Written by Chris Layfield
Opening
Jessica Pierce, Executive Director of Career Connectors encouraged everyone to stay engaged with Career Connectors:
- Join the LinkedIn Group Discussion, and check the event recap
- Consider volunteering – looking for photographers, audio/visual, and bloggers
- Take the DISC assessment online anytime, and get your business portraits at one of the events, all for free
She also announced a new “Resource” in the Job Seekers section of the Career Connectors website. “Career Advice” contains short articles from experts with great advice.
Keynote
Eric Walton, President of Building Up Leaders LLC
Your job search effectiveness is a function of your “Job Search Competency” multiplied by your “Connection Effectiveness”. “Job Search Competency” includes your resume and LinkedIn foundations as well as job search marketing plans and networking activities. “Connection Effectiveness” is how quickly, deeply, and intentionally you make connections and grow your relationship map. These factors magnify each other! If you doubt this, just ask yourself three questions, “What happens to your resume when you have no connection with the firm or hiring manager?”, “How will your resume and application be treated if you have a connection on the inside?”, “How do your odds increase if you have connected with the hiring manager?” Clearly, if you have a connection, you increase your chances. Here are some tips to manage your relationship:
- Reconnect With Old Connections: Make a “Reconnection Week”. Tab through your list of contacts, and notice who has something new going on. Drop them a note highlighting the fact that you noticed, and offer something new from your end. Do it with 10 people that week.
- Connect With Someone New: Identify people you want to be connected with, and research the heck out of them, looking for what is important to THEM. You don’t want to come across as fake, so keep an eye out for contextual connection points (e.g. having attended the same school in the same state where the school is located may not be enough). Start connecting as soon as you can – real connection takes time. Don’t start with the value you can bring – you don’t get to have that conversation with someone until you have a connection.
- Keep Track of Your Connections: Make a simple table in Word or Excel that lists your actual or prospective connections, whether/how you are connected to each one, the last time you connected (if at all) to each one, and what your future plans to connect are (e.g. more research, phone call, email, LinkedIn, drop-by). If you don’t do this, you will forget.
Hiring Companies
Heather Mitchell, Senior Recruiter
Ring is a cool new product allowing you to monitor the perimeter of your home from anywhere through your smartphone. Ring also has 300 associates in the Valley, and they have plans to hire 200 more. Positions in the area are primarily sales and account management, and the ability to move from entry level quickly is fueled by the huge growth rate and entrepreneurial culture. The company will centralize all local associates in Glendale (Westgate). In addition to career development, benefits include medical/dental/vision, a 401k program, and a staff discount on the product itself. Ring also has a Santa Monica, California location for those looking to relocate.
Check out the <Careers> link at their website.
Bert Stone, Vice President
Matrix Absence Management is a 3rd party of administrator for companies’ FMLA, LTD, STD, PTO, LOA, and ADA benefits. Matrix competes with larger insurance carriers by tailoring products for individual customers, and last year was the highest sales year ever. Matrix is looking to fill claims leadership and claims management positions with individuals who have empathy for people in distress, the ability to get up-to-speed quickly on individual companies’ offerings, and the critical thinking to evaluate medical and vocational information received from multiple sources. Benefits include medical/dental/vision, a 401k plan with 4% company match, flexible spending accounts, PTO, and 10 paid holidays. Matrix’s office is at Peoria Avenue and the I-17.
Check out the <Careers> link under the <Company> tab on their website.
JD Hasna, Director of Talent Acquisition
Freedom Financial Network provides debt relief and debt education services to borrowers. The company is looking to mature after several years as a high-growth start-up, all the while retaining an entrepreneurial spirit in an accountable and collaborative culture. Freedom Financial is located in Tempe at Baseline and the I-10; there are about 1200 associates, and they are looking to grow to ~2200. Entry level and supervisory jobs are available for customer and loan servicing, negotiation specialists, sales, training, HR, and Salesforce engineers.
Check out the <Join Our Team> link on the website.
Kelli Perkins, Area Manager
NESCO Resource is a national temporary staffing and staff-to-hire recruiting firm. Temporary work enables job seekers to increase connections, test out a company’s culture, and keep skills fresh and sharp. NESCO offers contractors medical, dental, vision, and 401k benefits and sometimes more benefits which are assignment-specific. Current openings range from professional (hardware design engineer, technical support, and R&D formulation specialist), to administrative (recruiting coordinator, recruiter, regional administrative assistant, call center supervisor), to industrial (maintenance techs). Go to the website, and attach your resume.
Resources
John Dvorak, Academic Advisor
Canyon State Institute (CSI) offers in-demand, career-based certifications. Certifications are funded through government-backed grants and are available in many areas including:
- Microsoft Office
- Comp TIA
- Cisco Certified Network Administrator
- Medical Support Specialist
- PMI Project Management Professional (PMP)
- SHRM Human Resources
- Process Improvement (e.g. Scrum Master, Six Sigma)
- Digital Marketing Specialist
What sets CSI apart? Small classes (maximum 6 for most programs), career advisors on staff, and the ability to audit the next set of classes while studying to pass national exams.