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03/26/19 – They Want It, and You’ve Got It…How to Communicate Your “It” Factor

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Bridgett McGowen

Written by Jim McBride

KEYNOTE

They Want It, and You’ve Got It…How to Communicate Your “It” Factor

Bridgett McGowen – Awarded International Motivational Speaker, Educator, Author

Are you fit to communicate your “it?” Excite, engage, uplift and inform with your personal “It” Factor in everything you say during job interviews.

From what the box-checking recruiter actually wants, to navigating the hiring manager’s communication style, award-winning speaker Bridgett McGowen enthusiastically addressed our audience of in-transition professionals with a dynamic presentation loaded with tips on delivering your It Factor.

When conducting candidate interviews, Bridgett said recruiters are looking for specifics: CAN you do the job? WILL you do the job? Not a deep dive into your skills but more of a checklist approach on your general experience. Show you’re the right preliminary fit because you’ve worked in similar environments. Your overall interview demeanor is extremely important. Have a superb and enthusiastic mindset. Your mindset is your It Factor.

With hiring managers, Bridgett says to be prepared to converse during the interview in the way they like to communicate. Bridgett targets these four traits to watch for:

• Peacemakers – need a sense of rapport, show you’re comfortable building relationships

• Truth-Keepers – messaging that fits with what they know makes sense and is logical
• Solution-seekers – bottom line thinkers, cut to the chase, no fluff
• Risktakers – need to see energy, bring it and look alive!

When interviewing with the hiring manager, look for opportunities to connect with the company’s mission, vision and/or products and services. What drives them? Find out what the company desperately wants to change and make that change incredibly important to you. Make sure you’re not giving the impression you’re just looking for a job…say, “I’m the best person for this position!”

You’ve likely heard this before. It’s not what you say, but how you say it. Bridgett says, “your It Factor is communicated with everything you say to a recruiter or hiring manager.” So, when interviewing, keep these suggestions in mind:
• Your ability to synthesize is critical – when asked to “tell me about yourself,” focus on themes. Your response should be condensed. Start with your first role, then ascension into leadership, your current/last role.
• Focus more on strengths than on weaknesses – limit harping on what is not working, show commitment to finding solutions and how you’re moving forward and getting better.
• “I am the best person for this position” – sound as if you’re already on the team, give an idea of what life will be like with you on board.

And know this, Bridgett is passionate here, everything you say “has to scream” you’re the right person for the position. Use “we” “our” and “us” so the hiring manager hears what life would be like with you already on the team.
• Excite – drive enthusiasm and gain buy-in and interest in you. “Yes, I can do that.” “Yes, I’m looking for ways to grow and learn”
• Engage – create a connection and build rapport. Find current events about the company, challenges of the position/company, connect with the interviewer
• Uplift – make your message all about how you will elevate the company. It’s not about how you will benefit, but how the company will benefit
• Inform – your background and experience

There is absolutely no doubt that Bridgett really brings the energy when she’s talking about…energy! It Factor energy simply cannot be same-old-run-of-the-mill-I-just-need-a-job-energy. Do not expect success if you’re only mildly interested in being a part of the company. Start every response with affirmative energy, say “yes” “absolutely” “sure” “let me tell you what I did.”

We all reach the point in the job interview when it’s our time to ask questions of the interviewer. Bridgett strongly advocates these It Factor questions:
• What does success look like in this role?
• What is the first problem you want me to solve?
• What can I do to make your job easier?
• What other questions can I answer to help you determine I am the perfect person for this position?

When it comes to articulating your value to an interviewer it’s best to “learn what they have, do, believe and want.” Then, show them that you have what gives them what they want. Enhance your It Factor with a well-crafted value statement:
• Identify what you do incredibly well
• Create a one-line value statement
• “My name is…I help…or, I design…or, I create…”
• Practice – ensure that showtime is not the first time you say it
• Hear the actual words you will say
• See the body language you will use
• Avoid just going through the motions

They want it and YOU’VE GOT IT! Now harness that energy and land your perfect fit.

