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personal branding

12/06/17 – Brand Elevation: Power Up Your Influence in 3 Simple Steps

December 13, 2017 by Diane Forner

Brand ElevationWritten by: Connie Huber PHR SHRM-CP

What do Oprah, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Martha Stewart, Jennifer Aniston and Snoop Dogg have in common? Not only are they all celebrities but also masters of personal branding. Personal branding isn’t restricted to the rich and famous but also professionals.

KEYNOTE

Brand Elevation: Power Up Your Influence in 3 Simple Steps
Felicia Davis
There are many factors that contribute to our professional success. Felicia emphasized that “your brand is arguably your most important asset.” But how do you achieve an elevated brand? Felicia provided a road map to a prominent and leading brand.

4 BLIND SPOT BEHAVIORS
Each of us has a behavior that holds us back in achieving our goals. Common blind spots include:

  1. Hiding Out: Are you going incognito and practicing your best introvert self? Are you avoiding putting yourself out there?
  2. Impostor Syndrome: Do you continuously ask yourself, “Am I good enough?”
  3. Clear Boundaries: Are your boundaries clearly defined for you and others you interact with? Boundaries embrace our values/value system. Do you enforce them and do others respect them?
  4. Status Quo Behavior: Are you not putting changes in place and still waiting for magical results? Are you doing just enough to get by?

These blind spots are keeping you on a losing streak of missed opportunities and a powerful brand!

WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE YOU
There are a number of reasons why candidates are selected as a final candidate/promotion. Studies have revealed that 10% are chosen for skills; 30% for passion; and 60% for positioning and presence. It has been shown that presence dictates a “yes” 90% of the time.

HOW WELL BRANDED ARE YOU?
Felicia introduced a mini assessment to establish how well branded we are. Our answers determined if we had a Potential, Rising, Super or Mega Brand. It is important to remember that branding is a process and evolves over time.

BRANDING REQUIREMENTS
Several factors need to be defined and demonstrated by your brand.
1. CLARITY: Who you are and are not.
2. CONSISTENCY: Your message should mirror who you are.
3. CONSTANCY: Continuous visibility to your target audience.

BRAND EFFECTIVENESS
Felicia noted the effectiveness of your brand and its presentation are evaluated by your REPUTATION (gets you known); RELATIONSHIPS (gets you access) and RESULTS (increases your value). Your reputation, relationships and results all measure how effective your brand is.

WELL-EXECUTED BRAND
A well-executed brand brings with it many benefits including:
• Building trust and loyalty.
• Increasing earning potential.
• Engaged conversation, support and evangelism of your message.
• Closing the gap between your identity and the perceptions others have of you.
• Differentiate you as a professional more than price and function.

HOW DO YOU ELEVATE YOUR BRAND?
What a great question? Fortunately, Felicia shared with us her 4 power moves that will elevate your brand:

  1. Know and own your narrative. Your narrative is what shapes your brand identity. There are 3 common challenges in developing your narrative. Those obstacles include “don’t know what you don’t know, voice doesn’t matter, and the comparison trap”. Felicia indicated there are two questions you need to answer to avoid the described challenges. You need to know the answer to “what do you believe about the future success of your field or industry and what will be my role in making it happen”.
  2. Be magnetic. Being a magnet or having brand magnetism requires you to position what you do with the right people at the right time. To be a success you need to be clear on who your audience is and understand their problems, challenges, desires and secret fears. This move also has common challenges including “waiting to be discovered, missing key relationships and unable to articulate value”. One way to resolve these issues is to “be clear about the value you bring and how it impacts the organization.
  3. Develop brand ambassadors. These individuals bring brand loyalty. To develop brand loyalty, you need to be clear that your target audience is your partner in your success. Challenges surrounding this move are commoditized conversations, not knowing the agenda and silo mentality. To resolve these roadblocks, you need to have high-stake conversations and understand the agendas of others.
  4. Get visible. Being visible leads to brand loyalty and brand voice. You need to be noticed, known, and vocal. Those factors challenging your success are the fraud factor, comparison & conflicting messages. Becoming visible requires you to avoid being invisible, a voyeur, laying low & watching others shine. Most importantly you need to decide where you would like to be.

DEVELOP YOUR STRATEGY
Developing your strategy to achieve your desired brand requires you to know the answers to “What do I want to be known for?”; “What do I want to be known as?”; What do I need to give up in order to be visible and create my desired legacy?”; and “What’s the first step?”

As you elevate your brand, remember that it is a process and does not happen overnight. The rewards from a powerful brand may not make you a well-known celebrity but you will be a rising star in your profession.

Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.Jeff Bezos, Amazon

HIRING COMPANIES

AZ DES
Ruth Ford, Recruiter

The mission of AZ DES is to help Arizonians reach their potential through temporary assistance for those in need, and care for the vulnerable. There are several divisions providing a full array of services: Aging and Adult Services, Benefits and Medical Eligibility, Child Support Services, Developmental Disabilities, Employment and Rehabilitation Services, Early Intervention Program and Community Outreach.
Employee benefits include medical, dental, and short and long-term disability insurance; paid time off; work-life balance and retirement. A sampling of current openings are Employee Relations Specialist, Child Support Services Call Center Agent, Caregiver, Case Manager Lead-Early Intervention, Rehabilitation Services Specialist 3, Auditor 2, Physical Therapist, Training Officer 2, Financial Exploitation Manager, State Monitor Advocate, and Core Services Engineer/Supervisor. If interested, apply on the AZ DES website.

