool across industries for finding qualified candidates. Top recruiters are 60% more engaged with LinkedIn recruiting tools than the average recruiters. Know these three key words for connecting with the right people on LinkedIn at your target companies:

  • Recruiter
  • Talent acquisition
  • HR

You should be connecting with the recruitment teams at your target companies, so they can get to know you. This is a step in setting yourself apart from the other job applicants. When looking for candidates, recruiters will tend to pull from their own networking pool first to fill the position.

Jessica also promotes networking as an important component in landing your next job. Don’t get stuck behind your desk, applying for jobs online all day. You need to show up and meet people. Jessica used Anthony as an example.

Anthony had been looking for his next position for months with no luck. Jessica got his commitment to actively network for four weeks. After the 4 weeks, Anthony felt like it was working, so he continued making these connections through networking. At the end of only 6 weeks, he had two job offers!

Jessica refers to the 3 Cs of Hiring:
Competence + Character + Chemistry = Culture Match.

You will want to connect with others as your first step to getting hired. The audience took a few minutes to list three things each of us can do to connect with others. A networking event, career fair, even coffee with a friend can build those connections. Take a few minutes now to write down three connection points to help you build your own connections.

The next step is competence. Think about your skills, knowledge, experiences, and accomplishments that can show your competency for job openings. Take a few minutes now to write down three of your competencies.

Character traits are also important in customizing yourself. If you need help with identifying your characteristics, Career Connectors offers a DISC assessment online at no charge to job seekers. Based on your answers to a series of questions, the assessment will provide an evaluation of your behaviors and traits. Take a few minutes now to write down three of your own character traits.

The third “C” is chemistry. First impressions are important, and most people know within the first few minutes whether there is a connection. When you meet the hiring manager face to face for your interview, the handshake is an important step in making the connection. Jessica says match the other person’s pressure with 2-3 pumps and let go. No lingering! She had each of us try our handshake with others in the room. Practice this with your family or friends so you are prepared with a good handshake.

Remember these steps before, during and after your interview to help set yourself apart from the others.

Before the interview:
Research the employer
Know your resume
Prepare and review your interview notes

During the interview:
Dress to impress
Arrive 5-10 minutes early
Engage with everyone

After the interview:
Send thank you notes
Connect on LinkedIn/Social Media

If you would like additional help knowing the winning strategies of networking for a job, Jessica recommends Molly Wendell and Executives Network. Molly has been dubbed “The Job Whisperer.” Her networking techniques are effective and proven to work.

You now have a few nuggets of information that can help you think like hiring managers, and hopefully create that culture match with you and your new employer. Hiring managers want to find the culture match for their company, but you also need to know if the company is a good culture match for you as well. Use Jessica’s 3 Cs of Hiring to help you find the culture match that works for both of you.

RESOURCES

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona
Denise Coulson, Area Leader for the Business and Community Development

Goodwill has 22 career centers in central and northern Arizona with 3 career advisors at each location. They offer help with your resume, mock interviews, and more than 1,000 positions posted to their internal job board. All of these resources are at no cost to you. Stop in one of the career centers Monday – Thursday, 9am-3pm, and Friday, 9am-1pm.

Goodwill offers donation drives across the state to support schools. They can bring a van to your location, and pay 10 cents for every pound donated. Then, Goodwill puts 90 cents of every dollar back into its workforce development.

Denise and her colleagues at Goodwill are committed to the company mission of ending unemployment by providing sustainable employment opportunities and building stronger communities.

HIRING COMPANIES

Paychex
Jeff Shaw, Recruiter

Paychex was founded in 1971 with their headquarters in Rochester, NY. Their location in Phoenix is close to the I-17 and Bell Road. Paychex is a provider of human resources solutions and human capital management. The company has many accolades, including number 5 on the “50 Best Companies to Sell For.”

Their company culture promotes a positive and professional work environment, a work life balance, career pathing and promotions, and community involvement.

