Freedom Financial Network

8/1/19 – Career Advancement in the Culture of Contact Centers

August 6, 2019 by Diane Forner

Panel

The contact center – or call center, as the terms are interchangeable – is the critical hub for serving clients/customers across multiple channels for nearly every organization large and small. Live-agent, chat, email and social media links consumers through thousands and thousands of interactions with the contact center.

In the Phoenix metro region, the contact center “industry” converges with the tremendous growth of financial services companies in delivering a hotbed of potential careers for the active and passive job seeker. Contact center roles are often a gateway into career growth and do not necessarily require starting at the entry level.

In front of a full house, Jessica Pierce facilitated two panel discussions addressing careers, advancement opportunities and workplace culture with eight high profile, award-winning contact centers in the financial services sector. Each company represented on the panel has been recognized by employer branding firm Best Companies AZ for workplace excellence so, clearly, they know their stuff.

For those in career transition, this was an excellent opportunity to hear first-hand from senior leaders how to get your foot in the door and grow your career within these respected organizations. All eight companies are in growth mode and looking to hire hundreds of employees.

Panel 1 – Career Advancement & Opportunities

Heather Marcom – Freedom Financial Network, Head of Talent Acquisition
Willie Cordova – USAA, Director of Member Solutions
Andrew Seals – Voya Financial, Director Retirement Readiness Services Center
Dexter Johnson – Farmers Insurance, Head of Direct Service and Sales

Q – What can you tell us about entry level positions in your contact center and the potential career opportunities?

Farmers: We currently have openings for entry level sales and service positions, but we also have many openings for individual contributors, including back office processing, reporting, analytics, IT and project management.

Voya Financial: Customer service roles are a launch point for many of the higher-level jobs which require licensing (i.e. Series 6). Right now, we’re looking to fill roles in workforce management and benefits administration, which are not entry level.

USAA: We are targeting customer service and claims roles, which do not require previous experience. Representatives handle inbound calls from members. We’ll help you get licensed once you’re on board.

Freedom Financial Network: All of our customer service is inbound. No outbound calling. We have openings for debt relief, negotiators, back office payment processing and call center sales.

Q – What career pathways have you established within your company?

Freedom Financial Network: We call it a career ladder. You can move from an entry level 1, 2 or 3 position into supervisor or even over to sales and lending, which pays more. From there, we’ve had employees move into IT, marketing and training positions.

USAA: The progression is typically from associate – as we call them – to specialist to senior associate. We challenge our leaders to have career advancement discussions and develop a career trajectory. There are internal programs for learning IT skills, such as coding. We’re developing your skills for life, not just for USAA.

Voya Financial: We expect our leaders to prepare development plans and have conversations about career progression with their team members. Employees are empowered to ask questions and get involved. The entry level position is your entry point.

Farmers: On a formal basis there are career path discussions between managers and their employees. Informally, we have peer resource groups focused on diversity and like-minded ideas and interests. Want to become a leader? Well, let’s show you how to run a huddle.

Q – Are there opportunities for the mature job seeker who doesn’t want an entry level position?

Voya Financial: We have many roles based on experience. You could start as a senior representative.

USAA: We’re willing to go externally to find certain skill sets and experience. We do try to promote from within but sometimes there’s a real need to find fresh blood.

Freedom Financial Network : It’s a combination. Some of our roles require experience, but in the call center experience is not necessarily needed. Sales experience can come from any industry. Roughly 50% of our roles are filled externally.

Farmers: Promoting from within is important. But we cast our hiring net externally, as well. I recently hired a director from the outside. We have an immediate need for analytics and reporting skills, which will likely come externally.

Q – What is your company’s policy on promoting from within?

Farmers: There are growth opportunities for everyone, regardless of tenure. We will help you prepare for that next job and fulfill your career potential.

Voya Financial: We have an 18-month requirement for eligibility due to the complexity of the entry level roles. We want you as an employee to be comfortable. However, there are times when the eligibility requirement is waived.

USAA: The timeframe is 12 to 18 months in the current job to be eligible for promotion. Many of those next roles will require licensing, so it can take some time to learn.