Lifewell Behavioral Wellness
Wendy Christensen, Recruiter

Lifewell Behavioral Wellness was formed in 2011 as part of a merger. The organization has over 80 years of cumulative experience and offers a wide array of services and care for adults who are diagnosed with a serious mental illness, general mental health issues and substance abuse disorders. Services range from residential, outpatient, supported housing to vocational rehabilitation services; and transportation.
Lifewell offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, personal and professional growth; learning and development; and having a positive impact in their client’s life. Available opportunities are Clinician Associate I(BHPP), Application Developer, Claims Specialist, Drivers, Intake and Housing Specialist, Client Service Representative, Case Manager, Psychiatrist, Maintenance Technician and Therapist. For more details and apply online.

All About People
Desirae Noonan, Corporate Branch Manager

All About People is a staffing and recruiting firm that puts people first whether those individuals are job seekers, client companies or franchise owners. The firm is “generalist” by nature. Opportunities are everything from clerical/administrative needs to senior leadership and all corporate functional areas in between. Current openings are Credentialing Specialist, Claims Specialist, HR Benefits Coordinator, Part Time Customer Service, Recruiter, Clinical Administrator, Bankruptcy Legal Assistant, Accounting Specialist, Tax Accountant, Exam Technician, Legal Secretary and more. Please refer to the website for more details.

Allstate
Tom Wheeler, Field Sales Leader

Allstate was established in Chicago in 1931 and has been in business for 80 years. Allstate is #81 on Fortune 100 list and has an employee population of 70,000 employees in the US and Canada. The SW region is composed of AZ, OK, NV, NM and UT. Allstate is one of the most recognizable brands in America and has 47 products to help serve its customers’ needs.
Available positions include Claims Analyst, Product Management, Information Technology, Agency Owner and Licensed Sales Producers. The company is military friendly and offers free education to veterans and a bonus award of $500. In addition, Allstate has a $10,000 referral award. To learn more about careers visit Allstate’s website.

RESOURCES

Grand Canyon University
Scott Bromander, Head of Education, Non-Degree Technology Programs

Grand Canyon is launching a Coding program. Students will learn immersive software engineering in a Java pilot program free of charge. Students need to complete the program to avoid tuition costs. Prior coding experience is not required. Classes start January 8 and run until April 27, 2018, Monday-Friday, 9 am- 5 pm for 15 weeks. The program is limited to 20 students. Candidates must complete admissions requirements to be considered for the program by December 17. Interested applicants are to contact Scott Bromander.

Coder Camps
Jason Jones, Sr. Admissions Advisor

Coder Camps prepares students for a career in software development with immersive coding boot camps, online instruction, and career placement support. Graduates are equipped with a practical knowledge of full-stack software development, interview skills and a portfolio demonstrating their abilities. Coder Camps’ accelerated learning programs are offered full-time, part-time and online. The school is the only code camp to offer graduates lifetime access to all courses, a community of developers, and career services for free. For more information or to apply, visit their website.

CLOSING

Jessica Pierce, Executive Director, Career Connectors, closed the meeting by thanking North Phoenix Baptist Church and the volunteers. For additional information on this event and future events, please visit the Event Schedule. 

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.Maria Robinson

Filed Under: Event Recaps Tagged With: Lifewell, AZ DES, Allstate, personal branding, All About People

6/7/17 – Is Your Image a Deal Breaker or a Door Opener?

June 12, 2017 by Sheila

Is Your Image A Door Opener or Deal BreakerWritten by: Connie Huber PHR SHRM-CP

Most job seekers know and understand the value of a positive image. However, many of us struggle in defining what “image” means. Laura Morgan Roberts, a professor at Harvard Business School, defines professional image as the “set of qualities and characteristics that represent perceptions of your competence and character as judged by your key constituents.” Image is not restricted to dress but embraces many other factors including:
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The importance of image starts when you walk through the door for an interview.
ADVANCEMENT: Career advisors encourage job seekers to dress for the desired job. As a reminder, your attention to your image needs to be addressed when interacting with supervisors and its overall style represent your personality and goals.
CLIENT MANAGEMENT: Clients, like everyone else, form an opinion of your capabilities based on your image.
IMPROVING YOUR IMAGE: Working on your image is a continuous opportunity since it opens the door to building your character and opportunities.

Keynote Speaker

Is Your Image a Deal Breaker or a Door Opener?

Gloria Petersen, @GlobalProtocol

Gloria shared with us her expertise in how we could make our image a door opener!

YOUR IMAGE IS YOUR TRADEMARK!
• What you wear, why you wear it, and how you wear it says a great deal about you.
• Clothing expresses your individuality, values, and inspirations.
• Remember your image goes everywhere you go.
• How you communicate, handle a conversation and interact are essential components of your image.
• Research companies you are interviewing with to determine the dress code/standards.
• Dress one level up for your interview.

IDENTIFY YOUR INDUSTRY
• Creative industries include retail/fashion, public relations, technology,
cosmetology and entertainment.
• Moderate industries are consulting, training manufacturing, education and sales.
• Conservative industries are represented by banking, medical, law, government and management
• Job seekers need to dress to meet expectations.
• Viewing the company’s Board of Directors or stock images will provide details on an organization’s dress.

