A UK alumna updated me with the following information regarding her job search. With permission, I would like to
share her story with you.
“When
I met with you, I knew there were jobs out there with titles I had never heard
of that I would want. My position at X Company is just that. I came in for an
interview as a selling supervisor just when someone gave notice about leaving
their merchandising job. I snuck in without the position even being publicly
posted. Talk about right-place-right-time! I count myself lucky that ALL those
other jobs DIDN'T work out, so I could stumble upon this one. It only took 9
months, 115 applications, 4 placement agencies, and 12 interviews. Also
networking parties, extra volunteering & public presence, custom Etsy
business cards, and shamelessly promoting myself to anyone who would listen.
Heck, my insurance agent got me an interview for a promising marketing position.
It seems some of my acquaintances that I liked the least had the best
connections -- I'm glad I'm not one to burn bridges!
It might have been high hopes, but my biggest criteria I judged positions against were something I was interested in (so design related), near home, flexible hours/"work-life balance," and/or at least $15/hr. I figured I would be flexible on one or two if the others panned out, and money was the one mark I missed. Oh well, I've set myself off on a new career path and you can't put a price on that! ;)
During my job hunt, I commiserated with acquaintances and former classmates in the same boat. I told them how helpful it was to meet with you. I harped on about immediate thank you cards, LinkedIn, and reference letters. My new employer actually thanked me for writing a thank you note. I said, "That's what you're supposed to do!" Meanwhile, other folks who interviewed me didn't even have enough decency to call me back and say I didn't get the position. I think the work atmosphere and the level of respect I can look forward to in the future were demonstrated by these initial employer contacts. There was even one interview where something felt off -- empty office, extra levels of security, and a boss that wanted to work from home. Instances such as these I knew were wrong for me at the gut level and luckily, since I was on unemployment, there were other factors so I could rightfully opt out. Oh, and the unemployment office/personnel, don't even get me started....
So, sorry for the over-sharing, but I figured my experiences are one of your "success stories" that you might relay to your downtrodden job seekers. Thanks again for all your help and sharing your expertise.”
It might have been high hopes, but my biggest criteria I judged positions against were something I was interested in (so design related), near home, flexible hours/"work-life balance," and/or at least $15/hr. I figured I would be flexible on one or two if the others panned out, and money was the one mark I missed. Oh well, I've set myself off on a new career path and you can't put a price on that! ;)
During my job hunt, I commiserated with acquaintances and former classmates in the same boat. I told them how helpful it was to meet with you. I harped on about immediate thank you cards, LinkedIn, and reference letters. My new employer actually thanked me for writing a thank you note. I said, "That's what you're supposed to do!" Meanwhile, other folks who interviewed me didn't even have enough decency to call me back and say I didn't get the position. I think the work atmosphere and the level of respect I can look forward to in the future were demonstrated by these initial employer contacts. There was even one interview where something felt off -- empty office, extra levels of security, and a boss that wanted to work from home. Instances such as these I knew were wrong for me at the gut level and luckily, since I was on unemployment, there were other factors so I could rightfully opt out. Oh, and the unemployment office/personnel, don't even get me started....
So, sorry for the over-sharing, but I figured my experiences are one of your "success stories" that you might relay to your downtrodden job seekers. Thanks again for all your help and sharing your expertise.”
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