Freedom Financial Network: You must be in the role for three months. We know that people want to move up the career ladder. We do not have any license-required positions.

Q – With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) how do you see technology impacting call center jobs? (from the audience)

Farmers: Technology, such as the bot, will have an impact on the most transactional of interactions with customers. However, there’s always going to be a need for critical thinking and emotional intelligence of the human being. We need empathy in the human contact. There will be a blend of technology and human interaction.

USAA: Our members want to talk with a human when they call in. The technology will make it easier to match the member with the representative that’s best equipped to assist a specific need or demographic.

Panel 2 – Culture & Employee Engagement

Drew Foster – American Express, Director of US Recruiting
Sherry McFadden – State Farm, Customer Care Center Director
Renee Brown – Vanguard, Senior Recruiter
Christine Sorensen – Charles Schwab, Team Manager Participant Services

Q – What does culture fit mean to you? What’s it like working for your company?

Vanguard: It’s a culture of empathy and communication. We all have to be mindful that the investment industry language can go over people’s head. We have a team environment focused on employee development.

Schwab: We’re here to help everyone grow and succeed. Someone’s always available to help, no matter what the situation. We conduct an assessment to determine ethics, teamwork and the type of work environment that would be the best fit for the candidate.

State Farm: We’re a relationship company steeped in integrity and tradition. We’re your neighbor. We’re there after a hurricane or an auto accident. That’s our culture, we care.

Q – How do you get your foot in the door? Do you have to start at entry level jobs?

AMEX: Some roles will require entry level experience at first, but not all. It depends on your skill set. I’m currently looking for workforce management skills, which does need entry level experience.

Vanguard: We’re regulated, so many roles require licensing and then you work your way up. You can pursue internal opportunities after one year. We have hired supervisors from the outside. About 85% of our hiring is from within.

Schwab: It really depends on your experience and license requirements of the role. We have lots of room for growth and it’s important to have those development discussions with your manager.

Q – What are the hot jobs at your company right now?

AMEX: Senior manager (supporting 18 cruise lines), director of workforce management, sales, fraud, team leaders.

State Farm: Enterprise technology, software development, coding, data scientist, frontline supervisors, bilingual supervisor, sales and service.

Vanguard: Data science, IT, senior financial planner.

Schwab: Always hiring in participant services and investor services. Our operation has 60 different departments and there are always openings.

Q – Describe the family friendliness of your call center. What support do you provide? (from the audience)

Vanguard: We have a 37.5-hour work week Monday through Friday. No weekends. All shifts end no later than 8:00 pm.

Schwab: Four 10-hour days are available. Paid four-week sabbatical every five years.

State Farm: H.O.P.E. – Helping Others Parent Effectively program.

AMEX: 20 weeks of maternity/paternity leave for parents.

Resource

Introducing – Career Connectors Academy Training Program

Landi Carfi, VP of Corporate Training – Brighton College

Brighton College is excited to announce its new partnership with Career Connectors that connects professionals in career transition to hiring companies and quality resources.

Career Connectors and Brighton College share similar values and focus on their clients, making both organizations stand out from the crowd. Brighton’s mission and goals ensure their students’ greatest success, and Career Connectors, as Arizona’s fastest growing job candidate program, strive to land people in the career of their dreams. They are working hand in hand to provide affordable online education certificate programs.

Based on Career Connectors’ partnership with Brighton College, a few of the best accredited online certificate programs are being offered to Career Connectors’ participants at a reduced rate. The online education certificate programs available include:

Cyber Security Institute
Business Institute
Allied Health Institute
Legal Medical Institute
Paralegal Institute
Professional Development

Event Sponsor

Optima Tax Relief

Ben Simpson – Vice President, Phoenix Operations

The Optima Tax Relief team has had one vision since inception – to help Americans nationwide deal with the aggressive collection policies of the State/IRS tax agencies.