LOOK, ACT, AND SPEAK LIKE THE BETTER PRODUCT
• Doing so will inspire trust with your appearance, posture, and eye contact.
• Eye contact is a powerful part of your image!

TODAY’S WORKFORCE
• The one time professional dress of the workforce has evolved greatly. Most organizations promote casual dress.
• In attending interviews, it is easy to make your formal presentation more casual by asking permission to remove a suit coat.
• Make sure your image matches what you say you are. If you are a detail-oriented professional, be sure your shoes are not scuffed.
• With the emphasis of a casual environment promotes more relaxed behaviors.
• It is more important than ever to handle people, situations and one’s own behavior with diplomacy, dignity, finesse, tact, and civility.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS FOR FEMALE PROFESSIONALS
• Use makeup to create a polished look.
• Blush brings out the color of eyes while mascara will brighten your eyes.
• Wearing a necklace will encourage the interviewer to look at your face during your responses.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS FOR MALE PROFESSIONALS
• Well-groomed facial hair or clean-shaven is best.
• Ill groomed hair or hairpieces are distracting and risky.
• Mustaches should not exceed your lips.

MIRROR THE IMAGE OF YOUR DESIRED POSITION
• Dress for the position you are seeking. If you are seeking a position with a casual workforce, you would not wear a three-piece suit.
• Your dress should project the pay grade you are seeking. If you are interviewing for a CEO position, you are encouraged to dress more formally in quality fabric.

FOR THE MEN….DETAILS = DETAIL MINDED
• The widest part of you tie should be even with you waist.
• Your belt should be the same color as your shoes.
• Trimmed haircut.
• Clean shaven.
• Warm smile.
• Feel confident.
• Formal dress.
• Firm handshake.
• Correct body posture.
• Wearing a tie establishes the strategy of accomplishing efforts with a purpose. It is also a sign of authority.

FOR THE WOMEN….DETAILS = DETAIL MINDED
• Your skirt length should be above the knee or maxi.
• Add color to dark solid suiting. The eye goes wherever color goes.
• A necklace adds authority and will guide the interviewer’s eyes to focus on your face as you communicate.
• High Quality + Exquisite Tailoring + Contrasting Colors = The Look and Feel of Power

You have SEVEN seconds to make a good first impression! -Psychology Today

BODY LANGUAGE
• Approach with confident posture.
• Body language is a composite of messages.
• Remember how your body language sends positive/negative messages.
• A person’s eyes and smile, sets the tone of interaction.
• When shaking hands mimic the strength of the other person. Keep in mind how your handshake makes the other person feel.

BEHAVIOR IMPRINT
DEAL BREAKER
• Cell phone present.
• Raise voice when on cell phone.
• Interrupts conversation.
• Self-serving, Opinionated.
• Ungrateful, Disrespectful.
• Gloom and doom attitude.
• Contradicts.

DOOR OPENER
• Cell phone on mute and out-of-site.
• Conscious of voice volume.
• Listens for comment opportunity.
• Aware of others, Open to opinions.
• Demonstrates appreciation, Respectful.
• Engages the up side of situation.
• Supports.

FINAL REMINDERS
• Interviewers are looking for people connectors.
• Your appearance, body language, and behavior should project confidence and competence.
• Your attitude should enhance your qualifications, not be the distraction.
• When networking at an event, look for someone standing alone or odd numbers.
• Balance a conservative demeanor since a conservative presence is interpreted as controlling.
• Be sincere and transparent.
• Older job seekers need to focus on value and what he/she brings to the table.

 

Hiring Companies

ADOT/Arizona Department of Transportation
@ArizonaDOT
Rob Briggs, Talent Acquisition
Gabriel Barraza, Recruiting Coordinator

ADOT is a multi-modal transportation agency responsible for planning, building, operating and maintaining a complex highway system in addition to providing motor vehicle services throughout the state. Arizona Department of Transportation also operates the Grand Canyon Airport and publishes the award-winning AZ Highways magazine. The organization’s mission is to provide safe, efficient, cost effective transportation systems. ADOT embraces a culture in which every employee has the opportunity to be a leader upholding their values of accountability, integrity and respect. The State of Arizona provides excellent comprehensive benefits including affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans; top-ranked retirement and long-term disability plans; accrued vacation pay and sick days; 10 paid holidays per year; deferred compensation plan; and wellness plans. A sampling of current positions represented are highway operations, administrative, finance, operations, engineering, customer service (MVD) and many more. For the latest job openings and to apply online, please visit the ADOT website.

VincentBenjamin
@VBenjaminTalent
Mike Bidak, Executive Recruiter,BD
Mike Gonzalez, Executive Recruiter, BD

VincentBenjamin was founded in 2009 and is located in Phoenix, Denver, Orange County and Los Angeles. For 3 consecutive years VincentBenjamin has been honored to make the Inc. 5000 List for fastest growing private companies in America and Phoenix Best Places to Work. The firm specializes in IT, Accounting and Finance Staffing including contract and permanent placements.
There are several reasons a job seeker should work with VincentBenjamin. From a client perspective, positive motives include specialized recruiters who understand highly technical skill sets; small company feel but backed by a large organization; and excellent client/candidate matching. From a candidate perspective, candidates will find follow up; building relationships; employer understanding & relationships; and understanding needs and skill sets. Roles VincentBenjamin is looking for are all levels of positions in AP/AR, Admin, Service Desk, Project Managers, and Software Engineers to CIO & CFO. Internal positions include roles on both verticals-IT and Accounting/Finance, Recruiters and Admin. Staff. If interested, apply directly from open jobs on VincentBenjamin site.

