WealthWave

12/16/20 – Land Your Perfect Job in 2021

December 23, 2020 by Susan Lamphiear

Land your Perfect Job in 2021 Jessica Pierce

“Hope is being able to see that there is a light despite all of the darkness.” Desmond Tutu , Nobel Prize winner/ Human Rights Activist

During this Pandemic, people worldwide seek hope and light at the end of the tunnel. But facing this tunnel of darkness AND simultaneously facing the challenge of a job hunt or job transition can seem equally overwhelming.

Keynote speaker Jessica Pierce, CEO/Founder of Career Connectors, was on hand to offer hope and words of encouragement, sharing on her own story, along with specific action tips for navigating the job search as 2021 approaches, even as the worldwide Pandemic continues.

Keynote

Enter the recession of 2009. Jessica describes her family as “significantly impacted by that recession.” With three children, including an infant, a two-year-old, and a ten-year-old, Jessica’s staffing company took a hit and husband Mark Pierce saw three layoffs to his recruiting career within six months.

Jessica and Mark acted swiftly, arranged a short sell of their house, and moved into a rental. A knock on the door. That fateful day in December, right before Christmas. The rental company stopped by to do a repair, and it was when Jessica opened the front door she saw a foreclosure notice posted on the door. Falling to her knees, shaking, she visualized her entire family homeless. The notice announced they had 14 days to move out of their house.

However, in a short time, a home became available–for their “under $1100” per month request–$999 to be exact. A four-bedroom house in Gilbert. “If you don’t call that a miracle…” Jessica said. This rental they found was a wreck, but they went to work cleaning it up, and a painter using paint left over from another job did the whole project for $500. Then within the first three months of 2010, Jessica landed a contract which pulled them out of the recession.

Jessica shares her story to let her audience know there is hope. “You’re here at Career Connectors in December. A lot of people give up in December!”

“It’ll be a great day. I’m going to give you action steps to take.”

Jessica reminds her online Zoom audience a lot of people job hunting don’t realize they need to get into the brain of decision makers. What are they looking for? And how many resumes cross their desks on any given day? “Our goal at Career Connectors is to get you in front of people.”

She recently received 150 applications for one job. The people she interviewed first were people she knew. One hiring manager recently hired a woman who didn’t meet all the criteria or expectations, but she smiled!!!

Job hunters or people in job transition need to keep in mind the jobs you’re looking for may not even show up on the job boards. That’s right. A whopping 70 percent of jobs never show up on the job boards. However, you might be introduced to somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody. That’s the power of connections.

LinkedIn is a must for job seekers. A full 94% of employers use LinkedIn but a mere 34 % of job seekers are active on LinkedIn.

In 2009 Jessica jumped on LinkedIn, or Career Connectors today would look very different. She uses LinkedIn for many reasons, including to find new speakers and hiring companies for Career Connectors’ events.

Tips from Jessica as you navigate the job search in 2021

Use job boards to see what jobs and companies are out there. BUT use LinkedIn for your actual search and to make connections.
Use Facebook for branding. But rely on LinkedIn for the search.
When using social media, including Facebook, and others like Instagram, keep in mind divisive topics can hurt you. So can iffy pictures. Carefully consider what image you present of yourself throughout social media. Hiring companies use social media to vet candidates, or worse, to eliminate them before they even meet. Fifty-five percent of recruiters have reconsidered a candidate because of their social media, with 61% of those “reconsiderations” due to negative social media.
Your best bet for getting in front of potential employers is to use LinkedIn to connect with recruiters and hiring managers and other contacts. If you’re interested in a particular job, try to meet people on LinkedIn. Especially in this era of the Pandemic, no one is going to fault you for looking for a job!
Be confident in talking about your job search status. Let people know you are looking. Don’t ask everyone for a job, but put it out there that you are searching.
Ask friends and relatives to share how they perceive your strengths.
Face-to-face meetings are difficult right now due to the Pandemic. So pick up the phone! Connect on social media.
Before you do a virtual interview, test your technology equipment. Also, to make up for lack of in-person meetings, recreate eye contact by looking into the camera. Smile. And wear a FULL outfit, including pants! You never know if you’ll need to get up to quiet the dog or get up for some other reason!! Even if it’s a virtual interview, be a couple of minutes early. Not fifteen. But a couple of minutes.
Consider if you’re a culture match for a company. Character, Chemistry and Competence are all part of a match. Do your research. Jessica gives an example of a friend who was in a hurry, accepting a job she ultimately left in six months. Her friend admitted she should never have accepted the job–and the job hurt her. She literally had to seek counseling to counter the negative impact the job had on her psyche. Had she researched the job, she admitted, she’d have never taken it in the first place.
If you fit 80% of the job description, go for it. She recently talked to a man who felt a particular job required a college degree. But in the final analysis, people out there with no degree can still have attained professionalism and decision making skills, two areas he thought meant a degree.
Jessica hired Sheila Coulam as Director of Operations for Career Connectors because even though her current position doesn’t require her engineering degree, Sheila continually uses her transferable skills of thinking through processes and being detailed-oriented, plus Jessica knew Sheila’s character and strengths because she was a volunteer!
Follow up an interview with a thank you via an email or a LinkedIn message.
Don’t underestimate showcasing your skills via volunteering and social media. Do a blog, post presentations or articles, or participate in virtual speaking events. Be active in professional associations. Be engaged on LinkedIn by joining groups, posting or writing articles.
If there are skills you need, these days lots of training is available online and there’s even funding available for some of it.
Take the DISC assessment free via the Career Connectors’ website.