Founded 2011
80 employees in AZ; 100 by end of 2019
No tax knowledge required to get hired
Promote from within
Hiring leaders as operations grow
Team environment – “mischievous fun”

Open Positions
I/T Jr. Systems Administrator
Resolution Support Representative
Customer Service
Inside Sales

Resources and Closing

Jessica thanked the many partners and volunteers for their contributions to the Career Connectors event. Job seekers were encouraged to utilize the many transition resources – professional resume writers, career coaches, LinkedIn coaches and take the free DISC assessment. Next up on the calendar: Connecting with Top Staffing Firms to Find Your Next Career, Thursday August 15th in Scottsdale. Stay tuned for weekly emails and LinkedIn posts.

7/23/19 – Be the STAR at the Interview

July 25, 2019 by Julia Churan

Written by Julia Churan

Jessica Pierce, CEO and Founder of Career Connectors, opened the July 23 event by welcoming everyone to the event with positive encouragement and an explanation of the change in format for the day. It was a unique workshop-style format that allowed job seekers an opportunity to learn a strategy for shining at their next interview and also put that strategy into practice with the assistance of HR professionals.

Keynote

Ted Robison – “Mr Link-Me-In”, Speaker, Retired Engineer and LinkedIn Coach

For years Andersen Consulting, DDI and other leadership consulting firms have taught Targeted Selection as a method of evaluating candidates’ competencies based on past behavior to hire the right people for a given job. Today this is the most widely used hiring approach in corporate America. Recruiters and hiring managers are able to collect and evaluate job-relevant data, while removing bias, in a legally defensible way. Since past performance can be a good predictor of the future, interviewers ask open-ended questions to determine whether candidates have the skills and experiences required to excel in the job:

Tell me about a situation when…
Describe a time when you had to … What did you do?
Give me an example of a time when you …

The STAR approach was designed to answer these types of questions and help an interviewer communicate specific and clear thoughts to others. It forces the candidate to stay focused, avoid rambling and over-communicating.

What is STAR?

The STAR format is a template for formulating “Power Stories”:
S – Situation
T – Task
A – Action
R – Result / Solution

Ted presented a video by CITY CV to demonstrate tips and an example of using the method. YouTube is a great resource for other examples and techniques to review when preparing for a job search.

Situation

Describe the situation.
Give the context of Where? and When?
Be brief and specific – approximately one line.

Task

Short description of the challenges and/or expectations
What? and Why?

Action

This is How? The steps you took to accomplish the task.
Use “I” rather than “We” when answering.
Avoid too much detail.
This should be 60% of your answer.

Result

This is where you describe the outcome or impact to the company: cost-savings, time-savings, efficiencies, etc.
Briefly show how you were the hero.

Watch Your Time
The entire response should to 45 – 90 secs. This will keep the interviewer from getting bored or regretting they asked the question. It also gives them a pause to ask questions. You can always offer more detail if they ask questions.

Prior to interview

Do your homework and looked prepared.

Research the Company – use the company’s website, LinkedIn, personal contacts tied to the organization, and news wires.
Research the Culture – Informational interviews with contacts that are tied to the organization are often your best source and may lead to more. Glassdoor.com is another great source of feedback both good and bad. Resources like BestCompaniesAZ and Forbes honors are other good indicators of culture strengths.
Research the Interviewers – Do some social medial sleuthing. Start with your connections on LinkedIn. Know their alma mater and any personal aspects like volunteering and past experience. Look for mutual contacts. You can also search Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to find out if you have common interests like sports, music, etc. Don’t come across like a stalker, but you can avoid or transition into specific topics if you see a commonality.
Compare your background to the Job Requirements – create a grid or make notes to touch on your strengths and accolades that directly tie to their needs.

Prepare as though walking into any important meeting – bring extra resumes, a pen, notepad, reference list, questions, STAR story reminders.

Practice Your Body Language

Show confidence through your attire, posture, and direct eye contact
Practice looking in the mirror
Assume the “Superman pose” (hands on hips, chest forward, head high) prior to entering the office, or getting on the telephone.
Smile and slow deep breaths – this will release tension and come across in a positive way through your voice.

Know Your Value Proposition to the Company

You are not only bringing the requested skills to the organization, but you have a wealth of experience and silent assets that you bring to the company. They are assuming things like integrity or hard worker. Be prepared with “Bitable” examples and skills – great problem solver, mentor to staff, contingency planning, poised under pressure situations, organized planner, etc. Show they would be getting more than they asked for and than other candidates may bring.

