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Life at Travelers Podcast Ep.2 – Career Development
Kim: Welcome, everybody, to our second episode of the Life at Travelers podcast. I’m here today with my guest, Ellen Vyce. She is a career development expert and we’re so excited to have her. I’m going to pick her brain all about career growth at Travelers and what that means. Ellen, why don’t you introduce yourself?
Ellen: Yeah. Great. Thanks, Kim. My name is Ellen Vyce, and I’m a Senior Consultant in Enterprise Talent Management.
Kim: Awesome. Well, thank you for being here.
Ellen: Yeah, thanks for having me.
Kim: And talking all about career development with me, but before we get to career development at Travelers as a whole, I want to talk about you.
Ellen: Yeah.
Kim: So you have, kind of, quite the journey from starting, you know, as an intern at Travelers all the way through to, you know, working here full-time and working in Enterprise Talent Management. So, how did you first find out about Travelers?
Ellen: Yeah. Good question. So, my dad has actually worked at Travelers for about 23 years now.
Kim: Wow.
Ellen: So, growing up, you know, it was always a household name. So, I have always been familiar with Travelers, the Travelers Championship, the red umbrella was everywhere. So, when it came time to thinking about, you know, potential first jobs and careers, Travelers was at the very top of my list from early on.
Kim: That’s great. And what did you major in in college?
Ellen: I majored in industrial organizational psychology.
Kim: Wow. Okay. What does that mean?
Ellen: Basically, workplace psychology, very closely related to human resources, but more so the behavioral side.
Kim: Gotcha. Okay, so, so when you interned at Travelers, what did you focus on for project work?
Ellen: Yeah. So, the majority of my internship at Travelers focused on building out the career path and job family for the agile deliveries job family. So, I was working on putting together the experiences and the different career options for that job family specifically.
Kim: Yep.
Ellen: So even as an intern, I was working on career development focused work.
Kim: That’s awesome. Okay and so that was just agile delivery but this was happening across every job family?
Ellen: Primarily tech and ops, but yeah, throughout all of Travelers, a lot of job families were going through some restructuring at the time, and that was the one that I was tasked with, kind of, re-orging and figuring out. Let’s see, if I’m a scrum master, where should I go next? What are the skills and experiences needed to help me get there?
Kim: Yep. And did you feel like your internship at Travelers, did it bring your education into the experience? You know, did you walk away feeling like that real-world experience was valuable?
Ellen: Absolutely. It really put things into perspective for me and allowed me to take what I learned in grad school and apply it to my internship. And a lot of the terminology was the same. A lot of the concepts were directly applicable to each other. And I felt even more capable and ready to go back to grad school in between my internship and my school time because Travelers had prepared me really well to be able to take that knowledge back and apply it to my degree.
Kim: That’s great. That’s great. And was your, your master’s degree, was that in the same major you had?
Ellen: It was, yeah.
Kim: Alright, so you went all the way through a master’s.
Ellen: I did.
Kim: You loved it.
Ellen: I really did. It’s such an interesting field and so much of what we learn about in industrial organizational psychology is directly applicable to talent management. You’re thinking about, you know, what can we do to retain our talent? What can we do to ensure our talent is continuously learning and growing? And overall, making the workplace a better place to be.
Kim: That’s great. That is awesome and congratulations, all the way through master’s.
Ellen: Yeah, thanks.
Kim: That’s something to be proud of for sure. So, post-grad, found your way back to Travelers.
Ellen: I did.
Kim: What was it about Travelers that brought you back?
Ellen: Honestly, the rotational nature of the leadership development program that I was in, the Human Resources Leadership Development Program.
Kim: Yeah.
Ellen: Knowing that Travelers valued careers so much and a lot of continuous learning, the leadership development program was a no-brainer for me. Through the leadership development program, I got to rotate through four areas of human resources over the course of a three-year period.
Kim: Okay.
Ellen: So I got to spend time in Talent Acquisition, Compensation, Employee Relations and Talent Management, which is where I landed.
Kim: Wow. Okay, so you got a taste of, like, every part of human resources.
Ellen: Indeed. Yeah.
Kim: And leadership development programs, there’s more than just HR. There’s several.
Ellen: There are eight, I believe.
Kim: Wow. Okay. And that was something that you applied directly to?
Ellen: Exactly. Yes. As result of the internship that is through the HRLDP, they also offer the full-time program, so, as soon as I got a taste of the internship, I knew that I wanted to come back full-time as a full-time participant.
Kim: That’s awesome. And I know it has a rotational nature, like you explained, but outside of the experience in LDP, is there, you know, is there work and play? You know, is there networking opportunities, team bonding, like, what happens outside of the day-to-day?
Ellen: Yeah, I think the leadership development programs are, kind of, the best of all worlds combined. You get not only the, you know, rotations and you get exposure to various lines of business, various leaders, but you also get to interact with other LDPs across the place. So, you can interact with Finance Leadership Development Program folks or Business Insights and Analytics Leadership Development Program folks.
Kim: Yeah.
Ellen: And yeah, you really get to put yourself out there and join different committees. And you get to network a lot. So, you know, a lot of us become friends outside of the program as well. So, it’s a really holistic experience.
Kim: That’s great. And then when you join full-time, it’s like you have a whole community already.
Ellen: Absolutely. Yeah.
Kim: Oh, that’s wonderful. And you said you landed in talent management?
Ellen: Indeed.
Kim: Okay, so what do you do now? What’s your day-to-day and what’s your team like?
Ellen: Yeah. So, in Enterprise Talent Management I’m primarily responsible for our top talent practices. So, think talent pools, think talent review, think succession planning in addition to career and leadership development.
Kim: Okay. And is your team small, large?
Ellen: Yeah. Enterprise Talent Management is about 12 to 13 people right now. Yep.
Kim: Yep.
Ellen: My immediate team is three. So, we’re small but mighty. We’ve got a lot going on, a lot of really exciting work.
Kim: That’s great. So, can you talk to me about some of those initiatives that your team works on for career development at Travelers?
Ellen: Yeah, absolutely. Right now, we have a really great platform that employees can use that is driven by AI and it will provide mentorship matches, it will provide available job matches and even some learning courses for employees to take based on employee skill sets, what they’ve entered as an interest or development area.
Kim: Okay and so, so this is geared toward all employees, right? Not just… Like, growing in your area or growing into a different space, it works either way?
Ellen: Absolutely. It’s actually great for both employees, whether you’re looking for a new opportunity or looking to grow in your current role, there’s really something for everyone at all levels.
Kim: That’s awesome. So career development is really a priority at Travelers, you’d say?
Ellen: It absolutely is. We’ve heard from Alan saying that our talent is our greatest asset, which means our people are our greatest asset. So, investing in our people and their career development is 100% a priority for the place.