“Talent will get you in the door, but character will keep you in the room.” Jessica reminds the participants that character has become a really big part of the hiring process. Companies want to hire a cultural match. People want to work with people they like. By taking the DISC assessment you can rediscover action words to use on your resume, or in interviews, that will help inform potential employers of your strengths.

When you finally get in front of that employer, make sure you’ve done your research, including what you’ve said on your own resume! Also, a favorite question employers love to ask is, “What do you know about us?” You do NOT want to get caught not being able to answer this question!

What does the organization do?
What are the missions, goals, and values?
Is the organization mentioned in recent news?
What is the company culture like?
Who are you interviewing with?

Keep in mind companies are still hiring. Keep the faith and stay connected including with Career Connectors. Do your homework and find that dream job in 2021.

Hiring Companies

HotFoot/Grainger

Mia Papa, Talent Acquisition Consultant

HotFoot, founded in 2009, provides superior staffing solutions.

HotFoot tailors their interview process depending on the position. Their clients include manufacturers of protective equipment, call centers, plus engineering and administrative and professional services.

HotFoot’s goal from the start has been to focus on people. They like to keep clients posted and updated about status during the interview process and not keep them guessing. As a recruiter, if Mia doesn’t have an appropriate job available for you, she will reach out to other colleagues at HotFoot.

Current open positions include the following: Contract to Hire: General production roles Valley wide at $14-$17 per hour; customer service (financial services) including remote data entry, $18 per hour; industrial sewers/sewists, Tempe AZ, $14 per hour; Data entry, remote two-week contract position; Direct Hire: Customer service in Tempe, AZ and also Waterloo IA and Janesville WI; inside sales in San Antonio TX; and Warehouse supervisors and managers in CA, MD, and MO.

Mia also hires for Grainger, a well-known industrial supply company, known for their warm, inclusive culture, who plans to hire hundreds in 2021 at $17 per hour with full benefits.

Grainger has arranged for all 600 call center employees to work from home during Covid. For those workers on site, Grainger follows all CDC guidelines. Onsite, Grainger has installed barriers in offices, and follows sanitation guidelines because they want the workplace to be safe. Also, Grainger conducts many virtual interviews.

Please visit their website for more job listings or to apply.

PennyMac

Ashley Hilscher, Talent Acquisition Specialist

PennyMac Financial Services and Investment Firm prides itself on closing loans on time and on hiring employees from diverse and experienced backgrounds.

Accountable, reliable, and ethical describe their values. Founded in 2008, today they are among the top three lenders in the U.S. Its unique business model allows the company to thrive in both the up and down markets, unlike any other lender. Their loan officers are licensed and 100% remote, with the company providing supplies and office set up. A lead generator creates warm leads which is particularly attractive to some people.

As an online lender, PennyMac specializes only in home loans including FHA, VA, and investment property loans. The company continues servicing the loans, so they won’t be selling your loan.

To search for positions or to apply, visit the career section of their website.

WealthWave

Jason Wiseman, Senior Marketing Director

WealthWave, as a financial company, strives to educate families so families can dream again and thrive financially. Jason was not headed in this direction when he started his career. But based on his own financial experiences, he wondered how big a player you had to be to get some help. So a chain of events led Jason to start part time with WealthWave. He firmly believes Middle America has been left behind financially, confirmed when two weeks into the Pandemic, 33% of Americans didn’t make their mortgages.

It may be a cliché that Jason wants to bring Wallstreet to Main Street, but it’s true. That’s what WealthWave wants to do. In fact, they were ahead of the Pandemic five years ago when they offered online finance classes and now also offer the classes in Spanish.

Not just anyone can work for WealthWave because you need to be licensed. Benefits include the following: It’s turnkey, you have ownership, you have the option of starting part time, there are no layoffs–they actually have grown during the Pandemic.

Educating people is very rewarding because most people haven’t developed a Plan B for their finances.

For more information or to contact the company about joining WealthWave as a career, visit their website.

Resources and Closing

Sheila Coulam, Director of Operations for Career Connectors, thanked everyone including attendees and volunteers, and then reminded everyone of resources available via Career Connectors, including the DISC assessment, business portraits, and career advice.

The next Career Connectors’ online event is scheduled for Thursday, January 14, 2021, featuring keynote speaker Bridgett McGowen. Sheila urges everyone to attend, especially if you’ve never heard Bridgett because she’s excellent. Go to the Career Connectors’ website to register and find the Zoom link for that event, and to find details for other upcoming events, including Tempe Virtual Job Fair, being held Tuesday, January 26, 2021. Be sure you’re registered for e-updates–the next one scheduled for January 5, 2021. Also, don’t miss Career Chat episodes with Jessica Pierce.

