• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Career Connectors

Connecting professionals in career transition with hiring companies and quality resources

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Subscribe Here
  • Job Seekers
    • Events
      • Event Schedule
      • Webinar Recordings
      • Event Recaps
      • Prepare for an Event
    • Resources
      • LearnKey
      • Community Updates
      • Career Chats
      • DISC
      • Business Portraits
      • Career Advice
      • Trusted Resources
      • LinkedIn Basics
    • Featured Companies
    • Volunteer
      • Volunteer Opportunities
      • Volunteer Application
  • Employers
    • Hiring
    • Outplacement Services
    • Partners
  • About Us
    • Donate
    • Applause & Testimonials
    • In The News
    • Mission Statement
    • Board of Directors
    • Contact

waste management

09/06/18 – Salary Negotiation – Make More Money

September 11, 2018 by Kalpita Mahapatra

Jack MilliganWritten by Kalpita Mahapatra

Jessica Pierce, the brainchild of Career Connectors, commenced the event by introducing the re-branded logo of the company and sharing her heartwarming story and motivation for starting Career Connectors in 2009. As a matter of fact, she volunteered to help job seekers write their resumes in the local church and the number of people seeking help grew phenomenally from fewer numbers to 250 candidates within three months. Frank Schab, CEO of the branding agency Six Degrees and member of the Board of Directors of Career Connectors, created the new brand.

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

Jack Milligan, SPHR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP

Jack, a founding partner of Leathers, Milligan & Associates (LMA), a Human Capital Consulting firm, is a seasoned HR expert and honorable recipient of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award and the Professional Excellence Award by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). He has encapsulated a wealth of information about career transitions and his real-time experiences in working with people during employment offers in his book titled “Make More Money” which is available for purchase on Amazon (don’t forget to use Smile.Amazon!).

Through this highly informative and convincing session, Jack encourages us to not settle for what is offered and to practice the art of salary negotiation. He walks us through the salary negotiation process by analyzing the method inside out.

As Jessica puts it wonderfully, Jack is also called “Mr. HR” in Arizona.

According to Jack, most people do not negotiate their salary; of all the people who could negotiate, 75% of them do not negotiate; out of the remaining 25% who do negotiate, only 10% do it the right way because they are gravitated towards a particular behavior called “Requestive Channeled Negotiation” (RCN) behavior.

He underscores the importance of asking and mentions that most people generally do not ask because:

• They are just happy to have an offer
• They do not think they have leverage
• Gender differences
• Generational differences

Jack suggests three legitimate behavioral channels of salary negotiation:

1) Ultimatum: Excessive both in amount and attitude and has over 70% failure rate. Might work for a candidate who is passive, well rewarded, and well situated.
2) Demand: Sincerer in amount and attitude and has about 30% failure rate. States a specific amount, leaves negotiation choice up to employer, and walks away if the demand is not met.
3) Requestive: Most attractive and successful method. Implies flexibility, creates much better negotiable environment, makes positive impression, and requires a response. Of those who try, 91% are successful in getting something tangible and the remaining 9% at least get peace of mind.

RCN does not work for all types of jobs. There are two types of jobs: Rated and Ranged.

Rated: Rated jobs are non-negotiable, have fixed hourly, weekly, or monthly rates.
Ranged: Ranged jobs are absolutely negotiable, are salaried jobs, and typically come with the range.

How to negotiate your salary once you get the offer:

1) Key: Do not accept the offer. Validate your interest in it.
2) Get some time: Employers do not handle ambiguity very well. You do not need a lot of time. You just need some time.
3) Come up with your NISL (Negotiating Items Short List): Base cash compensation is always on the NISL list and usually should be one of the last items on the list.
4) Call them back: Re-validate your interest through Requestive Channeled Negotiation (RCN). When you ask a question, you get an answer or they will say NO. 91% get something tangible after re-validating the offer.

To sum up, following are nuggets of wisdom from Jack that are worth pondering and implementing in our next salary negotiation:

• The reality is “All jobs are temporary jobs”. Realizing this early in the process will put us in the mindset of negotiation.
• Practice patience (for it is all about patience), courage, and planning to get better at negotiation.
• Do not accept that offer on the spot and do not hesitate to ask questions. Always ask appropriately.
• When you ask questions, you will hear either Yes or No. 91% of those who tried RCN got some tangible results.