Chase
@ChaseCareers
Lekheythan Malone, Sr. Recruiting Professional

Chase’s global reach allows employees to get where they want to go. Whether the candidate wants to sharpen their skills or gain something new, they will have the experience that offers flexibility to move to another division or country if desired. Chase’s workplace is where you feel welcomed and valued; and creates diverse, inclusive teams that support Chase’s business and each other. Chase is heavily invested in its communities and encourages employees to do the same. Benefits include health care and insurance plans, retirement savings programs, wellness programs, employee programs and family care. A sampling of current jobs in demand are customer service, collections, business development sales, loan underwriters, client services advisors, relationship and private client bankers and tellers. To apply go the Chase website.

Allstate
@AllstateCareers
Jill Romanowski, Agency Process Specialist

Allstate was founded 86 years ago in Chicago, Illinois. The organization has a broad and diverse portfolio that offers up to 47 products to better serve customers’ needs. The SW Region is growing quickly and is represented in AZ, OK, NV NM and UT. Tempe houses the regional office for the Phoenix area. Benefits are robust. Some different offerings include group legal, adoption reimbursement, childcare discounts, flexible work schedules, good life, and lifeworks employee assistant program. Allstate is an advocate for hiring the military and their spouses. The company is supportive in community giving to community grants, disaster preparedness education, greater good grants, teen safe driving and Purple Purse Domestic Violence. Allstate has a generous referral program of $10,000. Open positions include claims adjusters & claims analyst, education consultant & sales leadership, financial analyst & product analyst, corporate relations & marketing internships, customer advocates, HR and small business owner. For additional information go to Allstate careers.

Closing

Sheila Coulam, Director of Programs, Career Connectors, closed the meeting by thanking North Phoenix Baptist Church and the volunteers. The next Career Connectors meeting will be in Scottsdale on Thursday, June 22, 2017 and features Jean Briese as speaker for the topic “Discover and Unleash Your SuperPower”. For additional information on this event and future events, please visit the website.

Filed Under: Event Recaps Tagged With: ADOT, Chase, vincentbenjamin, personal branding, Gloria Petersen

5/15/17 – Overcoming Job Search Anxiety

May 16, 2017 by Susan Lamphiear

Overcoming Job Search AnxietyWritten by Susan Lamphiear

Ever had anxiety over having to change one of your many passwords that have become a part of life in our high tech lives? Ever worry about your kids, your spouse, and your bills?  Ever get nervous when the boss invites you into the office at the end of the day? Ever get anxious when you think you’ve lost data off your computer?  All reminders that anxiety, stress, worry, fear, have become part of our modern day life. So, is it any wonder that a job hunt or job transition provokes anxiety?

But there is hope for managing high anxiety which is often part of that job hunt.

Keynote

“I’ve been on four interviews only to hear nada, crickets, zilch feedback.” Keynote speaker Andy Gray admits he’s “been there.”

“One of the great conundrums of job hunting. You feel  lousy after a bad interview.” Then after a good interview you feel upbeat, even great, and start making plans.

“And then the rejection (or the no-contact) makes you feel lousy. So just in general, you feel lousy all the time.” You feel anxiety.

Andy Gray, who has been on both sides of the interview, is here to remind job searchers that even though anxiety is almost certainly a part of any career search or job transition, if we’ve worked at other careers, other jobs, then we’ve experienced our share of anxiety there, too.

Andy wants to give job searchers hope by offering tips on handling the anxiety and stress inherent in job searches and compares that anxiety to handling anxiety on the job—they’re similar and they are controllable. With over 35 years of experience working in marketing and communications, Andy’s expertise has helped him mentor and guide people seeking career change.

Andy broke into his current career in coaching and mentoring when he helped one of his sons who was just getting out of college to manage his job search. Andy helped his son with the process involved in landing a job.  Based on his own career experiences, and his background in marketing, Andy advises job candidates at all levels to think of themselves as their own product they’re marketing.

Think of your last job and how much time and effort you spent. Apply that same concept in your job search. Be prepared to write down your goals and strategies, not just think about them. There’s power in writing it down. When Andy learned famed Dallas football star Emmett Smith wrote down his goals in football every year, Andy started writing his goals every year, too.

Andy’s Advice to Manage Job Search Anxiety

The entire process of the job hunt strategy — including preparation, practice, positive attitude and respect for the job search —  will help reduce anxiety during the job search.

Preparation

Devote as much time and work as the projects you managed or participated in –projects that went well and that you were proud of. Didn’t these positive outcomes give you confidence?

  • Identify your purpose.
  • Write down your value. Andy wrote, “Senior executive who has directed, centralized and strengthened how customers are acquired and retained.”
  • What is your goal? Andy wrote,  “My goal is to present myself as someone who is accomplished and skilled in the Marketing discipline and as someone who is very experienced in structuring, organizing and demonstrating the value of marketing to companies.”
  • Write your introduction and background.
  • Write down your strategy.
  • Create your personal brand. Personal branding is the practice of people marketing themselves and their careers as brands. Personal branding is the ongoing process of establishing a prescribed image or impression in the mind of others about you. You’re being judged every day in your job hunt, so you need to be in A game all the time, just as you would adopt that attitude in any paid job or project.
  • Prepare to talk about tangible experiences, strengths, and areas of improvement you desire (aka “weaknesses”), presenting areas desired for improvement in the best possible light.