11/5/20 – Correcting for 20/20: 20 Career Insights to Stabilize and Clarify your Focus

November 11, 2020 by Sheila

Keynote

Written by Penny Oplinger
Correcting for 20/20: Career Insights to Stabilize and Clarify your Focus with Justin Jones. Justin, affectionately known as ‘Job Coach Justin.’ Justin currently leads a team of 16 career mentors at BYU Career Studios. He has literally helped thousands of people find meaningful jobs.

He shared some great tips to help you re-strategize, refocus and start to see 2020 with a new vision.

Recognize that your vision has changed. If we only look at the negatives then that is where we will stay. Justin recommended you check out ShelleyKlammer.com where she shares 6 stages of grieving.
- Numbness and denial. When we lose a job or lose a family member or close friend. Be patient with yourself.
- Anxiety and panic. We feel this everywhere.
- Bargaining and control. Determine what you have control over.
- Frustration and Anger. We need to allow ourselves to feel these feelings.
- Depression and Despair.
- Acceptance and Peace. This does not necessarily mean everything in your life is going well. We need to accept what is going on around us and realize that what is happening around us does not determine how we act, respond or our self-worth.
Seek Support. Career Connectors is a perfect example of a place you can go for support.
Ask for help. Don’t be embarrassed.
Be your authentic self. This year is not about perfection but being your authentic self.
Separate from the toxic. Identify what you are ingesting mentally, spiritually, physically that is toxic. Jack Canfield has said that it is better to spend time alone than spend time with toxic people or media.
Embrace uncertainty. When we embrace uncertainty, it opens us up to possibilities. Sometimes when bad things happen to us it gives us the opportunity to find something even better.
Doubt. Do not doubt your success or abilities. Doubt your negative thoughts!
Give every day. Give a smile, encouragement, your time, donations, blood.
Gather your tools. You need to have the right tool for the right job at the right time.
- Cover letter: Recruiters don’t read them because they are not authentic. Be authentic. The first thing is to compliment the company, tell what you have to offer and then a comment that you look forward to joining their team.
- Resumes: Career Connectors has professional resume writers who volunteer their time at our events. You should have several resumes because it is important to customize your resume to the company you are seeking employment from. List a few people who would give you good recommendations, such as people you have worked with or for.
- LinkedIn: It is absolutely necessary that you have a profile in LinkedIn. Career Connectors has professional LinkedIn coaches who volunteer their time to help you. LinkedIn is the #1 place employers go to when looking for candidates. To aid in ensuring companies see your profile, give your profile a unique name. For example, Justin’s is ‘Job Coach Justin.’ Ensure you have a photo in your profile. Career Connectors has a photographer that volunteers to take headshot photos for you to put in your LinkedIn profile. An extra tip Justin gave is to add a description to your profile photo containing keywords you want to be found for. Instructions are here!
- Send a Thank You note – not an email or text but a handwritten note you mail to the company.

10.Gamify: A quote from the movie ‘Mary Poppins’, “In every job that needs to be done there is an element of fun.”
11.Build your brand: What is unique about you that would be an asset to the company?
12.Act: Start with small actions. Pay attention to your mental prompts that help to move you forward.
13.Follow-through: Act on things you are asked to do.
14.Recharge: Be patient with companies you have sent resumes to and be patient with yourself.
15.Visualization: Close your eyes and think of the goals you have set for yourself. What is the next small step you can take toward that goal and ask yourself what it will take to act on that step?
16.Faith/ Spirituality/Career Development: Work toward bringing these together.

Hiring Companies

Isola
Heather Kitsko, Director, Global Talent Acquisition
www.isola-group.com

Isola is the only laminate partner with worldwide R&D manufacturing and technical support.

Isola is a 105-year old company headquartered in Chandler, AZ
Approximately 1600 employees worldwide
Global footprint of 7 manufacturing facilities
Largest laminate material producer in the United States and Europe – seventh in share worldwide (-4%)
Industry-leading technology – 185+ patents covering proprietary materials
Transforming to deliver greater customer, employee and investor value

Mission
Improve life by enabling innovation in electronic products through our innovation we help enable new capabilities for mankind

Their raw materials were used in circuit boards to create ventilators for patients with COVID-19.

Their core values center around the following:

Put Safety First: We prioritize the safety and well-being of our employees above all else.
Be customer focused: We deliver quality: We deliver quality solutions, listen to our external and internal customers, work to gain their loyalty
Be Courageous: We embrace change, speak up when we disagree, and move forward committed.
Be Collaborative: We work as a global team across functions, and support each other professionally and personally
Be Accountable: When we make a commitment, we take full responsibility and follow through.

Career Opportunities in Chandler, AZ

Sr. Applications Engineer (PCB)
Technology Development Chemist (Polymer/Halogen-Free)
IT Business Analyst
Manufacturing Financial Analyst
Network Security Administrator
Sr. Signal Integrity Engineer

See Isola website for further information/requirements for these job openings.