Prepared Questions

Have a list prepared of open-ended questions that show you have given thought to your meeting.
Make them personal so the interviewer talks about their experiences and opinions – What has been your secret to success for so many years? What is the biggest challenge you see in this role? Where do you see the greatest opportunities for the company (or role) in the next 3-5 years?
Ask about company/dept culture – Tell me what you like best about working here? Describe your management style or describe the management style of the VP.
Ask for advice of success in the role & company- What do you feel is most important to someone succeeding in this role?
Avoid asking salary and vacation questions – the time will come soon enough and this shouldn’t appear your primary concern.

The Workshop

Participants were broken into groups with a professional HR coach guiding them through an exercise in writing their own STAR stories on different topics. “Candidates” were asked mock interview questions and given a chance to practice the STAR method to respond.
Download the practice worksheet here.

Download Common Interview Questions and guide here.

Workshop Lessons Learned

The process needs to sound organic.
The response doesn’t necessarily always follow STAR sequence. It might be a SATR or (ST)AR

The “Salary Question”
Do not be the first to bring up salary/vacation ever.
Turn that question around and ask, “What is the range for this position?”
One of the Hiring Company coaches suggested softening the question to something like “I’m looking at the entire opportunity. Salary is one piece of it, but I’m also looking at the role, the organization and the overall package.” Then ask the question about salary range.

Hiring Companies

Freedom Financial Network
Heather Marcom, Head of Talent Acquisition

FFN is a debt relief organization that is expanding into the personal lending and mortgage lending arenas. These and other expansion plans will offer new opportunities in Phoenix and Tempe.
One of the core values of the organization is the caring attitude for customers and employees. This is why FFN has been named a Best Company to Work for in Phoenix for several years in a row.

Current Opportunities

Sales – phone
Collections
Payment Processing
Operations
IT/Engineering/Data
Accounting
Product/Project Managers

Resources

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona

Ron Mack – Community Awareness Partner

Mission – Through the goodwill of others, we create the pathway to a better future for all by helping those who desire self-sufficiency.

The Goodwill Career Centers offer free career coaching, assistance with resumes, mock interviewing, employment support and digital skills training. They specialize in providing on-going support for the professional job seeker. Goodwill delivers community awareness of local employment events through onsite career centers and through the recent launch of mycareeradvisor.com (live chat available). The services are free of charge and available to all.

Closing

Jessica introduced the many resources available at no charge to seekers who attend Career Connectors events: LinkedIn and Resume assistance, Professional Photos, DISC assessments, Career and Financial Coaching. These and all Career Connectors events and services would not be available without the many hands of Staff, Volunteers, Sponsor Companies and Resource Partners. Also, a huge thank you to the Central Christian Church for hosting today’s Gilbert event. Attendees were encouraged to network and take advantage of the many services available. There are many exciting upcoming events across the Valley in the next month. Be sure to visit the Events Page for more details.

5/2/2019 – Technology Panel

May 6, 2019 by Diane Forner

Written by Rachel Gersten

Jessica Pierce welcomed and explained the agenda, which was a bit different than typical Career Connectors meetings. Instead of one keynote speaker we were fortunate enough to have two panel discussions, which included seven technology market experts. Today’s event was sponsored by USAA.

Panel One: Talent Recruitment in Technology

Brad Harris, Software Developer at USAA
USAA is a mission driven company built by members of the military for the military. They are actively seeking talented individuals to fill over 1,000 jobs in AZ in the next 2 years. Openings include Data Analytics Audit Manager, Business Intelligence/ETL Engineer, Senior Risk Analyst, Java Software Engineer, Attorney, .NET Developer, and Customer Service Representative.

Melissa McCoy, Vice President for TechFinders
TechFinders is a well-established recruiting firm that has adapted well to the changes in technology, over their 20+ year history. This is a company that knows how to stay current.

Gil “GW” Williams, Lead Sales and Marketing Manager for Intel
Intel has evolved into a more data-centric company. They still work with PC’s and chips but they are much more than that. They are known to say any technology will run better with Intel. They are hiring process engineers, manufacturing techs/engineers, as well as a number of other positions.