Kim: Yeah. That’s great. I love to hear it. It’s, you know, it’s something that… You don’t know, you know, where you’re, where it’s going to take you when you start at a company and it just sounds like not only through your experience, but through the work that you do, exposure, right? Exposure to the different places in Travelers because it’s huge. There’s so many places you can go.
Ellen: There really are. And, you know, one way that employees are able to continue exploring what might be available is through our Map Your Career process. Which is the Travelers framework for career development.
Kim: Okay.
Ellen: Those four phases of map your career are explore, identify, plan and act and each one of those phases allows employees to focus on a different piece of the career development journey.
Kim: Yeah.
Ellen: So, you know, that was created to help our employees really explore what’s out there, hone their skills and get ready for whatever’s next.
Kim: Yeah, because I know in episode one, when I was talking to Brianna, she cited, you know, we have pilots, we have nurses, we have chemists. You know, I mean, you and I work in HR, right? And it’s yeah, it’s really amazing. And I think what you just laid out right there, map your career, it sounds, like, structured but simple, right?
Ellen: Absolutely. It’s meant to be a repeatable process for employees. You know, you learn the process once and then you’re able to go back and use it as needed as you continue along your own career development journey.
Kim: Yeah. Yeah. Repeatable, right? That’s a great resource. So, for folks listening to this episode right now who are potential candidates for us, right? They might be interested in working at Travelers. What would you tell somebody who was interested in working at Travelers?
Ellen: Yeah, I’d probably tell them quite a few things. But, the first thing that I tell them is to really invest the time getting to know the job that you’re applying for.
Kim: Yep.
Ellen: Read through that job description, think about the skills and experiences that you have and the skills and experiences necessary for the role that you’re applying for. And, you know, if there’s something that’s missing, think about how you can go about closing that gap and, you know, seek out some mentors to help you close that gap before you apply. And once you get here, we’ve got plenty of resources for you to help grow your career.
Kim: Yeah, I know, it’s like, now we’re at the point, I feel like where somebody could read a Travelers job description and think, okay, this is just where I’m starting, though.
Ellen: Yes. Oh, yes. It’s really just the ground floor and then, the sky’s the limit for employees now. Whether it’s, like I said, growing in your current role or exploring future leadership roles, we’ve got it all.
Kim: Yeah. That’s great. Ellen, thank you so much. Is there anything today that we didn’t cover that you feel is important to say?
Ellen: I don’t think so. I think we’ve covered it.
Kim: Okay. Good stuff. Alright. Well, well, thank you for being here today. And I’m sure you’ll be a resource to plenty of our listeners. If they connect with you on LinkedIn, is that okay?
Ellen: Absolutely.
Kim: Okay.
Ellen: Ellen Vyce on LinkedIn.com that’s me.
Kim: Alright, alright. Awesome. We will, we’ll definitely tag you in the social post.
Ellen: Thank you so much for having me.
Kim: Absolutely.
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WHO WE ARE.
Life at Travelers Podcast Ep.1 – Tips from a Recruiter
Kim: Welcome, everybody, to our first Life at Travelers podcast. I have my guest, Brianna Sacerdote, here with me today. She’s a recruiter at Travelers. Bri, thanks for being here.
Brianna: Thanks for having me.
Kim: Of course. I’m going to be, kind of, picking your brain. A lot of questions that we’ve gathered from social media, from our potential candidates, real candidates. So, we’re going to dive deep. You ready?
Brianna: I’m ready. I’m looking forward to it.
Kim: Alright. Awesome. So first, I would just want to, you know, have you explain your role here at Travelers and how you got here.
Brianna: Yeah. So, I’m currently a Senior Recruiter, and I recruit for the Upper Midwest Claim Center. So, all positions within Claim, ranging from trainees to experienced claim representatives. And I started in the PI (Personal Insurance) Call Center back in 2016, networked and held another role in Employee Relations, and ultimately started job shadowing in Talent Acquisition. So, that’s how I got where I am, and it’s been great ever since.
Kim: How long have you been at Travelers?
Brianna: Since 2016. So, eight years?
Kim: Eight years? Yeah. Wow. That’s awesome.
Brianna: I know. It’s gone by so fast.
Kim: So, getting into the nitty gritty of recruiting and your day-to-day, what are the first things that you look at on a resume?
Brianna: So, for me, a resume needs to be visually appealing. So, without even looking at their experience, I want to make sure it looks visually appealing. I look at format, neatness, make sure all the verb tenses are in the right tense. So, if your current job, we want your current job to say all current and present tenses and all prior jobs to say past. So, I look for that, if you have periods, we want to make sure all the periods are there throughout the resume. But I’m not that, I’m not picky if it’s not that consistent. I really want to get to the nitty gritty of what experience they have, and if they could be a good fit for the position that we’re hiring for. Especially if it’s an experienced role.
Kim: So, formatting-wise, if it’s over a page, are there any kind of, like, you know, details you’re looking for there? Should it be one page? Are multiple pages okay? How short should it be?
Brianna: Yeah. That’s the common misconception is that resumes have to be a page. And that’s, that’s not the thing. I mean, people have a bunch of experience
that they want to include on their resume so, I usually recommend anywhere between 2 to 3 is a good, sweet spot. Sometimes five is just way too long and like, you know, we’re clicking back into the resume pages to really see what, where they’re coming from. So, I think 2 to 3 is the sweet spot, but also, tailor it, you know, tailor it to the job you’re applying for. If it’s, if you have experience on there beyond ten years, maybe start to take things away. That’s not always necessary to include.
Kim: So, my camp counselor job from ten years ago could probably go.
Brianna: Yes, that can definitely go.
Kim: Okay, okay.
Brianna: But it could be a skill. That’s cool that you did something like that. Like, we like to see cool skills as well.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: Yeah.
Kim: And, and at the top, you know, that objective statement or summary that some folks include, is that important because we’re also submitting a cover letter, you know, what pieces are important there?
Brianna: Yeah. So, the summary I usually recommend it’s not, it’s not important or required unless it’s a very specific, unique job that you want to call out a certain experience level then fine, but I want to get to right to the experience and see what you’re coming with. So, typically it’s not required.
Kim: So, work experience and skills are really top of mind.
Brianna: And education.
Kim: And education. Got it. Okay. And, you know, for the cover letter, because a lot of the time when folks are applying for jobs, it’s required. Is it required at Travelers and, you know, how is it weighted? How important is that?
Brianna: It’s not required to submit an application at Travelers. So, the majority of our applicants do just have a resume. Cover letter is really important for me to see, like, if you’re relocating and you want to let us know that you’re relocating, or if there’s gaps in employment, that gives us an opportunity to see why there’s gaps. If you want to call out, maybe you moved back home for family reasons or something like that, so that’s helpful. Or if you have very specific experience, you want to call out in your cover letter, but otherwise that could be used for your resume, so it’s a hit or miss. It’s not required. I don’t ever, I’m not ever searching for a cover letter when someone submits an application.
