Written by: Miriam Spinner
Your LinkedIn profile is glowing, your resume depicts you as a superstar, and you crushed the last interview. So you ask yourself, why aren’t I attracting job offers? Am I overqualified, or is my experience in a certain technological niche outdated?
The problem may have nothing to do with your skills, but rather how you are showing up. Pamela Heward, the keynote speaker, calls it “the work before the work”.
KEYNOTE
Simple Steps to Face the Challenge and Opportunity of Career Transition
All the tools and resources can be wasted with a mindset that isn’t showing our best, says keynote speaker Pamela Heward. When we shift our mindset we gain clarity and rediscover our strengths. You saved the company thousands of dollars, created efficiencies, BUT your mind tells you that no one will hire you. You think “I do not have the right education or credentials.” Right?
Pamela tells us that words are important, they have the power to seep into your head and everything around you.
“I think they get on the walls, they get in your wallpaper, they get in your rugs and your upholstery and your clothes, and finally, into you” – Dr. Maya Angelou
To breakthrough our thinking, Pamela provides 3 simple steps that rewire our mindset:
SIMPLE STEPS
Inventory – Select – Practice – Share (ISPS System)
Step 1 – Inventory
Think about your past experiences – what do you enjoy most about what you do? What compliments do you receive from others? There is something special about you, but not on your resume.
Action for you -> Create your own awesome list.
Step 2 – Select
Tell a story and think about an event from the past that makes you smile. Bring in something interesting to the conversation. Do you like puzzles? Have you visited a special place?
Here is an example:
I am silly at times, I have a passion for words, and I don’t like the limelight. My favorite word is defenestrate.
Keep it short – if it is more than 1 minute, you lose people.
Step 3 – Practice
Practice in front of a mirror or in line at Starbucks. Go to a networking event and meet someone for the first time.
Here is what it looked like on stage:
Pam: Tell me about why you are here and what you are looking for?
Volunteer: I was a programmer using older technology. I am a people person. I like the work environment to be fun. I can translate software in ways that it makes sense to the business. My gift is teaching, though I don’t have the certifications. The problem is that my experience is in a specific technology niche where the jobs were outsourced overseas. I would love to do something different.
Questions/comments from the audience: Did you look at teaching positions? You have transferrable skills.
Pam: Your people and technology skills are a gift. Your block is in transferrable skills. It is overwhelming to take what you have done, and what is possible is huge. Don’t do it alone.
Action for You -> Think about you differently and select your stories. Videotape yourself and solicit feedback from family.
Step 4 – Share
Share what you do and take time to get to know other people. Look for reactions and don’t forget to ask questions.
Use Pam’s 3-Tiered Approach:
1. Answer the question: “What do you do?”
How can you respond to the guaranteed question, “Where do you work?”? Tell them upfront, so they don’t need to ask.
2. Explain what you do
If you take the time to do the inventory and demonstrate your success, you can handle the interview questions. Once you know your stories, you will feel calm.
3. Tell me more
Be sure your stories are short – Pam tells us that a common mistake is that candidates talk too much.
Action for You -> Think about what is awesome about you.
Discovery Session
Contact Pamela for a free discovery session and a game plan.
A message to leave you with……….. Find your positive energy, and your awesome self will shine on the people around you!
HIRING COMPANIES
Insight
Eric Johnson, Talent Acquisition Manager
Insight is a growing company in the valley. They provide full-cycle services including application development, datalinks and data center solutions. There are two locations in the valley with 1500 employees. Their values are Hunger (get the project done), Heart (foundations – you can contribute as an employee), and Harmony. Insight is a large sales organization, and the CIO sits locally. They fill 1300 open positions on an annual basis. Some current openings include: Systems Architect, Information Security Engineer, Project Management Leader, and Data Analyst. View more job openings at Insight.
NESCO Resource
Kelli Perkins, Area Manager
NESCO is a private staffing company with 100 offices. If you are interested in an opportunity, call the recruiter. Don’t just send your resume – pick up the phone and get to know your recruiter. They also want to get to know you – face-to-face is huge in their business. You can register with multiple staffing firms. They also offer paid sick time and medical benefits.
Current openings are in Accounting, Programming, Data Entry, Maintenance and more. Go to NESCO Resource for more information.
State Farm
Molly Romine, Recruiter
Molly started her career at State Farm as a temporary employee for 9 months. She converted to a permanent employee, and has remained at State Farm for 30 years.
State Farm’s growth in the valley the last five years went from 1,100 to 7,000 employees. Molly recommends that when you are searching for an organization, make sure you explore – learn about how the customer is treated, and how employees are valued. Current job openings include: Claim Associate – Express, Java Developer, Public Affairs Specialist, and Legal Secretary. Visit State Farm for a complete job listing.
RESOURCES
Grand Canyon University
Scott Bromander, Head of Education, Non-Degree Technology Programs
When Scott was laid off from Best Buy, he decided to hit the books and give programming a try. He studied all day and taught college at night. He became a software engineer. Scott knows how to program, but he doesn’t think of himself as a programmer. He solves problems with programming. He built a school for all walks of life to help the people that may not understand Technology.
GCU is offering for a limited time a free of charge Coding program from January 8 – April 27 (charge is normally $7,000 – $ 9,000). Students will learn immersive software engineering in a Java pilot program. Application deadline is Sunday, December 17. Contact Scott for more information.
Goodwill of Northern and Central Arizona
Carter Ellis, Employer and Community Relations
Carter took the leap from a 16-year education career to an entry-level position at Goodwill. He loves his new role and his achievements were recognized by his recent promotion.
Goodwill works with 600 employers and provides on-site career development where you can work with professional career counselors. The on-site services are by appointment only from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Services include resume review, mock interviews, and constructive feedback, at no cost.
Go to Goodwill for employment events, talent sourcing and job boards.
CLOSING
Jessica reminded us that pictures are uploaded to the site, so don’t expect to receive your picture in your email inbox.
Your responses to the surveys are important since they tell Career Connectors what you want. Please don’t forget to complete them.
There is one last December event in Scottsdale, and stay tuned for upcoming exciting new partners and speakers for next year!
Happy New Year!
