Stephanie joined our program after losing her job. She had a challenging experience from the start. Only a month into the job, her role changed and didn’t leverage her expertise. Stephanie was underutilized and unfulfilled. To make matters worse, the corporate culture was not collaborative. It didn’t take long to realize she had made a mistake.
She didn’t want to repeat history and didn’t want to settle on any job. Stephanie was looking for a role where she could lead strategic initiatives across an organization and mentor team members at a company with a positive culture.
Stephanie achieved all of her goals within 3 months. I asked her to share her job search journey and how she landed her dream job as a Chief of Staff.
Q&A with Stephanie
Q: Why did you decide to invest in the program?
A: After my initial call with Julie, I felt encouraged for the first time — rather than defeated about losing my job. She made me believe that this situation was temporary and that great things were on the horizon. I joined because I needed that accountability and motivation. I also wanted to reflect on the past 10 years of my career and be intentional in my next move — knowing it could put me on an even better path for the next 10 years.
Q: What was it like working with us?
A: I loved the regular meetings with my coach and the course! The activities were reflective and engaging and helped me focus on finding the “right” fit that aligned to the things that were most important to me.
Q: What did you find most valuable?
A: The interview prep was amazing! Julie took the time to research the company and tailor questions and throw in some hard ones, too — so I felt prepared. We practiced and practiced and I gained much more confidence and felt relaxed going into the interviews. The debriefs were great, too.
Q: How did you feel throughout the process?
A: I felt very supported. The job search process can be extremely stressful and filled with a lot of highs and lows. My coach was with me throughout my journey to talk through everything. Her faith in me never waivered. She continued to believe in me and in turn, made me believe in myself.
Q: How did you land your new job?
A: I landed the job by networking with former colleagues. I learned about the new role and then got referred. I also had a couple of people who acted as my advocate and helped me navigate the process. The role was aligned to everything I was looking for. The program is big on networking — I lined up at least a couple networking activities each week, which led to a few opportunities.
Q: What surprised you by the results?
A: How quickly things happened once the opportunity was right. I was surprised that the timing lined up with my goals and getting a 12% increase in my salary. I was also surprised that, even though I was coming off of losing a job, I was able to feel confident during the interviews and negotiation process.
Q: What advice do you have for other job seekers?
A: Hang in there! The job search process is not for the faint of heart and there will be days when you feel like giving up. All it takes is one — the right opportunity to change the trajectory of your professional journey. I truly believe that if it’s meant to be, it will be.
I also think it’s very important to go into the job search process knowing yourself — your strengths, weaknesses, what you want and what your deal breakers are. Job searching is just as much you interviewing them as the company interviewing you.
It’s also a best practice to connect with someone on the inside who can give you insight into the culture and help guide you through the interview process.
Q: What are you loving about your role?
A: I love being at a company that focuses on their employees’ success and well-being. I’ve forged strong professional relationships and friendships. My new role is fast-paced, which I thrive in — no two days are alike. I’m always solving problems and learning something new every day. I also love the team that I am working with and the amount of influence I’m able to have across the organization.
Are you ready to uplevel your career like Stephanie? And get a job where you’ll feel fulfilled, realize your potential and get the salary you deserve?
If so, then watch our video and book a session with one of our job strategists. We’re excited to talk about your career goals!
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