Kim: Got it. Okay, so we can use a cover letter for those more personal details.
Brianna: Exactly.
Kim: Okay. Got it. Now, a tip that I’ve heard, from a former recruiter was, you know, talk about accomplishments on your resume versus what you do, right? I remember them saying, if I read your job title, right, I know what you do mostly. So, talk about how you do it and talk about those accomplishments. What is your opinion on that? Should we be putting accomplishments or talking more about our day-to-day?
Brianna: I think a mixture of both is helpful. Like accomplishments as far as if you’re excelling in key metrics in the job you’re performing in, we recommend putting those in your resume. We love numbers, percentages, so definitely include those if you’re excelling in a certain area. But I think a mixture of both is really helpful. You don’t want it all to be accomplishments, you know?
Kim: You don’t want to be too “boasty.”
Brianna: Save that for the interview.
Kim: Yeah, there you go. Okay. So, speaking of interviews, or maybe even a step back before the interview, right? We get together our resume, fill out the application, maybe a cover letter, maybe not, and we send that in. Folks on social media, we see it all the time, you know, there’s memes about it, there’s Reels about it, that the application just goes into a black hole, right? And they’re ghosted or they never hear back. What actually happens at Travelers when somebody submits an application?
Brianna: So, when someone submits an application at Travelers, they are reviewed manually. We don’t have a system where it automatically rejects applicants based off of a word they have or don’t have on their resume. We’re looking at your experience manually. So, a lot of factors go into play. It depends on how long the job’s been posted. If you apply right away, the chances of being considered might be a little bit higher. But sometimes you don’t know if, how long the job’s been posted. Even if it says ten days, it could, that could be inaccurate. It could have been unposted then reposted. So, it is really based off of timing and we try to prioritize as soon as possible, but unfortunately, if you apply late to the game, that’s what might lead to that misconception of a black hole. But we do try to reach out to people as soon as we can.
Kim: Okay. And what is the first step? So, when you do reach out to somebody, kind of, what’s the process look like for them?
Brianna: Yeah. So, we’ll conduct a first initial phone interview. So someone would connect with me, another recruiter on our team and it’d be a lot of those behavioral-type questions. So, definitely recommend folks to come prepared for those. Or we also do more talking about your job. So we just want to, not your job but your experience. We want to hear about your experience, your interest in the position, you know, why? Why Travelers? What about Travelers excites you to leave, to come here, but then to leave your current company? So, it’s more of a ‘get to know you,’ but then also, why are you the right fit for the position as well?
Kim: Okay, so that’s that first step and past that, do they start to meet with the actual team they’d be working with?
Brianna: Yeah. So depending how that goes the team and I will collaborate and then we’ll determine next steps. Usually interviews are on video but a lot of teams are now incorporating a lot of in-person interviews. So, you might go to an office and meet with the hiring team. A lot more behavioral-type questions would be asked during that conversation. So, we really, I try to prep my candidates a lot with those behavioral-type questions because there’s a plethora.
Kim: Okay. Okay so Travelers allows for both in-person interviews and, like, virtual video interviews.
Brianna: Yes.
Kim: Okay. Awesome.
Brianna: And I guess depending on the office and what, you know, it’s dependent across everywhere. But yeah, most offices are incorporating in-person interviews again since COVID because that’s all we used to do.
Kim: Sure. Yeah. I know, life changed so much since then.
Brianna: Yeah.
Kim: And after the interviews, a question we got from social media was, how often do you receive a thank you note, or does a hiring manager receive a thank you note after interviews? And is that important?
Brianna: Yeah, that’s a great question and I actually preach about thank you notes to everybody I talk to. For recruiters, it’s not, I don’t take it as a bad or good thing. If you don’t thank me after a call, it’s really what matters next. So, if you meet with the hiring team and you want to send them a thank you note, we really think that it’s critical. You know, it makes you stand out to the hiring team. You highlight 2 to 3 sentences on why you’re the right candidate for the position, maybe call out a certain level of experience that you have to offer, and it just goes a long way. You might not always get a response from the hiring team, that’s totally normal, but just going that extra step to put yourself out there, let them know you had a great conversation, it does go a long way.
Kim: Now if you don’t hear back, right, on your thank you note, is that because they’re trying to maybe hold back bias or is there something along those lines, or is it more just, right, thank you notes come and go and, you know, what is the response rate and why might they not answer?
Brianna: Honestly, I see more non-response rates. It’s probably because they just don’t want to give any indication. Like if they were to say something like, ‘Oh yeah, it was great meeting you,’ that maybe someone would take that as, ‘Oh, I think I’m going to get the job.’ So, I think they’re really just trying to keep it very high level and neutral.
Kim: Yeah. Okay. That makes sense. That makes sense. So, regarding the interview, some of those hard questions, hard for the candidate to ask, usually around negotiations for salary, benefits. How should a candidate go about asking those questions or can they find that information publicly?
Brianna: Yeah. So, it’s a good mixture of both. So, Travelers I like to think we’re very transparent about putting our benefits out there, what our salary is. Benefits you can find on our Travelers website, so, careers.travelers.com. You can go on there under Life at Travelers, then Benefits tab, all the way at the bottom you’ll see a brochure that you can open up and see all the benefits we have to offer. There’s also a benefit rate calculator that’s on there. So, if you wanted to play and plug and chug information to see how much they’d cost you on average, that’s available.
Kim: Okay.
Brianna: Salary expectations, those are posted on all of our jobs. So, we have a nationwide range, a low all the way to a high number, but it’s not including where any of our candidates are located. So again, it’s nationwide, but you don’t know where your number could fall because we haven’t chatted yet.
Kim: Right.
Brianna: So that comes when you talk to us. One of us recruiters will narrow that down for you a little bit more on what salary we’re going to offer and if it’s in, not exact numbers, but kind of like a range, and if it’s in their range. If it’s not, we ask you to be transparent with us because we would hate to make an offer to you, and then it’s not the number you want. So, we set those expectations very clearly on that initial phone call.
Kim: Okay, so that’s not a taboo subject.
Brianna: No. We’re very transparent and open. It’s a question that we, that we ask you.
Kim: Okay. So other questions outside of salary, benefits, what other questions should a candidate be asking a recruiter? What’s important for them to know that they might not think of?
Brianna: Yeah, those are good questions, too. So, I’ll start with ones that, maybe to avoid with a recruiter. I recommend staying away from the technical kind of questions about the job. Like anything that is very specific about the job, save those for the hiring team. What I do recommend you ask the recruiter, is anything about Travelers, like the culture or career growth, networking opportunities, volunteer opportunities, anything like that is really helpful. If you wanted to talk about the team environment, the team make-up, you know, work flexibility, we will have all that at our fingertips.
Kim: Okay.