HIRING COMPANIES

INSIGHT

Eric Johnson, Talent Acquisition Manager

• Mission – We build meaningful connections to help businesses run smarter
• Core Values – Hunger, Heart, Harmony
• Strong values and excellent work culture
• 5300 employees in 20 countries.
• Solving IT needs since 1988, based in Tempe
• Partnering with the top, featured technology brands, global reach

Open Positions:
Internal Auditor
Buyer
Sales Solution Associate
Partner Champion
Financial Services Representative
Benefits Analyst
Contract Specialist
Travel and Expense Analyst
Business Intelligence Analyst

LOGICALIS

Balynda Western, HR Biz Partner

• Global IT company – Managed, Professional and Cloud Services
• 5500 employees worldwide
• Culture – challenging, diverse, fun, flexible, collaborative
• Benefits – medical, dental, vision, unlimited PTO for salaried employees

Open Positions:
Account Executive – IT
Account Executive – Business Development
Business Solution Consultant
Cloud Architect
Service Desk Technician
Solution Architect – Data Center
Technician – Security

RESOURCES

Goodwill of Central & Northern AZ

Ron Mack – Community Awareness Partner

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

Goodwill Career Centers (on-site services)
• Career Advisors – career coaching
• Navigators
• Mock Interviews/Resume Review
• Employment Support and Events
• My Career Advisor
• Digital Skills Training
• Talent Sourcing
• Employer Engagements on site

Community Partnership
• Target the professional job seeker
• Provide awareness at community events
• Ongoing support during job search

Training – Digital Literacy Courses (Computer Basics)
• Basic computer skills, information literacy
• Internet skills, social media, email
• Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Windows, Mac

CLOSING

Jessica Pierce thanked our keynote speaker, the hiring company representatives, valued partners and the many volunteers who make Career Connectors such a terrific resource for those in career transition.

Up next, The MINDset Game™: How to Master Your Mindset to Land Your Next Jobpresented by Vered Kogan on April 4th at GCU. Watch your email for updates each Monday morning.

05/22/18 – Beyond the Job Fit: Finding the Best Culture for You

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Lisa Barrington Best Culture FitWritten by Cindy Nowack

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Beyond the Job Fit: Finding the Best Culture for You
Lisa Barrington

Lisa Barrington helps organizations and individuals as an ICF certified coach, workplace and engagement strategist, and speaker. She works with organizations to foster leadership effectiveness and improve employee engagement, and with individuals to help them reach personal goals and develop their leadership capabilities. Through her experience, she knows the importance of finding the best culture fit based on one’s individual values.

Lisa’s presentation included three important points in finding the best culture for you:

1. How important are values and a company culture match

2. How to identify culture

3. How to fit in with the hiring leader

Culture can mean many different things to people as we found out when Lisa began with the question, “What is culture?” Some of the answers from the audience included environment, how people work, their behavior, values, shared assumptions, myths, and history.

First, you need to know yourself and your top values. If you need more information to understand and know yourself, Lisa’s website offers the VIA survey to identify and rank the 24 character values. If you value teamwork, but the work at your new organization is done individually without any collaboration, this may not be the best work environment for you. If you value kindness or gratitude, but the manager is tough on his employees without recognition for jobs well done, you may want to keep looking for a better work culture.

There are many ways to identify a company’s culture. Look at many factors and research the company through various ways – online through the company’s website or other sites with company information, asking people who work for the company, observing behaviors at the company site when interviewing, and results of published surveys and rankings.

Some factors to consider when identifying a company’s culture include:

Promotions – Do they happen from within the company, ask about the criteria for being promoted.
Company practices – Review the policies and procedures, how the organization operates.
Physical space – Are there work at home options vs. being in the office every day? Are there cubes and offices vs. long tables? Are employees huddled and chatting together vs. quiet with little interaction? You need to determine what works for you.
Online reviews – Review Glassdoor or LinkedIn comments about your target companies. Review qualitative statements to figure out a company’s essence. Start connecting with people at your target companies.
Turnover – This is a key measure in employee engagement and culture. Ask the recruiter or hiring manager for company results, and how do their results compare to the industry average?
Onsite interview – Watch the hiring manager and others carefully. Are there only formatted questions vs. a conversation? Are they paying attention to you or easily distracted?
Mood and tone – Observe everyone you come in contact with, even the security person in the lobby.
Rituals – How do people dress? How do they communicate with each other?
Recruitment process
Community and media presence

Based on your research, you will want to choose five companies that reflect your values and live the culture you want. Once you identify your target companies and have an interview, you will want to confirm that your leader also reflects your values and promotes the company culture. To reveal the leader’s traits, you will want to question or research their following characteristics:

Communication style – Their tone and how they communicate. (Caveat: Just because you may have different styles doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work for them. Sometimes it’s the opportunity for you to grow. Know what you want and need.)
Behavior – How they interact with others in the office, and with you.
LinkedIn – Go to the leader’s LinkedIn page to see their interests, work history, connections, and groups.
Responsiveness – Do they respond with next steps at the expected time?
Followership – How do they interact with people who work for them? How do people speak about them online or through your shared connections?
Values – How do they treat you, respond to you?
Support – How do they support their employees? Are they more focused on goals, employees, or both?