PennyMac – The lender you can call Home
Darin Dow, Mortgage Underwriter Recruiter
www.PennyMacUSA.com/Careers

Company Overview

In business since 2008
One of the top lenders to create loans.
One of the nation’s largest servicing mortgage company
8th largest servicing company
5500 employees; they have hired 1800 employees since January 2020
Opened office in Phoenix the beginning of 2020.
Expanding across the nation aggressively. A lot of these positions can be remote. They believe in promoting within the company
There are several entry-level positions available
Family/Team friendly

WealthWave
Jason Wiseman, Senior Marketing Director

WealthWave is a network of independent business owners whose mission means they seek to protect and build wealth for the families they serve. Their mission allows them to increase financial literacy for families and provide financial solutions.
Jason Wiseman tells us this was not his original path. He worked for Motorola for many years but even though his job was more stable than many, every year he watched layoffs; and even his key group of 22 was down to only 7 when he left. It was stressful.
Jason couldn’t really afford to start from scratch. It was a paradigm shift to start working at a business part time.
WealthWave is flexible enough so they can help you transition into something part time if you are hesitant about going all in being an entrepreneur. WealthWave’s mission is to eliminate financial illiteracy to keep people from making easily avoidable financial mistakes. Jason now works full time for the company.
Jason suggests you keep your mind open to new opportunities. WealthWave looks to build people up and that’s why they make education first. And because the company was about five years ahead in technology, when COVID hit they were already ahead of most businesses. A whopping 20,000 people attended their online program from Atlanta.
WealthWave®, The HowMoneyWorks® Company, has a clear vision, a passionate mission, advanced systems, and strong platforms. Their slogan is “to disrupt the financial industry so families can dream again.” They are attracting leaders all across North America who are ready to position themselves to eradicate financial illiteracy and pursue the business and future of their dreams.

Why Choose WealthWave?

Turnkey Solution
Licensed Profession
Ownership
Marketing/Media
Start Part time
No Layoffs or Furloughs
Hands on Training and Mentorship
A long history of helping people
To learn more about the company, contact Jason Wiseman at Jason.Wiseman@wealthwave.com.

Closing

CEO/Founder of Career Connectors Jessica Pierce thanked the speakers, attendees, and volunteers. Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 18 2020, 9:00 am – 11:30 am for our 6th Annual Diversity Talks. Jessica also reminded attendees of online resources available at the Career Connectors website including the free DISC assessment and event recap blogs.

10/21/20 – How Do I Effectively Lead During a Crisis?

October 28, 2020 by Susan Lamphiear

Written By Susan Lamphiear

“When we work together, when we remember our common humanity, there is little we cannot accomplish.”
Captain Chelsey Sullenberger III on the 10th anniversary of what’s come to be known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.”

Chelsey Burney Sullenberger III, better known as just “Sully” rose to instant fame when he piloted the US Airways flight 1549, and made an emergency landing on the Hudson River in January, 2009. Out of 155 passengers, all 155 survived, including a nine-month-old baby.

How’s that for leadership during a crisis? But of course, Sully didn’t become an extraordinary man overnight. According to Sully, the flight training he received from the local flight instructor when Sully was just 16 years old has influenced his aviation career for the rest of his life. Sully went on to serve as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, and as the pilot of that fated US Airways flight.

Sully didn’t stop there. A year following his retirement from US Airways, he was hired by CBS as an aviation and safety expert. As our keynote speaker emphasized in his online presentation to Career Connectors, think in terms of growth not goals. Enjoy each step along the way.

Keynote

After the passing of his 97-year-old Granny last week, and as he prepares to celebrate the life she lived, Travis Hardin looks back on the lessons she taught him enabling him to build towards a career in motivational speaking. Granny had an elementary education but she was very wise.

One of the most important books Travis owns started with seven blank pages with three staples, the “book” Granny gave him in 1999 when he was a college grad. At the time Travis had no plans. But on the first page of Granny’s book he wrote, “I want to make a difference.”

Steps to Success

Take your first step. You must take action.
Your next step will not be obvious until you take your first step.
Focus on growth rather than goals. Dream now, but keep taking actions and growing.
Do your best at each step along the way. Plan to get better as you continue to take action. Make it look easy even though it’s not. Travis has spent a lot of tears and late nights to reach the success he has today. When he began his career in motivational speaking, he spoke for free or for lower wages in order to expand his experience. He spoke to small groups at first and then gradually to larger groups. He always wanted to mentor and train people. But he took it a step at a time. Success is a series of steps, not one giant leap.
Each step should be your favorite step. People suffer from what Travis calls “destination disease.” Travis suggests you enjoy each step along the way as you proceed and learn and grow. Today Travis practices and rehearses for a small group of three or four people as much as for a big group. He calls it part of the journey. Travis refers to the disappointment lots of families felt because, due to the Pandemic, the COVID virus, many families had to forego graduation ceremonies. Don’t confuse recognition of success with success. On your journey to success you are successful when you take your first step. In the case of a college degree, no one really notices the first day of enrollment, just the final day. But success lies in the step, not just the finale.
You don’t step yourself to success. Consider each step along the way a success. But keep growing and improving. The comedian and actor Steve Martin says no one wants to hear about his acting because they want to hear about agents and shortcuts. Steve says be so good that no one can ignore you.
Failure and success should never be separated. FAIL stands for First Attempt In Learning. You learn from stumbling blocks.Not a person in the world has reached success without failure.

As you learn and grow on your path to leadership in crisis, keep in mind the difference between a good leader and a great leader during a crisis: a good leader reacts while a great leader anticipates. For example, the well-known Canadian hockey player and former head coach, Wayne Gretzky, called the greatest hockey player ever by many sportswriters, players, and the NHL famously said, “I skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.”

