Job Search Success: How They Did It
I’ve been collecting stories from clients and others to share how people are landing jobs even during these difficult days. We’ll keep updating this as they come in.
“I feel really alive”
Just wanted to check in and let you know how I am doing. School is fantastic! I am only about 7 weeks into the program and I love it. We are learning a lot of medical assisting techniques and information, and then on to the radiology portion of the program.
I can give all kinds of injections and even draw blood already. I am going to try to pass the phlebotomy test for my license, and then I can start working in the medical field right away. I have never even said this before, but I love my life. Everything is very chaotic with school every day and then working in the afternoons, and then studying at night, but I feel really alive. I want to thank you for having the intuition and insight to make the suggestion that you did at that moment.
I struggled for a decade with an “innate feeling” really at the gut level that I needed more, that I KNEW that I needed something else. But the cues from my environment were all telling me you just need more customers, more product (I’m in sales remember), but my body was telling me “I don’t care anymore.” I went through these exact phases… Indifference, Escapism and finally Resignation. And that’s when you came around. I hope this helps someone out there.
I hope that all is well with you!
Best, Vickie
P.S. Just so you know, I won’t make a lot of money for a few years, but the point is I embraced the concept of the “small self” and what limits that places on you.
Found a new job from a completely unexpected source
Working with Daisy opened my eyes to many new possibilities. I had been looking for a new job for over a year when I came to her. She helped me to broaden my search directions and really think outside of the limits I had placed on myself. Opening up some of the boundaries I had placed on my search was scary at first because there were suddenly so many more options available.
Over the next six months I gave myself time to explore those options and figure out what really felt right to me. In the end I found a new job from a completely unexpected source and my career has gone in a positive new direction because of it. I never would have found this great opportunity if I had not allowed myself to loosen my perceptions on what I should be doing, in and instead look at what I could be doing.
Thank you for all your help. The journey continues, along with the growth.
Sincerely,
Rachel
Solid preparation and a relentless approach to applying for positions pays off
I attended a DSA event last year and am happy to share my employment story.
I finished my PhD at UCLA in March of last year, but gave myself until June (graduation) to start looking for a job “in earnest.” I’d started working with a career counselor and applying for positions in September of the previous year, but never had much luck.
In April, I had my “elevator pitch” down pat and attended an Idealist.org career/internship fair at UCLA. There were some interesting organizations hiring for internships and entry-level positions, but the one I felt the strongest connection with was an adoption agency based in Pasadena. They weren’t looking to hire anyone, but were interested in how my PhD double-major in Developmental and Social Psychology might be a good fit to volunteer for their education program for pre- and post-adoptive parents. I followed up and before long, I had a one-day-a-week volunteer position. By September, I’d been hired on a very-part-time basis, with the understanding that they’d be flexible when/if I got full-time employment.
In the meantime, I kept busy applying for full-time work. I kept careful notes of the dates and details of every job I applied for. It could get discouraging because many University positions were being canceled due to budget cuts. Out of the blue I was contacted by UCLA Extension to teach a class one night a week this fall. Someone I’d interacted with at UCLA, who I didn’t even know taught at Extension, recommended me!
Finally, within a day of each other, I was invited to interview for a research position at UCLA and contacted by a recruiter via my LinkedIn profile who was looking to fill a position similar to a temporary, seasonal position I’d had for a textbook company. I accepted the position at UCLA last week and was able to refer several other people to the recruiter who contacted me.
To people looking for a job, I’d remind them that there ARE many dark hours, and moments of trepidation. However, I think solid preparation (via coaching, counseling, listservs, blogs, etc) and a relentless approach to applying for positions pays off. For me, having the volunteer position was key to keeping my motivation, confidence, and getting-out-of-the-house-index high. I couldn’t control what hiring manager called me back, or which job posts were “formalities,” but I could control the contribution I made each week at the adoption office. This helped remind me that there were organizations out there that could benefit from my experience and skills.
All best,
Kelly Turner
