Great message from Kelly Sigman this week. She didn’t burn bridges. For those of you who would rather not work part-time or temporary jobs, the accumulation of them paid dividends for Kelly. Also, one of my clients emailed me last week and said she is being converted from temp to hire. Congratulations Kelly; very proud of you! Love the line about the duct tape! – Dave O’Farrell

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Dave, thank you for keeping me on your newsletter list. Just to keep you updated on my status: due to the economy and the need to balance a budget, our commissioners are closing my office and putting 11 officers out of work. Good news is that things are in the works for most of them. With that said, I am being moved to another office.

The county administrator called me personally to say he had heard a lot of good things about me from many offices; I’ve worked in six around the county either part-time or full-time. So the moral of the story is networking, but also, DON’T EVER BURN YOUR BRIDGES. Keep positive communications open everywhere you go (even if you have to put duct tape over your mouth), for you never know how it will affect you in the future. The office I am being moved to is one where I filled in a couple of times when someone was on extended leave.

Thank you, Dave, for your positive attitude and more,

Kelly Sigman

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Michael Osburn

This awesome news came in a few weeks ago and I’m just now getting a chance to publish it. Michael wrote to me recently and said, “The job is going great. I am very happy with my decision. Every day I am thankful and blessed; I feel like I am in the right place.”

Michael, I a very proud of you! – Dave

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Hi Dave,

Great news! I’ve accepted the “Project Management” position with Foley Products. We had a three-hour interview session yesterday and they extended me a verbal offer. I called Bob yesterday afternoon and negotiated the final offer and that was enough to make the deal. I finished the background check and drug screen this morning. I start work on Monday @ 8:00 AM!!!

I am very pleased with this round of job searching and I would like to thank you for all the support and encouragement – not to mention the skills that you have taught me. I do know that I will never take for granted the power of networking and the importance of constant campaign strategy and brand development. I will be better prepared if there comes a time for change again.

All of this has culminated through my faith in God and has truly restored my soul and revealed to me the true power of prayer. I will share my knowledge and my testament with whomever will listen to honor God, yourself, and all those that tried to lend a hand.

Thank you for believing in me,

Michael Osburn

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Vince Nix

Congrats to Vince Nix for some great career management. He mentions HIPPOS networking in his message. It stands for “High Payoff Activities.” I teach it every week at my office and once every six months at JobSeekers. Very proud of you Vince! — Dave O’Farrell

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Hey Dave,

I am staying at Idaho State University. The department of Organizational Leadership and Performance offered me a two-year “emergency hire” as assistant professor.

Just wanted to give you a networking “shout out.” I wouldn’t have been offered this position had I not converted your HIPPOS job search method into a “build my network” method. I basically have used it to add at least one face-to-face network contact each week since I’ve been at ISU.

My supervisor remarked a couple of weeks ago, “I’ve been here 21 years and you know more people after two years than I do.”

I introduced myself to everyone in the department that just offered me this job during the first summer I was here. When a professor (that I’m replacing) just left, she called me and said, “Vince, I’m leaving and they need an emergency hire. I’ll mention you to our chair and you give her a call if you are interested.” I already had introduced myself to the chair, and had already given three of her grad students projects for their master’s degrees.

This definitely goes into your stats: “80% of jobs are landed through networking.”

Normally an “emergency hire” is done for a year only. They are upping it to two, because they wanted me to apply for the position, and want me to have a chance to “grow into the role.”

Thanks again!

Many blessings,

Vince Nix

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Praise the Lord, people are landing good jobs. Here’s a story from one of the 15 people I mentioned in a post last week. I hope you will read this and be encouraged. Friends, there is always hope, no matter how poorly things are going at the moment. And Nancy, I am very proud of you! – Dave

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Good morning Dave,

It’s confirmed, as of an hour ago, I am newly employed!!! I accepted an offer with SYNNEX as their Senior HR Business Partner. I start April 29th.

I cannot thank you enough for all of your support. The job search tools and the thought process that you taught me in searching for employment have been invaluable. I will now continue to use them in my recruitment process internally within organizations. Your continued follow-up calls, emails, encouragement – and at times a good kick in the butt or pep talk – really kept me focused and positive, when falling into a depressed and unproductive state could have been so easy.

I have a new understanding and a great appreciation for outplacement assistance. I will now encourage companies that I work for to offer it more often, and direct people that I know searching for employment to seek out a reputable source.

Thank you is such a small token of my gratitude but it is enormously heart felt!