Hiring Companies

Community Medical Services (CMS)

Megan Kennedy, Recruiter

Community Medical Services (CMS) began providing substance abuse treatment in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1983. CMS now operates over 40 substance abuse clinics across nine states including Arizona, Montana, North Dakota, Alaska, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin.

The company proudly opened the nation’s first 24-hour Opioid Treatment on Demand (OTOD) center in Phoenix. Since then CMS expanded this model to Columbus, Ohio and West Allis, Wisconsin. The clinics focus on meeting the challenges presented by the growing opioid epidemic in communities where treatment is lacking.

The mission remains working with communities to provide education on the importance of effectively treating opioid use disorder. They strive to help patients navigate care without the discrimination and stigma of their opioid use disorder and use of medication-assisted treatment. CMS’s singular aim is to help patients heal.

The company is proud of their clinic personnel who are able to provide an environment free of judgement and condescension, treating everyone with dignity and respect.

CMS is a growing company looking for candidates who are passionate about making an impact, who see challenges as opportunities to show initiative, who listen to and honor the reality of those individuals CMS serves, and who are committed to the company’s practices grounded in science and evidence.

Current opportunities with CMS include front desk in North Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa. Pay rate is $15-17 per hour, with differential pay for COVID and bilingual. Other opportunities include Clinic Manager in Mesa, Counselors in Glendale and Mesa, and Insurance Verification Specialist, remote.

For more information or to apply visit the company website. As the company grows, they will continue to hire.

Rauch North America

Katie Olynick, HR Manager

Rauch recently opened their new, state-of-the-art beverage filling plant in Glendale, Arizona, in November, 2019, one of Rauch’s co-packing plants. It’s an opportunity to be with the company from the ground up. Rauch is an established company, but the facility has a start-up atmosphere. “We are looking for employees who understand that start-up mentality and a passion for building a brand, and determination for success.”

The company is looking for people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and make things happen. As a start-up, brand new to the U.S., they are a company planning to grow. Positions are listed on Indeed.com. With 24 employees now, they plan to grow to 80 by the end of 2020, and 160 by the end of 2021.

Rauch is a family business, having remained family owned for four generations. Franz Rauch came from the industrial revolution and embarked on the fruit juice industry in Austria. As the company grew, Franz started buying fruit directly from the farmers.

Today Rauch has subsidiaries that aren’t owned by Rauch, and they’re also co-packing partner for other brands in other countries. One of their products is Red Bull.

Rauch North America is currently recruiting for machine operators, forklift operators, shift leads, maintenance technicians and electrical technicians. They are a 24/7 operation, with a shift model of 12 hours/4days/3 days off, offering competitive pay, benefits, 401(k) and paid time off.

Currently Rauch positions are posted on indeed.com. To find these positions, search for Rauch North America or go directly to this indeed link.

Staffing Symphony

Abby Kohut, Recruiter

Staffing Symphony‘s recruiter and president, Abby Kohut, after 26 years in HR, and due to COVID and the Pandemic, decided to join a headhunter network. Abby has helped 10,000 people get hired and she’s eager to help you. Her transition required a leap of faith, she admits, but the network is growing! She thought it would help her reach her goal to help one million people get hired.

New jobs continue to become available daily in every industry, every state, at every level. Many of these jobs are remote.

If you have lab sales experience, she’s looking individuals in Arizona for that role. You can look these up on the website. Hundreds of jobs are hidden in the headhunter network.

Tips for Your Search

Use AZ for the location.
As you fill in the search fields, look for other types of key words for your searches for opportunities.
Use quotation marks around your job titles.
Don’t abbreviate words.
Most important point–create an alert for any job you’re looking for.
Select “full remote” for jobs to work remotely.
Don’t wait for 100% job match.
If you think you’re qualified, go head and apply.
Abby will be looking out for you.
Abby is recruiting 1099 positions to sell COVID antigen tests. The positions just came in last week, and you don’t need sales experience for the position. Let her know you’re interested when you send your resume.

You may email Abby your resume to jobs@absolutelyabby.com and go to her website to job search. When you email her, you will receive the webinar, cover letter template, and COVID job search resource guide. She’ll take your resume and look for the hidden job you might not have noticed. This will be ongoing because of the time it takes, but she can’t do her search if she doesn’t have your resume! Your resume will go directly to the recruiter who posted the job, but she’ll make sure your resume goes through, and will write to the recruiter who posted the job.

WealthWave

Jason Wiseman, Senior Marketing Director

Jason Wiseman tells us this was not his original path. He worked for Motorola for many years but even though his job was more stable than many, every year he watched layoffs; and even his key group of 22 was down to only 7 when he left. It was stressful.

Jason couldn’t really afford to start from scratch. It was a paradigm shift to start working at a business part time.

WealthWave is flexible enough so they can help you transition into something part time if you are hesitant about going all in being an entrepreneur. WealthWave’s mission is to eliminate financial illiteracy to keep people from making easily avoidable financial mistakes. Jason now works full time for the company.

Jason suggests you keep your mind open to new opportunities. WealthWave looks to build people up and that’s why they make education first. And because the company was about five years ahead in technology, when COVID hit they were already ahead of most businesses. A whopping 20,000 people attended their online program from Atlanta.