HIRING COMPANIES

UPS

Sarah Dalley, HR Specialist

UPS is the world’s largest package delivery company and a leading global provider of transportation and logistics services. The company is not only committed to more for its employees and customers but also committed to more for the communities and currently aims at reaching 20 million volunteer hours by 2020. UPS is currently hiring for permanent and part-time Package Handlers, and part-time Supervisors. For more information about the open positions, visit their website.

Waste Management

Matt Rocco, Senior Talent Advisor, Sales

Waste Management is a future-minded American waste management and environmental services company with focus on sustainability and community. It is highly ranked for diversity, for being world’s one of the most ethical companies to work for, and as the best workplace for women. The company is currently hiring for positions such as Inside Sales Manager – Phoenix Sales Center, HR Manager, Inbound Account Manager – retention, and Credit and Collections Agent. For more information about the open positions, visit their website.

Aramark

Victor Carbajal, HR Specialist

Aramark is a huge global corporation headquartered in Philadelphia that provides food services, facilities, and uniform services to hospitals, universities, school districts, and other businesses, and routinely serves high-profile events such as Olympic games and FIFA world cup. Arizona State University (ASU) is the largest account Aramark has. The company is recognized as World’s most admired companies and as one of the Best employers for Healthy Lifestyles. The company is currently hiring for positions such as Finance Manager – Refreshment Services, Cashier – ASU – Board Operations, Facilities Director, and Regional Field Marketing Director. Visit their website to learn more about current job opportunities.

Farmers

Surrie Atkins, Recruiter

Farmers, one of the largest and most respected insurance brands in the USA, is a leading insurer of small and medium-sized businesses and operates a large Life-insurance company as well as a rapidly growing financial services company (Farmers Financial Solutions). Certified Great Place to work, 2017, the company fosters a casual work environment and community outreach programs. Currently, there are 150 open positions in North Phoenix. Some of the open positions are Claims Adjuster, Customer Service Associate, and Service Operations Supervisor. For more information on current job opportunities, visit their website.

RESOURCES

Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona

Ronald Mack, Business and Community Development Partner

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona is a non-profit organization whose goal is to eliminate unemployment. Goodwill works with about 600 employers throughout the valley and offers candidates services such as resume writing, mock-interviewing, and career coaching for free. The organization helps candidates find employment ranging from entry-level to mid to high level. Goodwill is shifting gears from providing employment help to offering training through its career centers and sub-locations such as libraries.

Grand Canyon University (GCU)

Kyle Richardson, University Counselor

In the job market today, 58% of all new jobs are in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics), and computing jobs are the #1 source of new wages in the United States. To help job seekers acquire the necessary skills to compete in this job market, GCU offers an Immersive Java Boot Camp program. In 16 weeks, the program offers more than 600 hours of project-based collaborative instruction on computer programming and skills in a small group setting (8-10 students). The courses completed within the boot camp are part of GCU’s existing and regionally accredited programs. These courses are transferable to a GCU bachelor’s program, or eligible for transfer at the discretion of other regionally accredited U.S. institutions.

CLOSING REMARKS

Jessica graciously thanked the event host GCU, our keynote speaker, representatives of all hiring companies, attendees, and volunteers for their time and participation. She also expressed her thoughtful appreciation for Denise Gredler, her special friend who played a remarkable role in her entrepreneurial journey. Denise is also the Founder and CEO of BestCompaniesAZ, the company dedicated to building and promoting great employer brands in Arizona.