Brianna: We feel like we could do every job that we talk about because we talk about it so much but, you know, we’re not that skilled in it. So, we do recommend to keep it more high-level or ask the recruiter, you know, how we got started here, what’s our career journey look like. Same with the hiring team, you know, put the questions on them and what they like most about Travelers.
Kim: Okay and then for the hiring team, it’s more the nitty gritty of the day-to-day of the role.
Brianna: Yeah, because they’re the experts. You know, most managers on the team have done the role themselves. Most. So, you know, I would definitely Save it for them for sure.
Kim: So, from personal experience, I remember people mentioning working at an insurance company. Right? I live near Hartford, insurance capital of the world. Travelers was mentioned and I thought, ‘I’m never going to work for an insurance company,’ right? Sounds boring. Sounds like paperwork. Sounds like there’s just not a role there for me, right? I’m not an underwriter. I’m not in claims. You know, it’s not for me.
Brianna: Right.
Kim: So, you know, we obviously both found our way here, you know, what would you tell folks about the roles we have here? What would people not expect to find as a role at an insurance company?
Brianna: Yeah. And it’s crazy because I didn’t have that idea either that I would work for an insurance company. My dad worked in insurance his whole life, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m not going that route.’ And here I am and, like, loving it, obviously.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: So, a few roles that you wouldn’t expect that we have to offer at Travelers are pilots, we have a couple of private jets, so we would need to hire a pilot for that.
Kim: Right.
Brianna: Nurses, we have nurse case managers mostly in claim. We have architects. We have fitness and wellness instructors, event planners, forensic scientists.
Kim: Wow.
Brianna: Chemists in Risk Control.
Kim: Yep.
Brianna: So, yeah, it’s a wide variety that you wouldn’t think of.
Kim: You just think of, you know, underwriters and claim reps. So, yeah, very interesting.
Brianna: It’s awesome.
Kim: And recruiters.
Brianna: And recruiters for sure. Yeah, the opportunities are endless. It really does not matter what you went to school for. You can find a place for you here.
Kim: Yeah. And is there a lot of movement internally in the company? I know you joined via the call center, right? And now you’re a recruiter. Does that happen a lot?
Brianna: I think it does. And it’s also what you make of it. So, that’s what I tell candidates, too. It’s like, you know, where can I go here? Well it’s really where you want to go. You make the most out of your career. You make that career path for you. You make your own networking opportunities. So, if you wanted to do whatever you want to do, you have that opportunity here. We have so many different people and departments to work with.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: So, yeah.
Kim: We got a question from social media regarding being an undergraduate, right? You’re not currently applying yet. How can folks who are in college now, prepare for a role at Travelers?
Brianna: Yeah, so, there’s a couple different ways that I recommend. I mean, number one, and it’s the most convenient, is attending your college career fairs. I think that’ll give you a wide variety of different companies, maybe what areas you’re interested in, or might not even be aware that you’re interested in yet.
Kim: Right.
Brianna: So, definitely start there. Set up your LinkedIn profile. I’m sure you can talk a lot about LinkedIn.
Kim: Yeah, we talk a lot about LinkedIn.
Brianna: LinkedIn is so important. You can network with people. Start there and you never know who you’ll be connected with. We have tons of internships here, so, just browsing our careers website, seeing if there would be anything you would be interested in after college is helpful. We have so many trainee and entry-level job opportunities so, checking out our website, seeing if they ring a bell to you, and if so, have that be your way in when you graduate or before. Start applying like a month before or something like that.
Kim: Yeah. And I’ve heard you mention networking a lot. Would you say networking is a big part of it?
Brianna: Yeah, networking is huge. I mean, I don’t think I’d be where I am without networking, so, I try to advocate that for everybody else and I try to be that network for other people as well.
Kim: Yeah. So, for folks who are getting ready to, you know, come to Travelers or they’re currently interviewing.
Brianna: Yes.
Kim: We talk about the culture and that sort of thing, but, some of those specific questions, right? Is there a dress code at Travelers?
Brianna: Oh, yeah. So, I think, I think you and I started around the same time in Talent Acquisition. So, it was somewhere around that time they changed the dress code to ‘dress for your day,’ where you were now able to wear jeans and just like, you know, dress for your day. What’s on your calendar that day? Do you have all virtual meetings? Do you know you’re not going to be on camera? Just dress appropriately. If you are meeting new clients or a new team or anything in-person, have an interview, then dress appropriately for that. So, that’s the guidance that we do tell our candidates.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: When they ask about dressing appropriately for work. But there’s no defined, like, you have to wear a business attire every single day. There’s nothing that outlines that.
Kim: Again, it’s just that insurance, kind of, stigma. Right? It’s suits and, yeah, the whole deal.
Brianna: I wear jeans every day.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: So, I mean, yeah. It’s awesome.
Kim: Yep. Okay, awesome. Bri, any cool recruitment stories? I mean, you’ve obviously talked to so many people. Have you had interesting backgrounds or folks, you know, come from, you know, different places and end up where they didn’t think they were or?
Brianna: I have. So, one of them actually, I, someone reached out to me on LinkedIn. I wasn’t even searching for anybody.
Kim: Okay.
Brianna: He reached out to me and told me he applied to a position within Worker’s Comp. So, I spoke to him and we had a great conversation. He ended up getting the job for that position and, before that, though, he’s an ex-police officer, which we do see a lot within claim.
Kim: Wow.
Brianna: A lot of ex-police officers or ones that are retired, want a change in career, they’re interested in Claim because there’s a lot of transferable skills.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: So, he ended up getting a job and then let me know that he got another job in TIS, which is, like, our investigative services.
Kim: Yep.
Brianna: So, it just goes to show that a background in being a police officer can translate to Claim, but then also the investigative team. And I’m sure he never expected to work at an insurance company during his career. So, that was pretty cool.
Another one, one person I hired, he applied for, I believe, a Property Trainee position, which are very common entry-level positions. And he, the day I called him to extend the offer, he got told that his job was getting, like, eliminated or realigned. Something along those lines.
Kim: Yep.
Brianna: And it was going to be effective on our start date. So, he was like really emotional that we offered him the job effective the day that his job was going to change and it was just a really cool opportunity.
Kim: Yeah, that eased his mind there.
Brianna: Yeah.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: It really eased his mind and you just, it makes you, like, really appreciative of the work that we’re doing and, you know, it goes a long way.
My last one is cool. I went to this local gym in town and the woman I worked out with, I never knew that her husband applied to a job that I screened him for, and it was a great conversation. He ended up getting the job. I never met him, but I saw him at a local grocery store and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that’s the guy I hired.’ So, it was really cool, full circle to see him.
Kim: Yes.
Brianna: In person. And he’s thriving and he’s been here for a couple of years but, like, you would never expect someone you work out with to now have their husband working at the same like, so.
Kim: There are just folks from Travelers in your local community.
Brianna: Yeah, just a small world. You just realize how small of a world it is.
Kim: Totally.