WealthWave®, The HowMoneyWorks® Company, has a clear vision, a passionate mission, advanced systems, and strong platforms. Their slogan is “to disrupt the financial industry so families can dream again.” They are attracting leaders all across North America who are ready to position themselves to eradicate financial illiteracy and pursue the business and future of their dreams.

Why Choose WealthWave?

Turnkey Solution
Licensed Profession
Ownership
Marketing/Media
Start Part time
No Layoffs or Furloughs
Hands on Training and Mentorship
A long history of helping people

To learn more about the company, or to apply, contact Jason Wiseman at Jason.Wiseman@wealthwave.com.

Closing

CEO/Founder of Career Connectors Jessica Pierce thanked the speakers, attendees, and volunteers. She reminded everyone that because of the election November 3, the event that first week in November will be held on THURSDAY November 5, rather than Wednesday.

Jessica also reminded attendees of online resources available at the Career Connectors website including the free DISC assessment and event recap blogs, See the website for more resources.

9/16/20 – Resume MythBuster Panel

September 23, 2020 by Sheila

Written by: Connie Huber SHRM-CP PHR

We are all familiar with resumes. The goal of the resume has been to get an interview. Did you know resumes have been an employment practice for over 500 years? “While it is unclear who actually invented the resume, Leonardo Da Vinci is the first recorded person to use one. In 1482, Da Vinci wrote a letter to the Duke of Milan in an attempt to gain his patronage and support. Da Vinci’s letter listed his skills

KEYNOTE: Resume MythBuster Panel

Resume MythBuster panel had the privilege of having four of Phoenix’s finest resume experts including Brenda Cunningham (BC), Donna Tucker (DT), Martha Rockwell (MR) and Amanda Miller (AM) – all members of the Resume Writers Council of Arizona.

INTRODUCTION
QUESTION: Overview of you, your services and business. Biggest mistake you’ve seen on resume.
ANSWER:
BC: Brenda has received certifications in resume writing, coaching and established her confidence. Biggest resume error is where the resume lists everything. The document needs to be focused.
DT: Has participated by being on Board of National Resume Writers. Mistake has been where writer has written solely in paragraphs or bullets. Donna provided a comprehensive Job Search Guide here!
MR: Martha has over 20 years in sales and marketing. Martha loves what she does. Martha has come across resumes where there are job descriptions without any quantifiable results.
AM: Has been writing resumes since 1996. Her expertise is marketing, sales and project managers. Amanda describes herself as more of a generalist. A mistake she has seen is where the resume only has a name on it and missing all other relevant information,

QUESTION: Resume background and certification. What makes you an expert?
ANSWER:
BC: DT has the newest form of certification. Validation of skills by a larger community.
MR: A concern is getting and accepting the wrong information from those people who are not skilled or knowledgeable.
DT: The resume writer is going to know what words will be accepted by ATS.

MECHANICS/FORMAT
QUESTION: Most important things to have on a resume?
ANSWER:
AM: Most recruiters spend 6-10 seconds to read a resume. Be sure to include contact information, LinkedIn profile, and email address. There should be a short summary and value statement. There should also be an overview of experience. Be sure to avoid portraying
yourself as an old person. Include any degrees or certifications you have received.
MR: Job title on resume needs to be the same as the job you are applying for. A summary statement is helpful in your presentation to an employer.
DT: Give a summary or profile of what you can do. Avoid pronouns in your resume. Write in the first person. Talk about current or future job.
BC: Share the goals you have achieved in your roles. Font should be 10-12 while margins should be 1-1 ½“.

QUESTION: LENGTH OF RESUME
ANSWER:
MR: Resume should be 2 pages. If you have masters or extensive experience, the resume may go into 3 pages.

QUESTION: Number of years back should you go.
ANSWER:
BC:10-15 years
MR: Same.

CONTENT
QUESTION: Accomplishments-what they are, their importance, & how to incorporate. How someone with extensive work experience emphasizes soft skills.
ANSWER:
AM: Accomplishments are results you have achieved in performing your job. Your accomplishments should make you stand out from your peers and make you a highly desirable candidate. The resume should be sprinkled with accomplishments throughout the document. Ideally, there should be accomplishments for each role you have had and listed from the most impactful to the least.
Chronological resume is used more than a functional one. Functional should list 2-3 skills that the employer would like to see. Functional resumes are not good for Applicant Tracking Systems. In addition, functional documents do not parse information successfully.
DT: Accomplishments will demonstrate the candidate’s impact on company. Numbers give credibility to candidate. Accomplishments should be bulleted and listed in order of importance.
MR: Review job description of desired job. Tailor you resume to match the job. Your resume is your sales pitch.
DT: Can’t sell yourself for a job until you know the job description and company overview.

QUESTION: Number of resumes you need to apply for jobs.
ANSWER:
AM: Need only 1 resume with different versions. Your resume needs to be tailored to the open position.

QUESTION: How to handle employment gaps.
ANSWER:
DT: Share lack off work due to COVID. Indicate you were laid off. Add line to resume sharing what you have been doing since you have not worked. Volunteer your time and share details with hiring managers. Avoid focusing on negative. Give yourself time to breathe. Do those things you have been meaning to do.