Current openings include:

  • Payroll specialists and dedicated service representatives
  • 401K and S125 advisors and coordinators (Retirement Services)
  • Online service advisors
  • Sales
  • HR generalists
  • Agency advisors

Avesis
James Gonzales, Talent Acquisition Recruiter

Established in 1978, Avesis is a dental, vision and hearing insurance company that has recently acquired Guardian. Avesis covers more than 8.5 million members.

Their current openings are:

  • Customer service representative (pays $15.25/hour; class starting in September)
  • Data entry specialists
  • Data entry team lead
  • Vision claims processor
  • Vision utilization management processor

Farmers Insurance
Surrie Atkins, Recruiter

Founded in 1928, Farmers Insurance is one of the largest and most respected insurance brands in the United States. Farmers is a leading insurer of small- and medium-sized businesses, and also operates a rapidly growing financial services company.

There are currently two locations in Phoenix, but all employees will be based at the I-17 and Pinnacle Peak location within the next few years. Farmers is looking to grow in the Phoenix market, hiring 300-400 new employees who have a passion for helping others and putting the customer first.

Two positions that Farmers is currently hiring are:
Customer service: taking inbound calls from policy holders or field agents. This role needs decision-making and problem-solving skills, in addition to excellent communication and computer skills.

Inbound sales: providing customer service and product knowledge for internal and external customers. This role pays a base salary plus commission, and must pass a licensing exam.

To apply, go to www.farmersinsurance.com/careers.

CLOSING REMARKS

As Jessica Pierce mentioned in her presentation, the DISC assessment can be a valuable tool for identifying your character traits, the words that describe who you are. You can take those descriptors to match against job descriptions that interest you. The DISC assessment is offered by Career Connectors at no charge. Click on careerconnectors.org/disc/.

The next event is in Gilbert on Tuesday, July 31 when Ted Robison presents “Get LinkedIn or Get Left Out.” On Thursday, August 9, Bridgett McGowen-Hawkins presents “From Transition to Triumph: Mentally Regrouping In the Midst of Career Change” in Phoenix. You won’t want to miss either of these amazing speakers and their relevant topics for your job search.

08/16/18 – Be Unforgettable

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Be UnforgettableWritten by Rachel Gersten

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

Be Unforgettable
Sean O’Neil

Our speaker was Sean O’Neil, the President of Remember Media, LLC and also the Founder and CEO of Memory Dynamics, LLC. He has extensive experience working with several of the top fortune 500 companies. Sean has always been an overachiever as demonstrated by graduating from the University of Wisconsin with 2 degree by the age of 5. I should point out that Sean was born on a Leap Year February 29th, a day that only happens every 4 years.

You don’t have to be a genius to be unforgettable. We all know how important it is to stand out in a crowd especially, when looking for a job. Sean did a wonderful job illustrating how to accomplish this, with his interactive lessons. One of the most important items to remember is a person’s name. He reinforced this point by referring to a remark made by Dale Carnegie. He was one of the most influential speakers on self-improvement. He has been quoted as saying, “Everyone’s favorite subject is themselves.” People love hearing their names.

Pro Tips:

1.) Listen, pay attention. We all know how easy it is to be distracted by everything from text messages, emails, people walking in a room, etc. The key is to stay focused on the person you are speaking to.

2.) Change your mindset. Think to yourself that knowing the person’s name that you are speaking to is the most important thing. Strategies to help accomplish this include spelling and repeating their name.

3.) Maintain good eye contact. It is a sign of respect.

4.) Give a handshake. This will help you keep your focus for easier memory recall.

An interesting fact about memory is that people never actually forget anything in the first place. The challenge is to recall it. Sean and his team help people learn the strategies needed to develop a better recall.

If you want to stand out in a crowd, how about being able to instantly recall the names of the last 20 people you just met? For more information please reach out to Sean O’Neil at Memory Dynamics, Inc. Workshops are held throughout the year.

HIRING COMPANIES

Medtronic
Pam Goux, Talent Acquisition

Medtronic got their start in 1949 working out of a garage and now is a global company employing over 84,000 individuals worldwide. They are a medical supply company known for improving the lives of two people every second. Medtronic offers a comprehensive benefit package and values team efforts.