Sincerely,

Nancy Towsley

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James Statzer

Wow, what an awesome two weeks. Seven O’Farrell clients landed last week and seven so far this week. Congratulations to Mike, Russ, Lecia, Nancy, Donald, Tim, Randy, Kyle, Kesha, Barbara, Shelly, Jackie, John, and James. Praise God that I get to do what I do and to see God’s hand at work in the lives and careers of so many people.

Here’s a story from a client of mine from 2010 who has been managing his career pretty well since then. James just landed a great job where his first assignment is in Baton Rouge. Turns out I’ve been working with a delightful client in Baton Rouge jus this past week. Small world.

James I look forward to seeing you at JobSeekers very soon, but this time as a member of the Ship’s Crew. Blessings on you and your family!

– Dave

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Dave,

Perhaps a little different than how you often hear that phrase; but, you did ask for feedback after our phone conversation a few weeks ago and I wanted to let you know that things worked out very well… again! I am now Senior Consultant for Cymetrix Corporation on location at a client site in Baton Rouge, just about three weeks since our last discussion. Since we first worked together in 2010, I have worked my way to effectively doubling my salary from the job that I left that year!

Even during the first few days in this position, I can say I love this company, my new team of colleagues, and the work assigned to me. It is not a stretch to say that this is what God has been working on all this time in order to place me (and my family) in His will and design for my career.

Thank you, Dave, for your role in this journey that He has me traveling on. The training, advice, and encouragement you offered me in this process – in 2010 and a few weeks ago – is priceless!

One other benefit in this position is that I expect to be traveling Monday through Thursday for projects with Friday’s free to give back some of my time and experience as a member of the Ship’s Crew at JobSeekers of PTC. If I have enough energy left after this first week, I will try to drop in this Friday morning; but, I wanted to go ahead and let you know now of this result.

God’s blessings to you and all in your ministry!

James Statzer

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Brian Simmons

Brian Simmons got not one, but two job offers. He shares his job-seeking advice here. Congratulations Brian! Very proud of you!

– Dave O’Farrell

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Hey Dave,

I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know what I’ve been up to: I got a job!

On February 11 I started at Harry Norman, Realtors in Buckhead filling in for the Advertising and PR Manager while she was out on maternity leave. I was supposed to be there through the end of March, and then they changed it to March 22, and then she decided that she wanted to work closer to home, so she took a position in one of the branch offices.

At that point Harry Norman offered me the position (they really, really liked me). In the meantime, however, one of my many network connections (still yet to figure out who) handed my résumé to the Director of IT at Chick-fil-A. Subsequently, I interviewed with TRC staffing for the IT Help Desk and was offered a position.

I ultimately did accept the contact position at CFA because it’s half the commute and there’s more room to grow, since then I have talked to Director of Training and Operating Standards at CFA, who I’ve stayed in contact with since leaving CFA. She may have some part-time work (five hours per week) in her department that could lead to something bigger.

Talk about a roller coaster! I would say that the takeaways from all of this are: one, take advantage of being offered temporary assignments. From day one I worked to add value and gave 100% to the job so it would be hard for them to let me go (and get the offer if the other person didn’t come back). Second, I learned that you should network like you don’t have anything until you’ve secured a permanent, full-time position.

Now of course, I’m slightly changing course with my networking; it’s now going to be about making sure that everyone in IT (and other departments that I am interested in working in) know that I am a great worker and that I’m looking to move up within the company.

Thanks,

Brian Simmons

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Tony Vacinek was so thrilled to get this job offer that he called me three times to say “thanks.” I can see why; this job is right up his alley. The job is at a Georgia-Pacific paper mill in Cedar Springs, Georgia, which is south of Columbus.

Congratulations Tony; I’m very proud of you!

– Dave O’Farrell

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Hey Dave, I got a job.

The pictures are of wood chip piles and equipment in a very large paper mill. The lifting system failed and dropped the reclaimer conveyor onto the chip pile. The nose was sticking over the pile and the impact caused the nose to collapse and bend. We cut out the damaged section (some 20′) and repaired (replaced) it in place by fabricating the steel as necessary.

The interview went like this:

I was referred to this construction company by an engineer (PE) friend that I have known for some 20-25 years. I’ve done many projects for him. My friend Mike sent my resume to the hiring manager several days earlier.

Received a message on my phone Friday, March 15th, “We need to talk; call me.” We finally linked up four days later for a 15-minute phone call. “Do you know what a reclaimer is?” I told him that I did, been around them, but not worked on them. Also told him I had erected conveyors and transfer towers at the plant we were are talking about.