Brianna: So, so many opportunities is the main point.
Kim: Yeah, during COVID, I had signed up to grocery shop for an elderly couple.
Brianna: Oh yeah, I remember that.
Kim: Yeah, and, I think I had been delivering groceries to them for maybe a month before we talked and the woman I was literally giving groceries to was a Travelers retiree.
Brianna: That’s crazy.
Kim: It was just a wild story. And, yeah, so, we bonded pretty hard over that, after that point.
Brianna: Oh, that’s awesome.
Kim: They still email me now and they’re like, you know, ‘How’s Travelers? It’s been five years but, you know.’ So yeah, I agree, it’s a small world.
Brianna: It is.
Kim: It’s a tight network.
Brianna: It really is. And everyone knows us. So it’s awesome.
Kim: Absolutely. So, personal question for you.
Brianna: Yeah.
Kim: You’re sitting here with me. You are seven months pregnant right now?
Brianna: Yeah. Six, seven.
Kim: Six, seven months. Okay, so, and you already have a little one at home.
Brianna: I do, my daughter.
Kim: And you had her while you were at Travelers? Is that correct?
Brianna: I did.
Kim: So this is your second time, going through a pregnancy while working at Travelers.
Brianna: Yeah.
Kim: What is it like, you know, being a mom at Travelers? What support do you have? And your maternity leave, your team, all that sort of stuff?
Brianna: It is. It’s truly awesome. I never feel like I’m not supported. My management, leadership, I just feel so supported and I cannot imagine being in this situation anywhere else.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: You know, obviously with kids, things come up, they get sick, daycare closes. We have to be flexible, so, the work arrangement, the flexibility, is amazing for us. The three days in the office, two days from home, it’s super nice. We just implemented, I think within the last two years or so, a new diversity network called Working Parents and Caregivers (& Allies) and I’m a part of that, which is awesome, but you don’t have to be a parent or a caregiver to be a part of it. It’s just for you to come to and be supported.
Kim: Be an ally as well.
Brianna: Yeah, and be an ally. We have speakers come from the hospital, Hartford Hospital, to talk about just daily things parents go through and ways to cope with it.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: So, I just feel really supported in that sense because we have another group here who is focusing in on that now.
Kim: Yeah.
Brianna: I think we need that.
Kim: You have your village at work, too.
Brianna: Yeah you have your village, other other moms on my team, obviously dads, so, we’re all going through the same stuff and it’s so nice to be a part of it here.
Kim: That’s awesome. I’m so glad to hear it and congrats on the upcoming baby.
Brianna: Thank you. We’re so excited.
Kim: We’ll miss you while you’re on maternity leave.
Brianna: I know, I’ll miss you guys.
Kim: But, we’ll be excited. We need pictures, so, send them our way.
Brianna: Alright. Definitely will.
Kim: Bri, anything else that, you know, we didn’t cover today? Kind of, like, more informally that you think we should, candidates should know? Or do you think we, kind of, covered the gamut?
Brianna: I do, I think we covered everything, but, Travelers is, the opportunities truly are endless. And I say that all the time on LinkedIn, like, to check out this job. The opportunities are endless. It’s true, I’m an example of that. I’ve started in the call center and here I am recruiting. You would never think that those two correlate, But, if you’re looking for something or you just want to grow and have a lifelong career, I mean, this is the place. So. Yeah, I have nothing but good things to say.
Kim: Well, thanks for being here and, for our listeners, can they connect with you on LinkedIn if they want to know more? Okay.
Brianna: It’s under Brianna Sacerdote, so.
Kim Okay.
Brianna: I look forward to getting a bunch of requests.
Kim: Alright. Awesome. We’re going to make you an influencer.
Brianna: Thank you. I hope so. Thanks for having me.
Kim: Thank you.
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WHO WE ARE.
Resume Tips From A Travelers Recruiter
Are you ready to take the next step in your career but unsure how to best showcase your skills and experience? At Travelers, as well as across the job market, countless opportunities are waiting for you. My team wants to ensure you are fully prepared.
Let’s start with how to write a resume. As one of the first pieces of information an employer or recruiter sees about you, your resume is one of your most effective personal marketing tools. It’s crucial that it communicates your qualifications, who you are, and what makes you unique.
Follow our essential resume-writing tips to help your application stand out, whether you’re ready to submit it now or just keeping it updated for when the right opportunity comes along.
Set Your Goals and Determine Your Skillset
Before you can sell yourself, you must know yourself—your work style and what you want out of a role. Consider your career goals, interests, and skills, and make a list. Include your strengths, experiences, and the aspects that have shaped you into the professional you are today. If it helps, complete an online self-assessment. Use the results to determine which skills are most transferable to the industry or company you aspire to join.
- Here are a few competencies you may want to consider including if they relate to you and the role: customer service or consulting skills, project management experience, mentorship/coaching, relationship building, adaptability, creative problem solving, effective communication skills, influencing decision-making, organizational/time management skills, and delegating work or assignments.
Do Your Research
Now that you have your lists of skills and strengths, you can match the most applicable ones to the resume you want to create for a specific role.
When it comes to your resume, it’s not one size fits all. Your resume should be tailored to the job you are applying for. Review the job description you are targeting and highlight the key competencies, required skills, and responsibilities. Match your top strengths to the role and incorporate them into your resume. This will help you stand out to the recruiter or hiring manager.
What to Include on Your Resume
Aside from including the top skills and strengths that align with a role, there are a few additional housekeeping items to note.
- Education and Certifications: Education is an important piece of information employers review on your resume. If your degree is specific to the job you are applying for, be sure to include this section at the beginning of your resume. Otherwise, listing your education at the beginning or end of your resume works just fine. If you have obtained any specific certifications, those can be placed under the education category as well.
- Work History: Your experience section should list your work history in chronological order, with the most recent position at the top. Your most recent position should also include the most detail. Be sure to include numbers or statistics to highlight your strengths, influence, and successes.
- Resume Length: While prioritizing the most relevant experience and skill set, aim to keep your resume to a realistic length—ideally one to two pages.
Given the length limitation and the fact that your resume is a snapshot of the skills that best align with the role you are applying for, including your LinkedIn profile URL offers additional space to expand on professional skills and experiences. If you decide to include the URL, ensure that your profile is active and up-to-date.
What Not to Include on Your Resume
Limiting the length of a resume isn’t always easy, but here’s some good news: there are a few resume sections that are no longer trending.
- Objective or Summary Statements: An objective or summary statement is no longer a requirement. Save space and focus more on showcasing your relevant skills through action statements in your experience section. Reserve summary statements for your LinkedIn profile.
- Interest Section: Interests are also no longer required on a resume but keep them in mind as they can serve as great talking points during your interviews or screenings with your recruiter.