Practice

  • Don’t just think about what you’re going to say, practice it, whether it’s online, with your cell phone, with a friend, or in front of a mirror.  Practice 30 and 60 second messages. Prepare for information meetings, not just interviews.
  • Practice dressing the part and practice stance, walk and sitting. Even on the phone, dress up! Videotape yourself.
  • Ask yourself how much work and time did you devote to projects you’ve managed? Replicate that effort in your job hunt.

Maintain Correct Attitude

  • Manage your own expectations
  • “You can’t control the process, but you can influence it.” Marty Neumeier, The Brand Gap
  • Make a list of who and what you can influence
  • Use LinkedIn to your advantage
  • Shore up a required skill or learn new skills
  • Volunteer
  • Stay healthy

Respect the job search process

  • Nothing happens easily.  Plus consider the other side of the job hunt—the hiring manager. What you think isn’t necessarily what the other person thinks.
  • Be positive through research. Get to know more that just the company culture before applying. What’s their hiring process and interview questions, who will you be meeting, latest industry and regulatory trends, and the latest company trends and SWOTS (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, four elements of an organization, project, or business venture).
  • Do your homework, adopting the mantra to underestimate and over deliver.
  • Remember your resume will face a lot of competition.
  • 1000 individuals will see a job post.
  • 200 will begin the application process.
  • 100 will complete the application.
  • 75 of those 100 resumes will be screened out by either the TS or a recruiter. Tip: Many ATS systems may not be able to scan and read PDF files.
  • Only 200 seconds to receive the 1st resume after a position is posted, only 17% of recruiters read cover letters, 61% of recruiters reject resumes with typos, and unprofessional email addresses will be rejected 76% of the time.
  • Consider this: Deloitte, a top accounting firm, brags it only hires 3.5% of applicants. And Google gets over 1M applicants per year. During its robust hiring periods, they hire 4000 people 4/10 of 1%.

Remember, in life and in the job hunt, some days don’t go well. It happens. So, move on. But move on confident you know how better to handle anxiety of the hunt.

Hiring Companies

Waste Management

Sam Mobley, Talent Acquisition Advisor & Cesar Retamal, Director of Inside Sales

Waste Management, located at I-17 and Bell, employs 1500 people and boasts 25 million customers. Concerned with sustainability, the company is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America, providing services ranging from collection and disposal to recycling and renewable energy generation. The company maintains a low attrition rate and attracts qualified talent, including their leaders.  They strive to keep their existing customers while continuing to bringing in new business.

Career areas include transitioning military, programs for college grads, experienced professionals, front line operations, and internships. Specific openings include Inside Sales Rep, Account Manager, Collector and Customer Service Rep. Advantages of working at WM include laptop, cellphone, vehicle reimbursement, plus comprehensive health care benefits, 401K and more. To learn more about the company and specific positions available, and to apply, visit their website.

The Hartford

Ted Williams, Sr. Staffing Coordinator and Chet Joshi, Sr. Talent Acquisition Consultant

The Hartford is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds.  Employing 18000 employees, the Phoenix site employs 500 people who handle personal lines operations, groups benefits operations, auto claims, property claims, workers compensation claims, general liability claims, auto bodily injury claims and commercial claims. Voted the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute for the ninth time, they’re also among the top 100 companies for remote work, at 35%; other awards include diversity innovation, best employer for healthy lifestyles, military ties best for vets and corporation of the year by Latinas & Power Leadership.

Service center job opportunities include customer payment associates, customer service consultants, and customer sales representatives. It’s not a call center but instead a very professional service center where the focus is not on how long you’re on the phone but instead the quality of the service. The company offers fulltime, part time and flex schedules. Benefits include comprehensive healthcare starting on day one, 19 PTO days per year plus 8 company paid holidays, health savings account, tuition reimbursement, wellness initiatives to decrease healthcare premiums, and life insurance. To learn more about The Hartford, visit their website.

NESCO Resource

Kelli Perkins, Area Manager

NESCO Resource, a temporary staffing company since 1956, has gradually grown from IT to service a wide range of industries through a branch network and national recruiting centers, and supports Engineering, IT, Administrative, Industrial, and Accounting & Finance specialties.

Winning a number of awards, its parent company NESCO, is a Fortune 1000 company. Ranked as one of the fastest growing US staffing firms, they have over 90 branch offices including Peoria and Tempe.

Current NESCO Hot Openings including professional, clerical and industrial. If you see an opportunity, call to speak with a recruiter and they will schedule an appointment. Keep your resume updated including volunteering but be prepared to customize. NESCO benefits include the chance to test out the culture of companies, health/welfare benefits and benefits specific to the assignment.

To apply call for an appointment, or visit their website.

State Farm

DeAnne Prigmore, Recruiter

State Farm, a stable insurance company in business for 95 years, has a mission to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. Not just about selling insurance,  the company offers jobs in many areas including immediate and ongoing opportunities of claim associate, CCC sales rep, CCC service rep, State Farm Bank, and Systems/IT. Experience, including legal, is needed in the area of claims, property, total loss and injury.

Benefits of working at the Tempe location include their Marina Heights facility — a two million square feet area, 8000 employees, with retail space including Starbucks, Matt’s Big Breakfast, Mountainside Fitness, Honor Health, Grab-n Go, with more on the way.