“Are you mechanically inclined?” Yes; brought up on a dairy farm. Worked on our own farm equipment and set up farm machinery and overhauled farm tractors and transmissions and serviced farm equipment as summer and weekend jobs while in college. Yes, I’m an engineer; ran a soy processing plant for 10 years and my own construction company for 25 years.

“I am so busy I don’t know when we can meet. I should be coming through Atlanta next week. Maybe we can meet then?” I said, “Let me cut to the chase; tell me where you will be and I’ll meet you at your convenience.”  “Meet me at the contractor’s gate at the Cedar Springs, Georgia plant on Friday at 7:00 am fast time (Georgia time zone vs. his Alabama time; they refer to it as slow time / fast time when you work across a time zone).”

10 Seconds to the Job Offer

On Friday at 6:45 am, I’m at the gate, but with 200+ cars, where is he? I told him that I was in front of this 50-ton rough terrain crane. He pulls up, rolls down his window, and says, “Good morning, I’m Lomax.”  As I step out of my truck and say good morning he says “I am going to start you this morning; park your truck and get your hard hat. Be sure you have steel toes and safety glasses.”

Riding into the plant he says, “I’ll pay you $x.00 per hour; overtime after eight hours per day and over 40 hours per week, plus $150 per diem and mileage on your truck. After we do a couple jobs together, we can sit down and renegotiate a salary, a truck and expenses.

Less than an hour later he leaves and says, “Keep these young boys safe. Do quality work. Come to the office when you finish this job.”  I said I don’t need $150 per diem; I’m staying with in-laws in the Dothan area. He says, “Take it, put the extra money in your pocket. How you spend it doesn’t concern me.”

I’m thinking to myself, I could get to like this guy.

I’ve got 98 hours into the project in an eight-day around the clock repair.

Dave, all seriousness aside, thank you for JobSeekers; you and your support staff including Linda Wells for her help with LinkedIn. Most helpful, and an eye opener for me, was hunting for “hippos” and preparing a job interview file (although I never got to use it).

Spread the word far & wide: There is hope for us silver-haired, balding old guys.

Best regards,

– Tony

Anton A. Vacinek

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Scott Christopher

Hi Dave and Abby,

Wow, it is hard to believe it’s been a year since I was in the Market-Ready in Minimum Time™ workshop at O’Farrell Career Management. We finished up on the 27th last year. Thank you both so much for your help and guidance.

I just passed eight months here at The Mission last week.

The skills I learned or honed with you have been used over and over, certainly in job search mode but in work mode as well. I refer to the manual regularly in putting a presentation together or when I’m out networking etc.

Thank you again. You guys are the greatest. Keep up the awesome work at OCM and JobSeekers. I run into or correspond occasionally with some of the JS alumni including Scott McCord, Dave Hohnadel, Debra Shoaf, Brian Waters, and Chris Tan. And of course, I work with Karen Kilgo.

I appreciate very much what you’ve done for me!

Sincerely,

Scott Christopher

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David Jennings

If this guy’s picture is familiar, it’s because he was featured in our job search success stories last fall. The contract he was on came to an end, and now he’s already landed another job. This is what career management is all about. Congratulations David; proud of you once again!

– Dave O’Farrell

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Hi Dave and Abby,

I get to start my new job on Monday.

I will be working as a Senior Operations Research Analyst on a full-time contract for Pioneer Technologies Corporation. My duties are to work on the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) for the UH-60 helicopters at Robins AFB in Macon. I will work on-sight at Robins 4-6 days per month and from home the rest of the time (if you can believe it).

This work is specifically in my sweet spot with operations research, modeling & simulation and aircraft reliability work (real uber-geek stuff!).

I can state without fear of contradiction that the interviewing tips that I learned from y’all, and the great resume, helped me land this job. Thank you so very much for the support and continued prayers.

Sincerely,

David Jennings

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You can do it.
We can help.

Want to know how to make your own luck? Make good decisions. Here’s a story of a good investment> A new resume helped this seeker land his #1 job at his #1 target company.

Brandon had been looking for a job for almost six months when he finally asked for professional help with his resume. He landed a job less than six weeks later. In fact it was 40 days later.

How cool is that?

Congratulations, I’m very proud of you!

– Dave O’Farrell

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Dave, I accepted a job with Home Depot this morning. It is the position I wanted with the company I wanted – how sweet is that?

Thank you again for all of your help with the résumé – I went from one or two calls every couple weeks to a call just about every day.

You open doors!

– Brandon Downs

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