Current opportunities at Medtronic are:
• Technician III
• Assembler II
• Principal Component Development Engineer
• Sr. Quality Engineer
• Prin. Package Engineer
• Cell Operating Sys Team Lead
• Senior Product Engineer
• Sr. Advanced Manufacturing Engineer
• Equipment Maintenance Engineering Manager

Gould Staffing
Mike Gould, President

Gould Staffing is a full service agency with a long history of success. Known for providing excellent customer service to clients, “we answer every call on the first ring.” Mike recommends everyone looking for a new career should come to see them. What sets them apart from other agencies are their video resumes. These video resumes will help set job seekers apart, as well.

Open positions Gould Staffing is hiring for:
• Business Development Manager
• Admin Assist
• Receptionist
• Sales Rep
• Account Executive
• Account and Finance Analyst

Farmers Insurance
Surrie Atkins, Recruiter

Established in 1928, Farmers Insurance has been an innovative leader providing care and assistance when help is needed the most. Farmer Insurance offers an extensive array of coverage options. They have been recognized as a leading insurer for small and mid size businesses. Due to the company’s ongoing success, Farmers Insurance will be hiring an additional 1000 employees to work in their North Phoenix office.

Current Arizona openings include:
• Customer Service
• Inbound Sales

RESOURCES

Grand Canyon University
Luke Eyrise, Senior Manager

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

CLOSING

Jessica Pierce concluded the meeting by thanking our wonderful host Highlands Church for their support, as well as, all our amazing corporate sponsors and volunteers. Jessica went on to remind our guests to visit the Career Connectors website at https://careerconnectors.org for additional support through the complimentary DISC assessment and other helpful tools available. The next meeting will be held on August 23rd, 9 am at the Glendale location of Calvary Community Church – Northwest Campus 6060 West Bell Road, Glendale, AZ 85308. Please remember to sign up online for our next meeting.

03/22/18 – How to Use Your internalGPS® To Rise Strong

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Written by Miriam Spinner

“You are not using the right tools”

“You can’t multi-task”

“You seem overwhelmed”

I heard those comments in a role when I worked for a Fortune 500 company. I didn’t feel overwhelmed, and multi-tasking was my strength, or at least I thought so. It set me back. I heard those messages over and over in my head. I also believed that failure was good. It is how we learn. It added fuel to my fire. So I took the feedback, thought about it, and decided to get back up and channel my energy into a new direction. That new direction for me was my career pivot.

When you fall: get up, recognize the feeling, think different and change your action. And remind yourself you are human being. Rinse and repeat.

KEYNOTE

How to Use Your internalGPS® To Rise Strong
Paula Shoup

Paula Shoup kicks off her talk by sharing expert knowledge on resilience. Brene Brown is a social scientist researcher from the University of Texas, and wrote the book Rising Strong. We are all faced with issues and challenges. The difference is that resilient people *Get Up*.

The resilient are taught to keep strong regardless of what happens to them and they recover more quickly. Let’s learn from them.

Paula tells us about her own personal experiences with rejection and failure. Her significant fall was a potential contract with a supply chain high technology company. It was perfect since Paula’s background was in supply chain management. As she was in the midst of the initial conversation, she realized she was not prepared. And if that wasn’t enough, her comment of no “shocks” may have sealed the deal. She never received a call back.

What do resilient people do? They get curious. They feel emotion. They think about the fall. They get back up.

Paula shares with us the key messages from Brene Brown’s TED talk on vulnerability. Based on her research, she found we don’t want to show or feel vulnerable. It feels like a weakness, it is a myth, and we learned it when we were kids.

Recognize the feeling. Think different. Do different.

Tools

Identify your values

Get clear on your values so you can determine if the organization is a good match for you. Google an image of values. Pick 10 of them, and narrow down to 5 to get your top real values. Ask yourself “Am I living them?”. Paula’s values are connections and making a difference. This is her pro-bono work so she aligns with Career Connectors.