Job opportunities include accounting, administrative support, claims and investigation, customer service, facilities management and administrative services, legal, compliance and risk management, human resources, marketing, research and analytics, sales support, technology and sales experience, and underwriting and actuarial.

Feel free to visit the Tempe site which is open to the public. For more information or to apply, visit their website. You may also apply online to open positions, and you may apply using LinkedIn.

Resources

Coder Camps

Jason Jones, Senior Admissions Advisor

Coder Camps prepares individuals to become web developers. Coder Camps has campuses in Scottsdale and Seattle. It’s a fast-growing, understaffed field. They teach  full-stack web development and partner with their students to find work within the field. With training and five years’ experience a coder can earn $100,000.

Coders are so needed that it’s also been impossible to keep up with the need for trainers for these camps. Currently 223,000 coder jobs are available that go unfilled because there are not enough people trained for this field. You need little or no training in coding to attend a boot camp. Currently, there’s also a huge push for women in this technological field so $2000 scholarships are available for women.  A 12-week coder camp completion also means free ongoing training for life.

For more information or to apply, go to their website.

Closing

Executive Director of Career Connectors Jessica Pierce closed the formal part of the meeting. She thanked volunteers and the beautiful facility, Highlands Church, for hosting the event. Attendees were invited to fill out forms to apply for gift cards, available based on income, courtesy of Highlands, for individuals in career transition. Jessica reminded everyone that they are all eligible to take the DISC assessment free through the Career Connectors website. During breakout sessions, all in attendance have a chance to obtain assistance in LinkedIn and resume writing; to have a professional head shot taken; and to speak with hiring company representatives.

Please note: Because of church scheduling, the next Scottsdale event of Career Connectors will be held on the third Thursday of June – June 22, 2017 — rather than the second Thursday. Keynote speaker will be Jean Briese, speaking on the topic of Discover and Unleash Your SuperPower.

For details about times, dates and topics for upcoming events, click here.

Parting Thought:  Check out on You Tube So Much Anxiety by Standup comedian Aparna Nancheria.

 

Filed Under: Event Recaps Tagged With: waste management, Coder Camps, The Hartford, NESCO Resource, personal branding, career transition, State Farm

4/13/17 – Developing and Living Your Personal Brand

April 21, 2017 by Sheila

Developing and Living your Personal BrandWritten by: Daniel Tetrick

When we think of a brand, we traditionally think about a business or product. Companies work very diligently to craft and protect their brands. After all, a strong brand ties together the perceived value and emotional satisfaction that a consumer receives from purchasing or using a product or service. The concept of a brand, however, also applies to individuals. A job applicant needs to convince hiring managers they will obtain value and achieve emotional satisfaction upon hiring the applicant.

Keynote

Developing and Living Your Personal Brand
Michael Seaver, @michaelsseaver

Michael Seaver is an executive coach and leadership consultant. He is a Certified Professional 12 Driving Forces® Analyst, a Certified Professional Behavior Analyst, and a Thunderbird School of Global Management MBA. Michael sees personal branding as “connecting your life’s narrative into direction.” This entails a concept he calls storypathing, or integrating past experiences into your future. Lessons learned and knowledge gained from past experiences are the building blocks for building a personal brand for the future.

Entrepreneurship
Employment does not have to mean working as an employee for a business, government, or non-profit entity. Employment can also mean entrepreneurship and contract work, and job seekers should consider seriously starting and running their own businesses. Many job seekers have skills and experience gained from their career paths that could be applied successfully to starting their own businesses. Why don’t more job seekers consider being an entrepreneur? A common reason is fear of failure. But as we shall see, failure should be embraced, not feared.

Celebrate Failures
It sounds antithetical to how most of us feel after failure, but failing to achieve one’s intention should be celebrated and rewarded. There is no success without taking a risk. Inaction results in nothing. Everyone hopes to achieve success, but even if you fail after taking action you have gained valuable insight. And those lessons learned are the building blocks for developing your personal brand for the future. For example, while job hopping is not criticized as much as in the past, some hiring managers may question an applicant about recent short-term stops listed on his or her resume. In such a scenario, the applicant should convey the circumstances, acknowledge the mistake, and articulate the lessons learned. For additional information on overcoming mistakes Michael suggests Brene Brown’s book and TED Talk “Daring Greatly”.

Individuality
Individuality is what makes each person’s brand unique, and that individuality is influenced by our various social groups. You are the average of the five people that you spend the most time with outside your family. Think of those five people. What are their characteristics? How are they different? That composite profile is likely a core component of your personal brand.