Filed Under: Event Recaps Tagged With: UPS, Aramark, GCU, Goodwill of Central & Northern AZ, Farmers Insurance, waste management

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

Primary Sidebar

Recent Event Recaps

06/19/23 ARIZONA@WORK and Career Connectors Pinal County Career Expo Recap

05/03/23 Superior Career & Hiring Expo Recap

2/10/22 – Getting My Career SHIFT Together

1/27/22 – Show Out When You Show Up

More Event Recaps

Career Advice

13 Common Mistakes to Avoid at Networking Events

6 Ways to Demonstrate Your Qualifications During an Interview

8 Ways to Cope With the Emotional and Psychological Impact of a Career Transition

6 Ways to Impact Employee Retention Through Training & Development

Why You Need a Coach

More Career Advice

Footer

Charity Navigator Rating for Career Connectors

https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/453042629

Socialize with us!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

GuideStar Transparency for Career Connectors

Testimonials

I’ve attended a few of your events in Gilbert and Scottsdale since returning to AZ and being an active job seeker. I’m happy to report that I’ve been offered a job! I’m over the moon about the offer and couldn’t be more grateful after a long, three month search (that definitely felt much longer…. 🙂 ). I want to thank you for your programs. You have excellent speakers who always energized me when I was needing it most. And your resume reviewer was great. She was a tough cookie with a red pen y… Read more
Becky T.
I own a Leadership Company, and have enjoyed attending the Career Connector events. With gratitude I listen to the speakers you line up… they offer phenominal and practical information. What has struck me each time has been the audience. My heart hurts for them. They are in a desperate place in their lives. I have had the opportunity speak with a few of the people in attendance, and they have shared their stories… I walk away thankful to God for the opportunity to meet these people and they … Read more
Bonnie M.
After a company layoff thrust me into the job market, Career Connectors was exactly what I needed to develop my networking skills. Networking is a job in itself, and the skills I learned helped me to land a temporary position just three months later that is now permanent. I believe in the Career Connectors mission and continue to volunteer as a way of expressing my appreciation for their support during a very tough time…thank you Career Connectors!
Diane N.
I just wanted to reach out to you and say Thank you to you, Career Connectors and the whole Team! So let me explain why, while I’ve known of Career Connectors for many years, I never thought that I would need employment services or guidance before. On September 19th 2019 I found myself being let go from my job. I later the next day saw the Career Connectors event at Central Christian Church Gilbert Campus coming up on Facebook and signed up for it. While attending my first Career Connectors even… Read more
Brian P.
I took advantage of Career Connectors when I found myself unexpectedly out of work and back in AZ.  The ease in using their website to locate meetings and identify subject matter at their weekly meetings kept me informed and engaged.  Their meetings are interesting and provide relevant and useful information toward getting into the right job.  They say that a network event is what you make of it … with Career Connectors they create the events and provide the resources you need to land your next … Read more
Jennifer V.
I am profoundly grateful for all of the support Career Connectors has provided during my recent job search – from the exceptional speakers to the participating employers, LinkedIn experts (Ted Robison is amazing with his individualized approach), resume experts, photographers, and of course the great opportunity to network! I felt like I had an army of support with me every single day. I appreciate all the time and effort invested by many and am particularly grateful for Jessica! You have a fi… Read more
Cindy G.
When I was laid off last year from the company I’d worked with for over 14 years, I actually found I had an even BIGGER job ahead of me. With an outdated resume, no interview skills, and a huge feeling of displacement, I went searching for help. Career Connectors was my savior. The program and its’ leaders were instrumental in rebuilding my confidence, providing the necessary tools and resources, and ultimately responsible for my landing a great position with a company that was featured at o… Read more
Lynn S.
Thank you for all you do! I’ve been nine loooong months looking for a full-time position and Career Connectors was a real life-line. I was pretty discouraged by the time I found your organization on-line and first visited. The speaker provided some great information but most importantly, encouragement and hope. The panel discussion on resumes was incredibly helpful! Last month I had the opportunity to sit with Brenda and she suggested I really pare back all but the last 10 years of experience an… Read more
Robin C.
Navigating the world of career transition can be an overwhelming experience.  In addition to the mechanics of transition (updated resume, career search strategies), there is the deeper need to connect to people who are in the same situation as you are.   For me, all of this was answered by Career Connectors!  Had it not been for this organization, I might still be sitting in my house, wondering what to do next!  At just one Career Connectors meeting you can be inspired by great speakers, … Read more
Iris M.
Career Connectors is dedicated to bring the job seeker to reputable employers in the valley. I appreciate their professionalism and their consistency to continue to provide great leads.
Leslie B.
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Services

© 2023 · Career Connectors. All Rights Reserved.