Above all, listen to your instincts. If something doesn’t seem right, try to ask targeted questions that could reveal what is staying below the surface. You want as much information as possible so you can make an informed decision. Your next opportunity should reflect your values and the culture you want, so it’s a good fit for both you and your new organization.

HIRING COMPANIES

GM Financial
Meg Mercanti, Talent Advisor

GM Financial is the global captive finance company for General Motors. Their office in Chandler, near Price and Germann, has customer service, collections, finance and credit departments.

At GM Financial, teamwork isn’t just a buzzword. The company and its employees are committed to excellence, acting with integrity and promoting its culture. Besides health insurance and 401K, other benefits include tuition reimbursement of $30,000 for for a bachelor’s degree and $20,000 for a master’s degree, employee lease and purchase discounts, and a casual work environment.

Currently, GM Financial is hiring 20 people to fill their collections training class beginning on July 9. There is also a credit analyst position available for someone with the appropriate experience. For additional information on these or other open positions, go to www.gmfinancial.com/careers.

Insight
Eric Johnson, Talent Acquisition Manager

Insight is an IT solutions provider that recently went through a global transformation and rebranding. They jumped up 56 spots in the new release of the Fortune 500 companies to now land at Fortune 417. They help their clients “Manage today. Transform the future.” Insight has more than 7,000 employees globally with 26 offices across North America. Their office here at I-10 and Elliott has openings in sales, product management, marketing, accounting and finance. For a complete listing of job openings, go to https://jobs.insight.com.

Manpower
Honey Rivers, Recruiting Manager

Manpower is a staffing agency that takes a personal interest in working with their community partners to place people in the right roles. Honey can help you with openings in customer service, reception, administrative, warehouse, industrial and light industrial areas. If your job interests do not fall in one of these areas, Honey can refer to you one of the other Manpower divisions, such as Experis, which specializes in professional positions.

Manpower benefits include weekly pay, certification and education degree reimbursement, and an inclusive and helping culture. Manpower was recently named one of 2018 world’s most ethical companies.

Some of the current open positions include:

  • Customer service agents
  • Document processors
  • Data entry
  • Production/warehouse
  • Packing/kitting/general labor
  • Seasonal shipping/packing and sorting
  • Administrative/clerical

To apply:

  • Go to www.manpowerjobs.com
  • Create an account and attach your resume
  • Contact the office at 480-824-7976 after registering

RESOURCES

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona
Bobby Ghisolfo, Director Business and Community Development

Goodwill’s mission is to end unemployment in Arizona. There are 22 career centers throughout Arizona available at no cost to everyone in the community. Goodwill works with more than 700 employers, and can help you prepare for your next opportunity through a resume review, mock interviews, and job fairs. There is a virtual platform coming at the end of 2018 which will give access to Goodwill’s resources from your own home.

You can find more information about Goodwill’s job openings and resources at www.goodwill.org/find-jobs-and-services.

CLOSING REMARKS

There is a free hiring event on Thursday June 7 from 11am – 3pm for veterans, transitioning military personnel, national guard members, reserve members and spouses at the University of Phoenix Stadium. For more details, visit recruitmilitary.com/phoenix. 120+ job offers are expected!

State Farm is hiring a variety of full-time positions with start dates in June and July. Claim associates and customer service positions include paid training and available annual pay incentives. To learn more, visit statefarm.com/careers.

Also, be sure to check the schedule for the dates of upcoming June events at careerconnectors.org. A few dates have been moved to accommodate summer programs at our host locations.

12/12/17 – Simple Steps to Face the Challenge and Opportunity of Career Transition

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Simple Steps to Face the Challenge and Opportunity of Career TransitionWritten by: Miriam Spinner

When you expect the best, you release a magnetic force in your mind which by a law of attraction tends to bring the best to you.Norman Vincent Peale

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

Pamela Heward

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!