Formatting and Consistency is Key
The appearance of your resume matters. If your experience shines through, but your fonts don’t match or your lists aren’t succinct, the recruiter or hiring manager may doubt your attention to detail. Be consistent throughout your resume with style, font, and spacing. Ensure you use the same tense when writing—your current skills and work experience should be in the present tense, while former experiences should be in the past tense.
Use regular margins and a 10-12-point font in a basic, easy-to-read style. Utilize bullet points to highlight your skills rather than narratives or paragraphs.
A second set of eyes is always a great idea. Have a friend, colleague, or family member check your work to catch any errors or inconsistencies.
Finally, save and send your resume document as a PDF. This ensures all your formatting remains intact. You can also upload your resume to your profile on our Talent Community where our recruiters can see it, and send you relevant career opportunities. Not a member? Join here.
In Conclusion
We know that getting your resume up to snuff can be daunting, but your time is well worth it because your resume is your first foot in the door. A great resume that aligns with the company and specific role may lead to an interview with the recruiter or hiring manager, giving you an additional opportunity to shine as a professional in your industry. But interview tips? That’s a topic for another blog! Come back soon for more job seeking tips from my team at Travelers.
Brianna Sacerdote is a Senior Recruiter in HR Talent Acquisition at Travelers. With more than 5 years in recruiting, Brianna’s resume tips have helped many employees at Travelers to update their resumes to achieve career growth within the company, and now we bring them to you.
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WHO WE ARE.
Travelers Paves the Path for Career Growth with New Travelers Tech Office in Atlanta
Ever-evolving, innovating and growing, Travelers has opened a new office space in Midtown Atlanta’s Technology Square. The new location will serve as a location for our company’s expanding technology organization, offering new career opportunities in engineering, artificial intelligence and data science, among others.
“Home to some of the most prestigious engineering colleges and universities, Atlanta was a natural choice for our new office,” said Mojgan Lefebvre, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology & Operations Officer at Travelers. “We have had a substantial presence in Georgia for a number of years, and we look forward to creating an even stronger connection in the community by tapping into the wealth of tech talent in the region.”
Travelers has steadily increased its investment in strategic technology initiatives in recent years, with the goal of advancing its innovation priorities: extending its advantage in risk expertise; providing great experiences for customers, distribution partners and employees; and optimizing productivity and efficiency.
The new office, called Travelers Tech – Atlanta, will be located within the Coda building, a 645,000-square-foot facility that includes both Georgia Tech researchers and labs, as well as private corporate offices and coworking space.
“As a hub for innovation, Georgia is excited to welcome Travelers to Midtown Atlanta and looks forward to their impact working alongside our top-ranked higher education institutions,” said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. “We’re proud to be the number one state for business, and will keep working to bring projects such as this to our communities.”
With a focus on creating customer-centric and digital-first solutions, the Travelers Tech team supports a culture that fosters innovation, design thinking and an agile mindset. Travelers has received several awards for its efforts, including being named twice to the CIO 100 list and receiving three Gartner Eye on Innovation Awards. Read more about technology at Travelers.
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WHO WE ARE.
Transitioning Into Your New Role
By Lynn Simon-Thomas
Manager, Diversity Engagement
Talent Acquisition
So, you’ve done everything right. You built relationships through networking, you interviewed, and you were offered the position. That’s great!
It’s real. You did it! Now what?
As you begin your new role, it’s extremely important that you take time to truly understand your responsibilities and determine how you’ll add value to your new team. Below are four tips that can help you navigate your new role and help you be successful.
- Build strong relationships
You may have heard the phrase, “No man is an island,” or “There’s no ‘i’ in ‘team’.” As cliché as they may sound, they’re both relevant to a new role, as well as your career.
While you will be responsible for completing your assignments in your new role, you will undoubtedly need assistance from others – your manager, co-workers, mentors – to be successful. Strong relationships in your professional life, or any other aspect of life, are built on mutual respect and clear communication. Never be afraid to put in the work necessary to build new relationships and strengthen existing ones.
- Secure a mentor (or two)
Having a mentor, or mentors, can significantly improve your ability to be successful, not just in a new role, but in your career. A mentor should be someone with whom you would feel comfortable sharing your thoughts, concerns, dreams, and goals. Candid conversations about what is and isn’t going well can be extremely beneficial, especially when you receive honest feedback and guidance from someone you trust.
- Update your LinkedIn profile
Building strong relationships involves sharing information, which includes positive career updates. When you land a new role, be sure to make your LinkedIn network aware of your recent career advancement.
In a brief post, use language such as “I’m excited to announce…”, or “I’m thrilled to share…”, or even, “Big news…” to grab their attention. You’ll receive several supportive responses that can enhance your confidence, and you may also reconnect with colleagues from the past who may prove to be helpful in your current role.
- Utilize resources to prepare for your new role.
Your success is greatly dependent on how you manage your transition, especially within the first three months. There are many books, blog posts, articles and people in your circle that can assist you as you learn your new role, company and work environment.
New beginnings can be both exciting and intimidating, but with a little preparation, a few strong relationships, and some determined confidence, you’ll be successful in no time.
Trust me. You got this!
Lynn Simon-Thomas is Manager, Diversity Engagement within Talent Acquisition. Lynn has over 15 years of experience in recruiting and diversity engagement. She serves as the diversity and inclusion subject matter expert focused on the execution of targeted diverse talent sourcing strategies.
Connect with Lynn Simon-Thomas and other Travelers leaders on LinkedIn.
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WHO WE ARE.
From Girls Who Code to Travelers – Meet Kay Edwards
Kay Edwards always knew she wanted to work in a collaborative and evolving field like technology, which led her to the Girls Who Code Hiring Summit last fall, where she connected with members of the Travelers Technology Team. The summit welcomed Girls Who Code alums and other women technologists seeking internships or their first professional role in tech.
“What drew me to technology is the collaboration – it’s a field that’s always changing, and you learn more and understand it better by collaborating with others,” Kay said.
“I became interested in tech careers after participating in bootcamps and training courses to expand my experience in software engineering.”
Armed with courses and coding experience, she was ready to bring her dream of a career in tech to life. “As soon as I connected with the team running the Travelers booth, I wanted to apply right away. I immediately felt that the Technology Leadership Development Program (TLDP) would offer a great learning experience with the opportunity for growth.”
Kay joined the TLDP in January 2023 and entered her first technical role in Personal Insurance Technology Compelling Offerings. “I’ve felt a lot of support through the onboarding process. My learning continues through the technical bootcamp I’m in along with other members of the TLDP. I am thankful to the TLDP for their support and investment in me as an employee.”
Kay is one of five women technologists who attended the Girls Who Code Hiring Summit and identified Travelers as a place they saw themselves starting their careers in tech. The four additional hires are slated to start their Travelers careers in June 2023.
Girls Who Code is an organization with the goal of closing the gender gap in technology. Through immersion programs, leadership development and career exploration, Girls Who Code brings technology education to students and early career professionals.