Panel One: Q & A

Q: When you say “technology field” what does that mean?

A: The “technology field” is everywhere. Our world has gotten to the point where we need tech for just about everything. Tech is becoming a bigger part of our lives. If you have a website you are a tech company.

Q: What do you consider a job in the field?

A: There is a full range of job opportunities in the tech field, some of which include: developers, data engineers, project management, support, management, marketing, sales, HR analyst, and quality assurance, to name of few.

Q: How do you break into the tech field?

A: Be in the middle of everything. Spend as much time as you can networking. Consider having a direct link to your resume on your business cards. Use social media like LinkedIn to research people at the companies you’re interested in working. Learn about their culture. Go to events. Remember it takes time, be persistent. Ask many people eventually someone will say yes. Only 8% people that apply online will get hired according to the panel.

Q: What do you see as the future of tech in AZ?

A: Artificial intelligence (AI) will be huge in the next five to seven years. Cyber security will be very important because of foreign threats and hacking. The old saying, “information is power” rings true.

Panel Two: Career Pathways

Chukwudi Anya, Security Controls and Compliance Analyst at Freedom Financial Network.
Freedom Financial Network is the largest debt relief service provider in US. Open positions include Data Analyst, DevOps Engineer, Full Stack Engineer, Accounting Specialist, QA Coach, Software Engineer, Senior Scrum Master/Agile Coach and more.

Chad Johnson, Technology Manager for State Farm
State Farm provides financial services with over 83 million policies in the country. Openings include Software Developer, Java Developer, Data Scientist, Salesforce & Digital Analytics Analyst, Customer Service, and Business Analysts.

James Mitchell, Recruiting Manager for Deloitte
Deloitte is the largest consulting firm in the country. Deloitte has over 400 jobs to fill in Arizona including AWS Cloud Architect, Cyber Oracle Cloud EBS Security & Controls Consultant, Sr Linux Administrator, Cyber Risk Secure Software Enablement Consultant, UX Designer and many more.

Rob Loy, Head of Technology Education with GCU
GCU is an education provider with support for IT education, boot camps and degree programs.

Panel Two: Q & A

Q: What does tech mean for your business?

A: Technology means everything to business. It encompasses so many areas some of which include: support, operations, data support, compliance, risk security, planning and analyst.

Q: How would you get your foot in the door?

A: Remember to set yourself apart. Employers are interested in finding the right employee for the right position. Tap into your soft skills especially your willingness to learn.
There are many ways to get your foot in the door. One of which is to gain additional education by going back to school for degrees, certifications, and/or boot camps.
There are three things to keep in mind when wanting noticed: networking, networking, networking. LinkedIn is a great networking tool. Use it to connect with company leaders.

Closing

Jessica Pierce concluded the meeting by thanking USAA for sponsoring the Panel, our wonderful host GCU for their support, as well as all our amazing corporate sponsors and volunteers. The next meeting will be held on May 9th, 9 am at the Scottsdale location.

On May 11th, USAA has an on-site Career Expo from 7:30 to 10:30 am. This will be held at USAA’s newly built campus at 25700 Norterra Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ 85085. Please remember to sign up online for these upcoming events.

Please check out the blog post from Heather Marcom at Freedom Financial Network on Re-careering.

4/23/2019 – Interview with Confidence

April 27, 2019 by Diane Forner

Written by Nicole Langston

Keynote

Carmen Payne is the Owner of SOAR! Transformational Life Coaching LLC SOAR! website. She is a professional and personal development coach with 25 years experience in the areas of: leadership, coaching, mentoring, training and project management. Carmen obtained her coaching certifications at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts and with the Quantum Success Coaching Academy. Today Carmen’s services include; personalized and corporate coaching, workshops, consulting and speaking.

Carmen started her presentation by asking several questions:

Who has been through Organizations going through Mergers and Acquisitions?
Are you in the driver seat of your career? Or not?
Who has heard and read the book? “Who Moved my Cheese” (The 4 protagonists, which one are you?)

Quote from Naomi Caietti at www.naomicaietti.com “Your career is an investment and you need to treat it that way.”