9/23/14 – There is No Manual for Life

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Written by Debbie Webber

Keynote

Kenyon Curtis is a personal development professional who brought his motivational ideas and techniques to the Career Connectors audience in Gilbert on September 23.

Kenyon began by acknowledging to the standing-room only crowd that he does indeed have two first names, which are often switched around. He also noted that there are quite a few Curtis Kenyons out there that probably have the same challenge with their names.

Kenyon made several points that we all can use to refine our thoughts and motivate us to pursue our goals through to completion. He noted that only 20% of people will succeed in attaining their goals, so his purpose is to help us make progress and become part of the 20%.

He started by reminding us of the Aesop’s Fable about the tortoise and the hare. The tortoise in the story is slow and steady, while the hare is fast. While the traditional moral of the story places the traits exhibited by the tortoise as those to emulate, Kenyon took the opposite view. The rabbit was quick because he was comfortable with his skills. While his fault was stopping to take it easy, Kenyon’s point was that the rabbit could have been successful by changing the way he thought. The hare only needs to alter his way of thinking from “Goal Setting to Goal Getting” to win the race.

The remainder of his presentation concentrated on two main points:

Affirmations don’t work
Kenyon asserts that telling yourself over and over that something is true doesn’t work because our brain’s logic overrides it. For instance, since we (at least most of us) are actually NOT rich, our brains will override an affirmation that states “I am rich.” He recommends we change the affirmation in this example to “I will find more ways to earn and save money.” Our brains are wired to begin working on the solution to the situation we’ve voiced. Instead of conditioning our brains to insist that we are NOT what we are visioning, we are setting the brain up to find a solution, and progress toward the goal begins.

Change “and” to “or”
Kenyon encouraged us to think of the characteristics of the job we’re looking for. Chances are that our ideal is a position at a company with a great culture and good salary and good benefits and a short commute and good growth prospects. All of these particulars make it harder to find that job. If we changed at least a few of the “ands” in our wish list to “ors” it could more easily set us up for success. If we wait for all those “ands” to come to pass we may be setting ourselves up for failure.  Kenyon emphasized that this doesn’t mean you’re settling for less. If you attain most of your “ors” in your job search you will feel successful and that sets you up for future success.

Failure is easy, so work to make it harder by setting goals you can achieve.
Success is hard, so state your goals so that it makes it easier for you to achieve.

Stay focused on your goals, make them attainable and remember that personal development is a continuous process.

Hiring Companies

State of Arizona

Jan Plank,  Human Resources Manager III

Jan encouraged the group to consider thinking about “what you can do that I would pay you money to do.” Her advice to successfully applying for jobs on the Arizona State website include adding an objective at the top of your resume that states exactly which job title you’re applying for and lists the exact requirements from the job description that you fulfill. She also noted that the average age of State employees is about 47, and that mature workers are valued. There are currently over 400 positions available in a variety of agencies. Apply here.

Liberty Mutual 

Kelly Robinson, Talent Acquisition

Liberty Mutual has over 55,000 U.S. employees and is growing rapidly so continues to hire. The insurance company has three locations in the Valley. The I10 and Ray location holds the sales and call center operations, the airport location is the customer service center and the claim division is in Glendale. Kelly is currently recruiting for call center positions, which come with great benefits. Apply here.

Insight

Ryan Buschkamp, Recruiting Manager

As a Fortune 500 company based in Tempe, Insight is a sales company that partners with others to resell their products in order to provide IT solutions to companies and government institutions. The company offers excellent benefits. Open positions include both IT sales and operations. Since Insight is a federal contractor, they can accept applications online only. Check LinkedIn  for open positions, or apply here. Ryan also offered his email address in order to answer your inquiries.

Education Management Corporation

Mark Pierce, Staffing Manager

EMC is composed of The Art Institute, Argosy University, Western State College of Law (as part of Argosy), Brown Mackie College and South University. Student success is the strongest value at EMC and the culture of education and success extends to the employees as well. Mark noted open positions include Administration Reps, Academic Counselors, Financial Aid Processor and Support Analyst. Apply here.

Up Next…

Wednesday, Oct 01, 2014

Phoenix – The Job Fair Game
Hiring: American Express, Insight, Education Management Corp.