The Hero’s Journey
Superheroes in movies today follow a common a path:

Introduction of Characters > Bad Guy Wins > Superhero Works to Resolve > Superhero Wins

The journey a superhero takes to overcome failure is not unlike the journey everyday people take to overcome great challenges. And the lessons learned from failure and overcoming challenges are the basis for a personal brand of the future. Here is how to apply the Hero’s Journey to build a personal brand:

1) Take the DISC Assessment to identify behavioral traits, talents, and motivators

2) Past: analyze past experiences

Past by Michael Seaver3) Present: assess current interests and activities

Present by Michael Seaver

4) Future: identify goals and desired outcomes

Future by Michael SeaverCompleting the four steps will result in the discovery of patterns and themes. These can be used to build the guiding statements of a personal brand:

Guiding Principles by Michael Seaver

Using a Personal Brand
• Use branding statements on resumes and LinkedIn profiles
• Tailor communication to fit your personal brand
• Color can play a large role in branding. Blue conveys stability and trust. Red conveys excitement and boldness.
• Body language sends a nonverbal message about a personal brand
• Take a strategic approach to building an online personal brand

Living Your Brand
Need a jumpstart on creating a personal brand? Michael suggests sending an email to those who know you and your work well to ask for their input on your top three strengths and to provide an example when one was displayed. Look for commonalities in their responses. You may have found the start of your personal brand. Finally, remember that personal brands are largely derived from the lessons learned and knowledge gained from the journey taken to overcome obstacles and failures. These lessons often occur during times of great transition: around ages of late twenties and then again around age fifty. Wouldn’t it have been helpful to gain insight from someone who has been through the struggles? Be the person you needed when you were younger.

Hiring Companies

Varsity Tutors
Adriana Martinez, Recruitment Manager
Varsity Tutors provides tutoring, test prep, and other educational services to students of all levels. Its vision is “to connect experts to learners in any subject, anywhere, any time.” With its headquarters in St. Louis, MO, and a local office in Scottsdale, Varsity Tutors provides its services either online or in-person on over 700 subjects. Technology is a priority for Varsity Tutors as it looks to expand its subject list and expand internationally. The typical office attire is casual: jeans and a t-shirt. Current open positions include Sales Representative, Sales Trainer, Sales Manager, Customer Care Specialist, Software Engineer, Tech Support Specialist, and Human Resources Director. Get further information and apply on Varsity Tutors’ website here. Interested in being a tutor? Click here.

Arizona Office Technologies
Octavio Duarte, Corporate Recruiter
Arizona Office Technologies (AOT), a wholly owned subsidiary of Xerox Corporation, is Arizona’s largest consulting firm specializing in workflow optimization. With its headquarters in Phoenix and offices in Tucson and Prescott, AOT provides services and technology related to print and document management. Benefits at AOT include: medical, 401k, PTO, life insurance, corporate discounts, and eligibility to qualify for the President’s Club trip. Job seekers looking for opportunities in sales, administrative, field technician, and warehouse operations can find open positions and apply on AOT’s website here.

Modis
Courtney Cassano, Recruiter
Modis is a subsidiary of The Adecco Group, the largest staffing agency in the world. Modis specializes in placing IT and engineering professionals in temporary, direct placement, and contract-to-hire positions. Benefits that Modis offers its contractors include: medical, dental, 401k, short-term disability, and term life insurance. Modis also provides its contractors with professional development resources and training from its SkillBuilder application. Modis is proud of its recognition and retention programs with its associates. Job seekers looking for positions in application development, project management, data management, web and content development, architecture, or IT infrastructure management can search jobs and submit a resume here.

Resources

Goodwill of Central AZ
Carter Ellis, Professional Career Advisor @GoodwillAZ
Goodwill works with all job seekers. Its services are free to both job seekers and companies. Goodwill maintains a job board with many internal leads from companies across the Valley. In addition, Goodwill provides resources to job seekers, such as career advice, resume preparation and mock interviews. Please reach out to Carter Ellis with any questions.

Closing

Jessica Pierce concluded the event with some final thoughts and reminders:
• Check out Career Connectors’ Career Advice Blog for insight and suggestions to empower and energize your career search
• Take a free DISC assessment courtesy of Career Connectors and Top Talent Consulting
• Utilize the available resources offered by Career Connectors at each event: resume review, career coaching, LinkedIn coaching, financial/insurance coaching, and business portraits
• The West Valley Healthcare Career Expo is April 19, 2017, from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at The Colonnade at Peoria Sports Complex

Next event is Tuesday, April 25th, 9:00 am in Gilbert: “Start Strong, Finish Stronger: Your Best Self in Your Next Chapter”

Filed Under: Event Recaps Tagged With: Michael Seaver, Varsity Tutors, personal branding, arizona office technologies, Modis

10/25/16 – 5 Steps to Creating a Bombshell Personal Brand

October 28, 2016 by Marty Allison

Written by Marty Allison

 

Opening

Jessica Pierce, Executive Director of Career Connectors

Jessica welcomed everyone to the event at Central Christian Church in Gilbert, AZ.  She provided the Twitter information of @CareerConnected to connect with Career Connectors via Twitter.  She noted that there were some layoffs in the Phoenix area over the past few weeks so she hoped that any attendees impacted by those circumstances could connect with resources.  Jessica announced that Coder Camps of Scottsdale is sponsoring Career Connectors events for the rest of the year.

 

Keynote Speaker

Dayna Mathews, Career & Personal Branding Strategist

Dayna opened up by comparing who she was in 2010 with who she is today in 2016.  Six years ago, she was a new college graduate relocating from a Minnesota town of 315 people to the Phoenix metro area.  Her job put her in situations outside of her comfort zone where she would need to talk about herself.  A divorce got her out of the wrong relationship and things are very different today (beyond the recent name change to Dayna Ciarfalia).

Behind the change for Dayna was hard work, determination and PURPOSEFUL action.  LinkedIn and other social media helped her become successful.  When her job took her outside of her comfort zone, she learned skills in how to network, which helped her with her later career.

Choose 3 words that say how you want others to see you.