Plan your 2019:

Reflect on your prior 12 months
Plan slow to move fast: How am I going to get to my end goal?
Act now: What steps do you need to take to get to that?

Abundance of opportunities! LinkedIn will show you how many jobs are available in specific fields. Currently there are 8.4 million! Carmen then searched on hot topics, such as project manager, technical, security.

Growing industries

1) Advanced manufacturing

2) Aerospace

3) Business and Professional services

4) Emerging technologies

5) Healthcare and biomedical

6) Film and digital media (https://laborstats.az.gov/)

That Interview Question: What is your greatest weakness or greatest strength?

What you DON’T want to do is list weaknesses that are needed for the job description. Be strategic. Pick items that are trainable / coachable and not major. Do not have a laundry list of weaknesses either.

Always start the answer for this with the negative (weaknesses) then the positive (strength). People remember the last things more.

Maybe you only list 1 negative. Then also include what you are doing to try and solve that area you want to work on further. For example: getting a certification, listening to podcast, social net-working.

Who knows what a SWOT analysis is? S = strength W = weakness O = opportunities T = threats.
Take a few minutes to do this now. This is not a judgement this is simply for your own awareness.

If you struggle with this, then talk to someone you know who loves you and is going to tell you honestly. If you have received a performance review recently use that to complete your SWOT analysis. This is a good exercise to learn and focus on yourself. Hopefully you now have 2-3 items in each box. It’s helpful to share your findings with a friend as you prepare for interviews; you don’t want the interview to be the first time you share this information.

Behavioral questions: They want to see how you handle certain situations. They are looking to see if your body language matches your words. They are evaluating how you will fit in their culture. They are getting to know you more deeply.

Example: Give me an example of a time when you had a setback or disappointment concerning a project or activity you were responsible for.
An example of a tool is answer this is STAR’s. We are all STAR’s:

S = situation, background set the scene

T = task or target specifics of whats required, when, where, who

A = action, what you did, skills used, behaviors, characteristics

R = result, out-come of what happened.

Really you should be telling a STORY of this STAR situation. Do not minimize your accomplishments. Write them down, you never know when they will come in handy.

That Interview Question: Tell me about your last / current job.

Body Language Communication:
This is important: If you have had a negative experience at a prior job it will come across. If you have any of this, practice this on a friend, in the mirror, video yourself on the phone or laptop.

Who is aware of the 7 signs of body language?
1) Maintain an assertive posture
2) Consider using power poses
3) Watch your hands
4) Pay attention to your face / facial expressions
5) Maintain appropriate eye contact
6) Mirror the body language of others
7) Stop fidgeting
If you are very nervous in an interview there are things you can do to help calm you down. There is a technique call tapping. If you tap down gently under your eye with the 2 single fingers, this grounds you.

To establish a confident mindset before an interview, you want to be like superwoman or superman – stand strong in a power pose. You can do this for 2 minutes every time you are about to go into an interview. Carmen also likes to think of a theme song (hers is “What a Feeling”) or mantra.

HIRING COMPANIES

American Cancer Society
Netta Shaw, Community Development Manager

She is happy to help all of us as much as she is able. Netta knows that all of us are here looking for employment. She has been there herself. At the moment, she only has 1 role in the Valley available. It is a Monday – Friday job title MSABC Outreach Specialist – Phoenix. This position is a good way to get a foot in the door. Contact Kathy Allen, Recruiter if interested.

Freedom Financial Network
Heather Marcom, Head of Talent Acquisition

They love to partner with Career Connectors as they are a good outlet and resource. The company started in 2002 and have moved to Tempe Marketplace in the past year. They have a lot of growth and have a 2nd building under construction. They currently have about 2,000 employees in Tempe. Some their open positions include Data Analysts, Recruiter, DevOps Engineer, Director Accounting. Go here for a complete job listing.

UPCOMING EVENTS

“If you believe it will work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you believe it won’t, you will see obstacles.” – Wayne Dyer

THANK YOU for coming!

1/17/19 – Financial Services/Insurance Panel

January 21, 2019 by Diane Forner

Written by Jim McBride

Time to put your transferable skills into action? Have a driving passion for serving customers? Interested in navigating the career lattice? If so, you may be the perfect fit in both of these top five growth industries in Phoenix: Insurance and Financial Services!