QUESTION: Applicant tracking systems are awkward and plentiful.
ANSWER:
There are over 200 different applicant tracking systems. ATS reviews the resume for key words. DT: One of the best ways to get around ATS is to establish the desired skills for the job. Review your connections that work for the desire company. Use your connection as an entry to the company.
BC: Invest in yourself and career. Continue learning about you and your profession.

“The challenge in life, I have found, is to build a resume that doesn’t simply tell a story about what you want to be, but it’s a story about who you want to be.”-Oprah Winfrey

HIRING COMPANIES

MCKESSON
MARY MENARD, Human Resources Business Partner

Currently, McKesson is ranked 7th on the FORTUNE 500. McKesson is a global healthcare services and medical supply company dedicated to delivering better care. They support the entire healthcare system, including pharmacies, hospitals, health systems, biotech and life sciences companies, specialty care and oncology practices, physician offices, surgery centers, and long-term care and home health facilities. McKesson delivers pharmaceutical products, medical supplies and business services to each of these groups to create a world of better health. To learn more about the latest trends in healthcare, visit McKesson’s weekly blog, The Vitals: https://www.mckesson.com/blog.
During COVID employees are working from home. McKesson is one of Fortune’s most admired company and culture. Currently, there are several customer service positions available. Employees will find advancement and growth opportunities at McKesson. Please refer to McKesson’s career page for a listing of current openings.

UHAUL
NIJA PARKER, Corporate Partner

U-Haul was founded in 1945. U-Haul trucks and trailers can be rented anywhere in the US and Canada. 32,000 employees are nationwide. The company has the largest truck fleet in the world; 20,000 independent dealers and over 1,900 company-owned centers.
Benefits include medical, dental, vision and prescription. The company also emphasizes the health of its employees with its Healthier U program.
Current openings include positions in every field; contact center, customer service and sales; corporate, accounting and project planners; field, retail sales and customer service agents; and IT, software infrastructure software engineer. For additional details visit U-Haul.

WEALTH WAVE
JASON WISEMAN, Senior Marketing Manager

Wealth Wave presents alternatives for those who are not sure if they wish to return to a corporate employee role with a steady paycheck. Wealth Wave gives you an opportunity to exploit your own business or side gig. At the same time if you are hesitant about going all in towards being an entrepreneur, this organization is flexible enough so they can help you transition into something part time. Wealth Wave’s mission is to eliminate financial illiteracy to keep people from making easily avoidable financial mistakes.
And speaking of confidence, Wealth Wave is a big believer of building your self-development, so you’ll learn much about yourself along the way, including examining what you really want out of life. Sounds like a confidence booster that’s hard to beat – being able to build a business plan around what you really want.
Wealth Wave serves all families. As many of the top firms steer their associates away from serving low- and middle-income families to focus on helping the rich get richer, Wealth Wave sees vast opportunity. Wealth Wave has built their entire company around the chance to provide to every family the same type of financial education, tools, services, and personal care available to the rich. They serve young families, old families, average families, all families. That’s who they are.
More information here.

CLOSING

Jessica Pierce, Founder & CEO, Career Connectors, closed the meeting by thanking the day’s speakers & the volunteers. The next Career Connectors meeting will be a virtual event on
October 7, 2020 ; “Kickstart Your Job Search” presented by Kevin Dumcum. For additional information on this event & future events, please visit the Event Schedule.

8/19/20 – Interviewing with Confidence

August 24, 2020 by Sheila

Written by Gary Matsuda

Interviewing With Confidence Carmen Payne

You’re hoping for a career change, but the world’s wheels keep falling off during a worldwide pandemic and recession. To help get you back in the driver’s seat (with the wheels) is Carmen Payne,
an Executive, Personal and Professional Development Coach.
Now you got an interview scheduled, congrats! You should have enough time to prepare everything from the technology set up, your introduction and possible answers to common interview questions, so don’t wing it! Carmen breaks down some of the major factors to make sure that you nail the interview.

KEYNOTE

Relax, the interviewer is not likely trying to trip you up. They generally want you to succeed and demonstrate your best, authentic self (If they are relying on trick questions to screen candidates, you might not want to work there anyway). However, if you are not going into the meeting prepared, well that’s you doing it to yourself! But Carmen’s interview prep techniques can take the pain out of preparation and help improve your confidence and credibility.

A few of the most dreaded interview questions that seem to stress us out to no end are:

What is your greatest weakness or greatest strength?
Describe a time when…
Give or share an example of/when…
How did you handle _ situation?
Tell me about your last /current job or _ employer.

Your responses to these challenging questions should exude confidence right from the start. Come across with a well-rehearsed short story and you’ll make it easy for you tell and for the interviewer to remember your answer. No one sentence answers allowed. Elaborate. Show them you know your experience and abilities will apply to the job. To help you do this, Carmen has her clients use the commonly used, easy-to-follow ‘STAR’ technique.

Tell Your Story as a ‘STAR’

S – Situation, background. This is the environment, location, time that sets up the context for your answer. Don’t dwell too much here, spend just enough time to set up the scene for the interviewer. You’ll want to lead them to the next step on your involvement in the problem.

T – Task or Target, specifics of what’s required, when, where, and what you were responsible for.