When it comes to personal branding, it is incredibly important to be AUTHENTIC.  You don’t need to be anyone other than who you are (and you don’t need to present yourself as perfect).  You should be the same in-person and online.  You need to DECIDE what you want to be known for, what problems you want to solve.  Once you make this decision, then others are better able to support you.  PUBLISH & PROMOTE YOURSELF, realizing “I deserve to promote myself.”  People cannot give you credit if you don’t promote yourself.  A good tip is to write a relevant article for you industry on LinkedIn.  Stay CONSISTENT.  Find a way to add value to the experience of others in your field on a regular basis, such as through a monthly article, which builds your credibility.

Your personal brand applies to several areas.

  • LinkedIn – Tell your story, build credibility, tell what you do best, and tell the reader any action that you want them to take.
  • Resume – Easy on the eyes with clean formatting, alignment, one single font, minimal bold.  Write a personally branded profile section at the top and it is okay to add a pop of color.  Speak to your accomplishments.
  • Appearance – Dress to stand out, not to blend in.  Always look your best, with an updated wardrobe that fits and has consistency.  (Is there something branded about your look… would you be known for something with your purse, shoes, socks?)

Have a strategy.  VISUALIZE where you want to be.  Imagine the outcome.  Don’t ‘wing it’ or everyone will see a different version of you.  Be purposeful and intentional.  When job-searching, spend time networking with people, not job boards.

 

Hiring Companies

CVS

Krista Lynch, Talent Acquisition Partner

Krista shared that CVS Health helps people on their path to better health, which is something that she sees in every part of the organization.  This includes several different workforce initiatives, such as community education and training, as well as, summer youth hiring initiatives.  Locally, there are call center opportunities in Chandler and Phoenix and corporate opportunities in Scottsdale.  Within the next 12-18 months additional opportunities will become available, especially in finance with higher consideration given for those with health care experience.

DISH

Melissa Boillot, HR Manager

Melissa was at her first Career Connectors event and received a warm welcome.  She explained that DISH is looking for people who take calculated risks, are energetic, intelligent and need to achieve.  The core values in the DISH culture are Pride, Adventure and Winning.  When faced with a challenge, the answer in finding a way to move forward is not ‘no,’ but ‘how.’  This mindset has lead to Sling TV as a product targeting cord-cutting television viewers.  The company has several opportunities in Arizona, with its headquarters in Colorado.

Freedom Financial Network

JD Hasna, Director of Talent Acquisition

JD received a warm welcome for being at his first Career Connectors event since moving to Phoenix this past summer.  He provided background information on Freedom Financial starting after one of the founders was negotiating a way to return $3000 worth of Day Trading software that he would not use.  After negotiating a way to escape that debt, there was an inspiration to assist other people in need of negotiating their way out of similar financial challenges.  A typical client with Freedom Financial Network has $58,000 as annual income with $38,000 in debt.  There are currently three locations in Arizona, hiring approximately 110 employees per month as they continue to grow.

 

Resources

Coder Camps 

Jason Jones

It was shared that Coder Camps will be sponsoring Career Connector events for the next few months.  Jason spoke prior to the keynote presentation, sharing information about Coder Camps.  The organization began about 3 years ago in Houston, Texas and has grown to include a campus in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Coder Camps offer 12-week long boot camps on becoming a web developer, with courses running each weekday from 8:30 AM through 5:30 PM as one of the formats to complete the program.  Once a camp is successfully completed, graduates may attend any future courses free of charge.  Jason shared the success of the program, with 76% of graduates being employed within 90 days of graduating.

LPL Financial

Jian Boldi, Financial Advisor

Jian shared 10 Tips for Your Finances During Career Transition.

  1. Understand your unemployment benefits. (Apply at AZ DES)
  2. Do not forget to keep paying taxes.
  3. Deduct job-hunting expenses. (professional resume writing, relocating 50 miles for a similar position)
  4. Go back to school to advance skills or learn something new.
  5. Become underemployed.  (Possibly in a different field from prior work experience)
  6. Budget, Budget, Budget.  (Jian has budget worksheets he offered to share)
  7. If age 55 or older, there is an option where you can take penalty free money from your IRA.
  8. Purchase health insurance with your IRA funds. (COBRA can be very costly)
  9. Consider reversing a contribution made to your IRA.
  10. Ask for help.

New Horizons of Phoenix

Joe Rostowsky, Director of Site Operations

New Horizons and other educational resources at Career Connectors are in place to help job seekers.  Joe spoke about his own career path moving from IT to training to sales involving four consecutive layoffs.  He discussed the WIOA grant being Federal funding set aside for learning opportunities of unemployed and underemployed individuals.  It is common that people are not aware of WIOA as a funding opportunity, so Joe challenged everyone to find out about this and explain this to at least one other person.

 

Closing

Jessica Pierce closed the event with some important reminders.  First, the DISC assessment is available as a resource.  Second, for those who had a professional photograph taken, the photos will be posted online here.  Also, for anyone still in need of the 2014-2015 edition of the Phoenix Business Journal Book of Lists, the quantity available is nearly gone.   Finally, due to the holidays in November and December, Career Connector meetings around the holidays will be rescheduled.  The next event in Gilbert will be on Tuesday November 8 instead of the 4th Tuesday of the month.

Filed Under: Event Recaps Tagged With: personal branding, career transition, Dayna Mathews, Job Search, LinkedIn, networking

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