Travelers has teamed up with Girls Who Code since 2020, each year hosting two-week Summer Immersion Programs for high school-aged, aspiring women technologists students to gain hands-on experience and mentoring.
Travelers will host its next Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program in the summer of 2023. Read more about Travelers Technology and Girls Who Code.
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WHO WE ARE.
Travelers EDGE® Graduate Series – Belma Pehratović
In 2022, we marked the 15-year anniversary of Travelers EDGE® (Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment). Since 2007, Travelers EDGE has provided a unique, sustainable school-to-career pipeline for hundreds of students. As we mark this milestone anniversary, we look back on the extraordinary achievements our alumni have accomplished and the legacy they have left behind. We reached out to Travelers EDGE graduates to hear their stories and learn about the success they forged for themselves and their families.
“Strength in Diversity” – Belma Pehratović (2020 graduate)
“How you do one thing is how you do everything.”
That’s Belma Pehratović’s piece of advice for future Travelers EDGE scholars. Belma says Travelers EDGE instilled a sense of pride in her that she now carries with her everywhere.
“Travelers takes diversity and inclusion seriously,” Belma said. “And I take that seriously. They don’t just put their name on things and provide financial support – they foster their programs to be inclusive, impactful and helpful to those they affect.”
Belma is a first-generation refugee. She came to the U.S. in 2000 from Bosnia and Herzegovina and has lived in Hartford ever since. She learned about the Travelers EDGE program in her junior year of high school and made it her mission to be selected as a scholar.
The next summer she succeeded and started her first internship with Travelers.
After being selected as a Travelers EDGE scholar, Belma decided to attend the University of Connecticut (UConn), a Travelers EDGE partner school. Not only was she able to choose a school that was the right fit for her, but the program also helped her to choose without immense financial pressure.
“If it wasn’t for [Travelers] EDGE, I wouldn’t have been able to choose UConn,” she said. “The financial burden was lifted.”
Belma emphasizes that Travelers EDGE opened many doors for her but acknowledges that being a Travelers EDGE scholar is also a lot of work.
“We had to start college classes before everyone else through summer bridge programs,” she said. “We had monthly meetings and we constantly had to revise our resumes to ensure we stayed ready and prepared for the job we wanted.”
The program’s mentoring resources also helped sharpen her professional skills. This guidance helped her navigate her way through the corporate world, not just as an employee, but also as a woman working in technology.
“The mentorship that Travelers EDGE provides is great because it teaches you everything,” Belma said. “When I was in college, I struggled with finding mentors from similar backgrounds, that understood the challenges that come with being from a minority group. Travelers EDGE helped me see that the differences in my background can be my strength. I am happy to be here, and I am grateful to work in a company that celebrates and leverages my diversity.”
Belma now works at Travelers in PI as a Data Engineer on the Machine Learning Operations team within Data and Analytics and says she loves it. She reiterates how low the odds are for first-generation refugees to make it as far as she did. She often thinks about how different her life would have been if she had stayed in Bosnia, or if she had not been introduced to Travelers EDGE. This realization has shaped what success looks like to her.
“I didn’t have professional role models to look up to – now I have little cousins, ages five and eight, who follow everything I do,” she said. “Now, I measure my success in and outside of work by how good of an example I can set for them. You have to believe in yourself, trust your abilities, and set the tone for generations to come.”
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WHO WE ARE.
After the Storm – a Travelers Claim Story
When Hurricane Ian made landfall last September it devastated a large swathe of Florida’s coastline – including Sanibel Island, a small vacation spot about an hour from Fort Myers.
Residents and businesses across Sanibel’s 16 square miles were now in need of help. One such business, a grocery chain that provided essential supplies to Sanibel’s residents and workers, was one of those businesses.
Luckily for the owners of this grocery store, Travelers Claim professionals Kevin L. and Scott C. were already on the case.
The grocery store’s corporate office asked the Travelers team to join their mitigation company in assessing the damage to the store, along with getting any repairs started as quickly as possible.
Kevin and Scott flew down to Florida and started to plan. First hurdle? Getting onto Sanibel Island.
“The causeway had washed away – it was washed away,” Scott said. “The only way onto the island was by hitching a ride with the local fishermen, who you could charter to bring you over.”
Local consultants advised Scott and Kevin to postpone their inspection until the causeway was repaired – in other words, simply sit and wait.
Time was working against Sanibel though. “We knew we couldn’t wait,” Kevin said. “The only other food provider on the island had already been deemed a ‘complete loss.’ This grocery store was essential to providing supplies and food to repair crews and emergency workers.”
Kevin and Scott finally secured a charter, and they were on their way.
The grocery store manager and representatives from the store’s mitigation company were waiting for Kevin and Scott by the docks.
“It was too far to walk to the grocery store, and the streets were impassable for cars because of the storm,” Scott said. “So, they gave us bikes. But there were only 3 bikes, not enough for everyone there plus Kevin and I.”
“They did say there was one tandem bike in the back we could use though,” Kevin said. “Nobody had used it in a while, so we had to inflate the tires.”
Kevin and Scott said they trekked out on their tandem bike together (Scott in front and Kevin in back). As they rode along, they saw the damage that had wrecked the island.
“The devastation was vast. One part of the street was completely washed out,” Kevin said. “There was a lot of debris – debris everywhere, and 3 or 4 feet of flooding.”
Despite this hardship, Kevin said he was moved by the support from the local community. “Eventually we had to swap out the tandem bike for another one. Luckily, residents were leaving bikes out at the edge of their property. They had signs on them that said, ‘Please use and return.’ Seeing that level of support was really amazing.”
Once they arrived at the insured’s location, they immediately got to work.
“Everybody was on the same page,” Scott said. “We identified areas of damage and did an in-depth analysis while the mitigation teams began disposing of trash and drying the inside of the store, essentially salvaging what could be saved.”
At the end of the day, Scott and Kevin were able to get in contact with the grocery store owners and answer their questions. The rebuilding process could begin.
“Other business owners told us later that they hadn’t heard from their insurance companies for months,” Kevin said. “Being on site, putting ourselves out there, we weren’t going to wait for the causeway to be rebuilt. We’re going to do what we’re going to do. We biked alongside our customers and built a connection. We put our feet in the same shoes. I think it built trust that led to a quicker resolution.”
“The owners really wanted to open back up and be the light for the rest of the community,” Kevin said. “They wanted to be there for everyone else—just like the residents who left their bikes out.”
“It takes a village,” Scott noted.
And that village is doing its part to uphold the Travelers Promise, taking care of our customers, communities and each other.
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WHO WE ARE.
You Got the Interview! Now What?