Unique industry insights from two round-table panels of recruiting experts, hosted by Jessica Pierce, sparked lively discussion on the hottest jobs and how to start your career transition. Our audience of job seekers and networkers heard Q&A topics ranging from getting started without previous industry experience, to career pathways and industry myth-busting. Keep reading for a full recap.

PANEL 1 – Career Advancement in the Culture of the Insurance Industry

State Farm – Molly Romine, Recruiter
Farmers – Steven Acevedo, Supervisor
Liberty Mutual – John Walters, President, AZ Insurance Institute

Q – What advice do you have for people who are interested in pursuing career opportunities in the insurance industry?

A – We are always looking for people with a positive mentality. It’s so important to always be positive. Do your research – spend time connecting with people in the industry, read blog posts, get to KNOW the industry, learn the acronyms and become a practitioner of knowledge. Be yourself – we want a glimpse into your life, so you can be a superstar and have an amazing experience.

Q – Sometimes Insurance companies get a bad rap. What myths can you shatter?

A – Going in, I was planning on a career pivot within two years because I thought it would be boring! I soon recognized there’s so much more beyond the entry level position. Our company is like a mini-city, you are able to pursue so many other things within the organization. There’s a perception that insurance is all about being an agent. But there are lots of moving parts in areas like claims, underwriting and IT, just to name a few. There’s no college major that doesn’t apply to the insurance industry. There are lots of non-traditional roles. We’ve employed nurses, doctors and even physicists.

Q – What has kept you engaged?

A – The ability to keep on my learning path, finishing up my master’s program with the financial assistance that was provided. Plus, there are so many great people. The industry is known for attention to work-life balance. Only 10% of our workforce is call center and there are work-from-home opportunities at nearly all levels. There’s huge flexibility with work schedules. In the call center we are honoring our commitment to the customer so there is a need for schedule adherence, but we are not looking for robots.

Q- What are the career pathways once employees come on board?

A – I refer to this as career lattice. You can grow sideways – left or right – as well as diagonal. You’re navigating the lattice versus the career ladder. For some, the best career move may be lateral. It’s important to find an internal mentor as well as a mentor within the industry. Identify your interests and strengths. There are plenty of internal opportunities, keep your eyes open and decide which direction you’d like to go. Keep in mind, there are new jobs being created that didn’t exist 5 – 10 years ago.

Q – What are some tips for people who are pursuing senior management roles?

A – There definitely are openings. We’re always looking for talent and there’s always a need for leaders. The positions are typically posted internally first, then externally. If starting at entry level isn’t for you, network in the industry and learn about the jobs that aren’t posted yet. Learning the ropes really helps. We do try to promote from within, which can make it tough for external candidates. However, we know external candidates have valuable niche skills and the desire to compete for these roles.

Q – What is the outlook in the next 2 – 5 years in the insurance industry?

A – Phoenix is a great labor and academic market. The area is not disaster prone (no floods, hurricanes, etc.) so that’s why we’re here. Industry change is being driven by technology, regulation and consumer demand. As technology improves, our ability to serve improves. We’re not like Blockbuster, the movie video tape company that didn’t change with the times.

Q – What are the hot careers?

A – Jobs in IT, telematics, artificial intelligence, data science, programming, data platforms are all really hot. So is leadership. Great leaders can be hard to come by. Showcase your talent from other places you’ve worked.

Q – What are the benefits you offer?

A – We offer a cafeteria-style. It’s very broad and generous. We want your mind free and clear, not worried about insurance coverage. The benefits are not cookie-cutter. We match the diversity of our employee groups. For example: just out of college, single parent, looking to adopt – it’s designed for different stages of an employee’s life cycle. Tuition reimbursement is very popular.

Q – (audience) Are there any programs for hiring seniors (50+)?

A – Jobs are open for people of all ages. Some roles may be more attractive to seasoned job seekers. There’s been a noticeable increase in the number of part-time retirees who are looking for a flexible schedule.

Q – (audience) What is the best way to navigate a job fair? The job I’m looking for is not available and I’m directed to watch the website for postings.

