Written by: Wade Stoddard
This month’s Career Connectors event at Gilbert was a packed house. I watched as more and more people began to file in and more and more seats were taken out from another room to accommodate. We were all excited to hear from Clara Chorley!
Keynote
Clara Chorley, our keynote speaker for this month has a vast experience helping professional women and men around the world gain clarity about what is next in their careers and then take strategic steps to get there! She is CEO and founder of Clarity Unlimited and has extensive experience as a career coach and professional speaker. She grew up in England and I relished the opportunity to hear her accent. It was a real treat. She is author of the best-selling book T.U.R.N.: 4 Steps to Clarity in Your Life and Career.
Patterns and Themes in Life.
• We are either in our mojo zone or groan zone. We are obviously most productive when we are in our mojo zone. When we are in our groan zone we are full of self-doubt, cynicism and fear. When we are in our mojo zone we feel like everything is smooth sailing and everything is working in our favor – positive.
• We need to be in the mojo zone and follow the patterns and themes in our life that lead us in that zone and keep us there.
3 Mistakes We Make When Job Searching.
Mistake #1 Muddy Mind:
• Unclear about what you want or what you are offering a potential employer. No focus on a clear goal or career path.
• Unknown value for what you have and what you want.
“Talking ourselves out of things is not helpful when you’re going through a job search”
Mistake #2 Checkout Line:
• The demise of the hokey pokey – we want to put one foot into the job search, take it out, take a break, and days, weeks, months later get back into the job search.
• The slow burn – akin to the frog in the slowly warming water, we lose energy and eventually our job search dies. Our energy is sapped and we no longer have motivation for the job search.
• Confidence goes way down and depression goes way up.
• Cliffhanger – we wait until the last minute to find a job. We “talk” about finding a job and it isn’t until the last day, the last dollar that we actually do something about finding a job.
Take the time now to identify what you are, why you are this way and solutions to change.
Mistake #3 Lone Wolf:
• Strong belief that you can do everything on your own. You don’t need anyone to help you.
• Develop feelings of anger, apathy, and resentment.
• Reach out to your network! Find those that can help you with your skills, emotional support and set a clear goal of what you want to achieve.
Take time now to set goals on how you are going to get help from your network.
“You are way more resourceful and resilient than you realize”
Nelson Mandela when being released from prison was asked why he didn’t have anger and resentment and he responded, “ I wasn’t suffering, I was preparing.”
Hiring Companies
HealthNet
Bonnie Taylor, Sr. Staffing Consultant
HealthNet is the largest Medicaid managed care organization in the country. Their purpose is to transform the health of the community one person at a time. They offer comprehensive benefits and currently have career opportunities such as IT, Behavioral Health, Business Analysts, Clinical & Nurse Staff and more. Contact them via their website.
Freedom Financial Network
Nicole Durkin, HR Business Partner
Freedom Financial Network provides amazing health benefits and treats everyone like they are family. Their goal is to transform clients’ lives and give help along the road to financial freedom. Opportunities are available for Account Executives, Software Engineers, Product Managers, and Business Analysts. You may apply on their website: http://www.freedomfinancialnetwork.com/join_our_team.
Revana/Teletech
Mary Ann Lopez, Recruiter
Revana/Teletech is a professional inside sales organization and recognized leader in outsourced sales and marketing. They offer great benefits and are currently hiring in both sales and sales management. Please go to www.revanajobs.com to apply.
CDI Corporation
Patti Franco, Sales Director
Unfortunately, CDI Corporation was unable to attend the event, but their website reflects many openings, including direct hire positions.
Resources
Jian Boldi presented: “Top 10 Financial Considerations”
1. Understand your unemployment benefits.
2. Do not forget to keep paying your taxes.
3. Deduct your job hunting expenses.
4. Go back to school to advance your skills or learn something new.
5. Become underemployed.
6. Budget, budget, budget.
7. If you are 55 or older you can take penalty free money from your IRA using 72t.
8. Purchase health insurance with your IRA funds.
9. Consider reversing a contribution made to your IRA.
10. Ask for help.
Canyon State Institute
Sheri Carparelli, President/CEO
Canyon State Institute offers certifications for working professionals at 2 of their convenient locations in the Metro Phoenix area. Certifications can increase your appeal to employers and provide you with the skills you need to get your next job. Most certifications are free and covered under the Arizona Work grant. Contact Sheri directly to get more information and to sign up. Sheri Carparelli 602-266-6630.
Closing
Jennifer Swenson, Board of Directors President for Career Connectors, thanked attendees, hiring companies, volunteers, and host for the event, Central Christian Church. She announced that after the break, informal breakout sessions would give participants an opportunity to meet hiring managers, receive free professional head shot photos, and talk to experts about resume writing and LinkedIn.