By Lynn Simon-Thomas
Manager, Diversity Engagement
Talent Acquisition
I often get calls from friends, colleagues, and family members seeking advice on how they should prepare for an interview after they’ve already scheduled it. Usually, the beginning of the conversation is loaded with anxiety because the mere thought of interviewing makes many people uncomfortable and nervous. On one hand, I can understand because some interviewers put candidates through an experience similar to a Senate confirmation hearing. On the other hand, I find it confusing because when you apply for a job, that usually means you believe you’re qualified to do it based on your experience. And who knows your experience better than you?
That question is the basis for one of the first questions I often ask when interviewing a candidate which is, “Why did you apply to the position?”
- Are you seeking a more challenging role due to a lack of growth opportunity within your current organization?
- Are you feeling stagnant as you watch other co-workers and friends climb the corporate ladder?
- Are you looking for a significant salary increase?
- Or are you just exploring possibilities because a recruiter reached out to you?
Point blank, why are you seeking another job? And particularly, why this job?
I always ask this question because it forces people to take a step back and really investigate the “why” behind their job search. It also inspires honest introspection and self-reflection, which can help determine whether a position may be the right opportunity. When you unequivocally understand your “why” and you are self-aware enough to know your strengths, as well as the things you need to improve upon, you become a much stronger and appealing candidate.
In addition to knowing your “why,” it’s also important that you have a solid understanding of the current job description. Do you clearly understand the tasks you will be asked to complete if given the role? One way to obtain this clarity is to ask the recruiter to share some insights into what the hiring manager seeks in a candidate. Armed with that information, be sure to ask yourself if you truly have the proper skills needed to succeed in the role. If you don’t, that can be okay if you consider the opportunity a “stretch” role and you have the desire to obtain those needed skills.
If and when the opportunity presents itself, be sure to ask potential co-workers to describe the culture within the company and department, as departmental culture can sometimes differ from the overall company culture. Enjoying what you do, and with whom you do it, is extremely important for your emotional well-being. It can impact your daily motivation, drive, and overall contribution to your job and the company. Take an honest look within yourself to uncover what makes you happy in your current job. Try to identify those things that bring you joy at work and make you excited to start your day. The ability to explain what you need from a job, as well as the opportunities you see in your next role, can go a long way towards ensuring the role is right for you.
Finally, once you have a better understanding of the role and what the hiring manager may be looking for in a candidate, you should be able to clearly articulate what you bring to the table through relevant examples of how your current skill set makes you an ideal candidate for the position. Perhaps you helped to improve a vital process that saved your current department a significant amount of money. Or maybe you were instrumental in turning overall customer sentiment from negative to positive. Regardless, when you can demonstrate that you have the expertise and experience to help a potential manager solve the problems they’re currently facing, you dramatically improve your chances of landing the role.
To help you remember these guidelines, I’ve created a short list of tips that can help you ace your next interview.
Interviewing Tips:
- Know yourself.
- Understand why you want the job and how it will help you achieve your professional goals. Be able to clearly state the skills you possess that would benefit the organization, as well as those which you’re working to improve to ensure you’d be successful in the position.
- Understand the opportunity for growth/the career path the position could offer.
- If you can’t visualize how you can advance your career beyond the role, be sure to ask about the potential career path and available support structures that can guide you towards success.
- Attempt to obtain insight into the departmental culture.
- Emotional well-being is vital to success in the work world. Be sure to inquire about the working dynamics within the team to help determine if the opportunity and environment is right for you.
- Always treat the recruiter with respect.
- Never view the recruiter as a simple hurdle to clear en route to the hiring manager. As the “first line of defense,” the recruiter can be the most important person in the interviewing process.
Concentrating on these four things can help you navigate your next interview successfully and remove some of the pre-interview anxiety many people experience. Good luck!
Lynn Simon-Thomas is Manager, Diversity Engagement within Talent Acquisition. Lynn has over 15 years of experience in recruiting and diversity engagement. She serves as the diversity and inclusion subject matter expert focused on the execution of targeted diverse talent sourcing strategies.
Connect with Lynn Simon-Thomas and other Travelers leaders on LinkedIn.
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WHO WE ARE.
The Importance of Networking
By Lynn Simon-Thomas
Manager, Diversity Engagement
Talent Acquisition
For some people, making professional connections can be a rather challenging and intimidating task. Then, when you throw in extraordinary times like those in which we’re currently living, the fear factor goes from, “What if I blow this because I say something silly?” to “What if I blow this because I look a mess on camera?” I know, I get it. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
One thing to keep in mind when you’re networking, whether virtually or in person, is that the other person is just that: a person. Just like you, they are a human being who has dreams and goals, family and friends, strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and, of course, quirks and idiosyncrasies that make them unique and interesting. Who knows? You may have something in common, but you’ll never know if you don’t accept the invite, phone call or email to connect.
Once you’ve made a new connection, it’s important to stay connected, even when you are unable to do it face-to-face. It’s no secret we’ve all had to get used to having more Zoom conversations than we care to count and learning how to “show up” in a virtual environment is an art in and of itself. But just about anything is possible when you focus and commit adequate time and effort.
If you stop to think about it, everyone (yes, even you) has a network. Starting with family and friends, you probably have people you can count on to help guide you with sound advice, as well as those who may periodically seek your advice. Professional networks are no different. They’re just as, if not more, important than personal ones, as they can impact the trajectory of your career path. And just like any living thing, they need to be fed and nurtured to remain healthy. As a Diversity Recruiting Manager, I regularly share articles or just send a note to my connections to say, “Hello.”
In 2021 we started a program called Just Coffee at Travelers to help facilitate network building. The goal was to connect several passive candidates with leaders at Travelers for an informal, yet professional, conversation via Zoom. To ensure both parties remained at ease, we reminded them that the conversation was not an interview, but really an opportunity to make a new connection and build their respective networks. Just Coffee has been well-received by both candidates and Travelers’ leaders, which has shown me that many people are still open to the idea of spending 30 minutes with another human, simply for the sake of getting to know someone new. That’s networking at its finest.
Networking is an art that must be practiced regularly. Below I’ve included a few tips to help you improve your networking skills.
Lynn’s Top 4 Networking Tips:
- Don’t reach out to your network only when you need something. It’s important to stay in contact with your network often, even if you are just saying, “Hello” or sharing an article.
- When someone reaches out to you, do your best to respond in a timely manner. I say “do your best” because I know we’re all busy and sometimes cannot afford to log on to LinkedIn regularly.
- Send a brief follow-up note if you haven’t received a response from someone in a few weeks. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve learned that my message was not received because the person was on vacation.
- Always be authentic with your outreach. Remember to relax, be yourself, and enjoy the meeting, whether with a new connection or an old friend.
Lynn Simon-Thomas is Manager, Diversity Engagement within Talent Acquisition. Lynn has over 15 years of experience in recruiting and diversity engagement. She serves as the diversity and inclusion subject matter expert focused on the execution of targeted diverse talent sourcing strategies.
Connect with Lynn Simon-Thomas and other Travelers leaders on LinkedIn.
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