A – There’s no easy answer to this question. If we’re at a job fair looking for customer service people, that’s going to be our focus. The best answer is to dig in on the website and make sure to network. We have employee referral programs, reach out and connect with current employees. They will be motivated to help you.

Q – (audience) – What is the best way to prepare for an interview?

A – Be ready for behavior-based questions. We’ll be looking for specific examples of situations from your past. Come up with a list of 10 examples and practice. This is what happened…this is how I handled it.

PANEL 2 – Never Expected to be Where I am Today – Financial Services

Freedom Financial Network – Heather Marcom, Head of Talent Acquisition
Chase – Lekheythan Malone, Sr. Recruiter
Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation (Financial Training) – Brittany Holmes, Workforce Development Manager

Q – What skills do you need to move into financial services?

A – We hire from all kinds of work experience. It’s really all about how you communicate with customers. We’re not just call centers. There are plenty of opportunities in roles beyond the call center.

Q – Financial services does not always sound exciting and fun. Why do you like this industry?

A – There is a common theme, we are passionate about serving our clients; educating and answering questions to help people achieve their financial goals in life. We have empathy for people when they need our help. We offer great benefits and we’re growing, which is very exciting.

Q – What if a job seeker has no previous financial services experience, are there opportunities?

A – The call center is typically where you start. Although over 50% of our roles are filled internally, we are looking for skills that are transferable. We also focus on a competency and culture fit. Be able to articulate your transferable skills, verbally and on your resume. If we understand your transferable skills, we can help direct you. It takes effort. Do your research and don’t ask, “whadya got?” You should always know what specific job you are seeking.

To build your industry knowledge, make a point of attending an industry conference to network, learn something new or brush up on best practices. Some positions require a license. Getting into a licensing program shows initiative and a commitment that you’re ready for the securities industry. There are four-week programs with outplacement assistance through the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation. (See: Financial Industry Training Open House)

Q – What are the career pathways in financial services?

A – We’re building a path from our customer service “farm team” and coaching people through the career ladder. But we’re still figuring it out because we’re a new company. Internal opportunities are numerous with so many different and diverse lines of business, so there’s lots to explore. It depends on want you want to accomplish in your career and we encourage employees to move around. Managers have career development on their score card, so they are having those conversations with their direct reports.

Q – What is the future of the industry?

A – We are piloting part-time roles in our core services because workforce flexibility is critical. More automation is coming, so make sure you keep up on your skills. You HAVE to be tech savvy, so don’t get left behind. We still need lots of people behind the technology to serve customers.

Q – What are the attractive benefits beyond the standard suite?

A – Freedom Financial Network: Voted Best Place to Work in Phoenix. Cafeteria, coffee bar, covered outdoor seating areas, BBQ, games, core values C.A.R.E., time off on your birthday, time off to volunteer.

Chase: Internal resume and interviewing workshops, coaching and networking. Retirement portfolio flexibility options.

Q – If someone has a credit history issue, are they eligible to work?

A – Yes, you would be eligible for 95% of the roles. A typical background investigation is conducted on prospective employees but only a limited number of roles require a credit history check.

Q – (audience) If I’m looking for a manager role, what job title should I put on my resume to get it through the applicant tracking system?

If you’re applying with just one resume for every job, you’re using the wrong approach. Look at each job description and customize your resume to that job. Drop in key words and don’t worry so much about the job title. Recruiters recognize that job titles can vary. And remember, a recruiter will spend about 30 seconds scanning your resume.

RESOURCES

GCU – Jim Pangborn, Director

GCU offers an IT functionality “boot camp” featuring an in-depth program to build your skills for a career in the technology field. GCU also provides business management MBA programs and continuing education for those interested in adding on to their skill set.

Numerous open staff positions at GCU, featuring:
• Director of Compensation
• Sr. Financial Analyst

jobs@gcu.edu
jobs@gce.com

CLOSING

Jessica Pierce closed the meeting with a review of upcoming events. Up next, “Put Your Strengths to Work – Find a Job that Fits” featuring Stephanie Clergé on Tuesday, January 22nd in Gilbert. Jessica acknowledged the many partners and volunteers who help make Career Connectors a success!