A – Action, what you did, skills used, behaviors, characteristics. Don’t draw attention away from you by mentioning what the team, boss or coworker did. The focus is on you.

R – Result, outcome, what happened. End your example on the positive including achievements, lessons learned, goals, milestones met or relationships created or saved (Ta da! Nailed it!).

Don’t worry, there could be overlap in each of these categories and parts of your answer might not fit exactly in this specific order. Just use this as a template and adapt to your unique story. The goal is to engage the listener and make your accomplishments clear and easy to remember.

This STAR technique is flexible enough to help you answer almost all behavioral questions, like this:

“Describe a time when you had to work with a tough customer and what was the result?”

Example answer:

“I understand the customer has their own goals to meet, their own job to do. Last year when I was leading a project our clients requested new requirements and our team was caught by surprise. It was very frustrating to work hard only to have much of it tossed aside by new requirements. I contacted the customer to find out more and discovered the changes resulted from factors beyond anyone’s control. After explaining the reasons to the team, they became more accommodating and empathetic to the customer and were able to deliver something that was still useful to the customer. The client was appreciative for our flexibility in getting something delivered on time and saving part of their business.”

Always practice before hand and refine your story to provide clarity. Also, during the meeting, the interviewer can always ask if something needs clarification. Tell a story in this format and you may get the listener to think, “I like what I’m hearing, tell me more!”.

You can’t hide behind the screen

Just because you’re on a video call and your image is smaller than life, don’t think your flaws might be hidden behind the computer screen. Since the interviewer doesn’t have a three dimensional in-person perspective, they’ll be even more focused on what’s happening on their 8” x 5” flat image of you. Although they’ll listen to every word you say, most communication is non-verbal and your body language can be 55% of communication. Any non-verbal clues as to who you are, what you’re thinking and feeling might be picked up so you still have the ability to communicate a story that either sounds energetic or appears apathetic or passive. So, look alive!

Carmen says it takes just the first few seconds of your first impression to weigh on the final judgement of you and that will happen long before you get to talk about your experience. Sooo…

Prepare Your Introduction:

Breath, relax your shoulders and if possible warm up your vocal cords by speaking a few test phrases out loud before the meeting.
Greeting e.g. “Good morning, (repeat their name correctly)”
My name is _, very nice to meet you.
When things are back to normal and it’s in-person meeting, shake their hand.
Other non-verbal tips for video
Don’t be a talking head! Set yourself far enough away from the camera so that your upper body and posture is visible. This also allows use of your hands to convey non-verbal communication. It’s been proven that when your hands are visible, trust is much more likely to be communicated.
This can be a hard habit to break but the eyes have it. Imagine talking with someone who is constantly looking at their feet. That’s the possible impression your giving if during a video conference you constantly look at your computer screen. Look at the camera. Although it may take practice since it will feel unnatural to you, you’ll appear more natural to the interviewer when you do this.

Before the interview be sure to check your connectivity and login details, that your camera works, mute notifications and close all unnecessary apps to free up memory.

Video interviewing has been here for a long time and will be around as an option for the foreseeable future so putting effort into this will not only serve you well for job interviews but on the job as well when you are making an impact with clients!

HIRING COMPANIES

WealthWave
Jason Wiseman, Sr. Marketing Director
If you aren’t sure about returning as a corporate employee with a steady paycheck, here’s an opportunity to exploit your strengths through your own business or side gig. At the same time if you are hesitant about going all in towards being an entrepreneur, this organization is flexible enough so they can help you transition into something part time. Their mission is to eliminate financial illiteracy to keep people from making easily avoidable financial mistakes.

And speaking of confidence, Wealthwave is a big believer of building your self-development so you’ll learn much about yourself along the way, including examining what you really want out of life. Sounds like a confidence booster that’s hard to beat – being able to build a business plan around what you really want.

More information here and here.

U-HAUL
Jaime Zell-Behymer, Senior Recruiter
U-Haul has also been known as a ‘Do it yourself’ business: moving it yourself, that is. Although with these career opportunities, you’re not doing it alone. Across the country or across town, work with a supportive team to help those who are getting their moving done, college students moving into dorms, moving into a new home, or relocating for a new job.

There are plenty of career opportunities with 7 different companies in one, in every field, full and part time, WFH and in office. Work with a supportive team with a full range of benefits and offerings for your health and safety. Open positions include Customer Service Reps, Sales Reps, General Manager, U-Box Drivers, Senior System Administrators, Quality Assurance Agent, and Software Developer. For more information and to apply, visit UHAULJOBS.com.

RESOURCES

BestCompaniesAZ
Altogether in one place you can find VERIFIED, trusted companies who have thousands of jobs (120,000 at last count!) open now. Check them out here if any listed hiring companies match your values. For employees who are going through difficult situations, this is a great resource:
https://bestcompaniesaz.com/covid-19-resources/

Free DISC Assessment
We all like free, so at no cost to you find your behavior traits (which may help point to your values) and what kind of job will likely fit you through our online DISC assessment at:
https://careerconnectors.org/DISC/

For details about upcoming Career Connectors events, click here to visit the events section on the website for details about hiring companies and keynote topics!

12/16/20 – Land Your Perfect Job in 2021

Keynote