Tactical Breathing

Paula taught us the value of tactical breathing which is also mentioned in Rising Strong. It helps us with mindfulness, and decreasing anxiety. Military soldiers use the breathing techniques in combat. We practiced the Box breathing method in the session.

Power Stance

Right before the interview, try the power stance. If you are on the phone, stand up vs. sitting down.

Creativity

Practice courage and let go of uncertainty. Be creative and write it down!

A failure:

1 – Write a stormy first draft. It might be only a couple of sentences.
2 – Get curious about others in the story.
3 – “Rumble” with emotions (blame, criticism, etc.). Guilt is good – it moves us into action.
Shame and Blame focus on someone else – it doesn’t move us into action.

Inner Judger

Shirzad Chamine works with executive leaders and CEOs on leadership. He discovered that a key theme was around how people judge themselves. Shirzad Chamine’s TED talk is about learning about your inner critic. Give it a name, and notice when it talks to you.

Positive Emotions

1 – Work on your daily habits: What am I tolerating? What is bringing up frustration? What is sapping my energy?
2 – Check-In
3 – Celebrate

Resilient People

Comparative Suffering: I shouldn’t be upset about a failure in my life since there are people who have no food. Your feelings of pain and suffering are valid. Compassion and empathy are infinite.

Brene Brown found that people who consistently “Rise Strong” follow a form of this process:

  • The reckoning – walk into your story
  • The rumble – own your story
  • The revolution – process becomes practice

Spiritual Practice

“Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to one another by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and belonging. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose to our lives” – Brene Brown, Rising Strong.

HIRING COMPANIES

Farmers
Surrie Atkins, Recruiter

Farmers is the third largest insurance company within the U.S. It is part of the Zurich company. Community outreach includes United Way, Red Cross and Thank a Teacher. They are also involved in local events that help the community by donating backpacks, school supplies and sponsoring families.

Two position types are open:
1 – customer service in call centers at I-17 ad Bell Road
2 – Inbound sales (no cold calls)

Apply at Farmers.

Windsor
Roy Bailey, Human Resources Director

Windsor has 5 care centers in Arizona – 4 in Cottonwood and 1 in the Phoenix metro area. They provide home hospice, home healthcare and destination to recovery care.

The open positions are in clinic and non-clinic roles.

Non clinic:

  • Dietary managers
  • Marketing/Business Development
  • Marketing professionals
  • Social Services
  • Registered Dietitian

Windsor offers internal incentives, such as $10K scholarship toward a degree, and 100% medical coverage at the director level. They treat employees the same as they treat their residents.

To learn more, go to the Windsor site.

NESCO Resource
Bob Sorrell, Sr. Recruiter/Primary Account Manager

There are over 90 NESCO branches, with a recent new opening in Costa Rica. They provide temporary and direct hire staffing services. They offer opportunities in IT and professional roles, and temporary roles in the light industrial market.

Current openings are:

  • Maintenance mechanic
  • Tool designer
  • Part time admin
  • Accounts Payable admin
  • Data entry/Excel
  • SMT programmer
  • Welders
  • Quality Inspectors

Complete an application online. Jobs change frequently.

RESOURCES

Goodwill of Central & Northern AZ
Denise Coulson, Area Leader for Business and Community Development

Goodwill is a nonprofit organization that serves as a positive catalyst for eliminating employment. Approximately 105,000 people were served through their career centers, and 45,000 were placed. There are 13 career centers in metro Phoenix, Prescott, Yuma and Flagstaff. They also conduct workshops at Women’s Fresh Start and New Leaf.

Denise tells us that mock interviews are really beneficial. Recruiting employers are at Goodwill on Thursdays. There are over 1,000 positions open.

Upcoming: Hiring Fest Thursday, March 29 with over 50 employers. Click here to learn more.

CLOSING

Jian Boldi closed the session by reminding us to download our portraits at CareerConnectors.org/photos, and of the following upcoming session:  March 27:  Put Your Strengths to Work  – Find a Job that Fits,  Stephanie Clergé.