We loved having Eni’s bright, shining face and cheerful spirit at JobSeekers each Friday. We also love the fact that we won’t be seeing her anymore because she landed an awesome job. Congratulations Eni; very proud of you!!!

– Dave O’Farrell

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Hi Dave,

I hope this reaches you well. I am writing to inform you of my great news! Today I was offered a job with a contracting firm as a contractor for the CDC, which I accepted. My job title is Public Health Analyst. I would like to share with you how this job came about.

I began job hunting while in Tampa almost 1.5 years ago. In March of 2016, I began to make friends with a recruiter at this contracting firm after a friend gave me a small tip that making friends with recruiters is helpful. I would contact her every couple of months to see if there were any available positions and to keep me in mind.

At the end of November 2016, I applied to a job with this contracting firm and decided after a JobSeekers class to follow up with my recruiter friend to see if they had any jobs available. She immediately replied and said she thought there might be one. When she got back to me she realized it was the job I had already applied for that she thought would be a good fit. However, she realized the position had already been filled.

This past Monday I got an email from my recruiter friend asking if I was still available to work, this was the day the freeze on government hires was implemented. I notified her that I was available. She informed the program manager and HR, and HR contacted me the next day to schedule an interview.

I spoke with them on Wednesday morning discussing the responsibilities and they asked me if I had any questions. Once the conversation drew to an end I asked if they thought I was a match and when I should expect to hear from them. They affirmed they thought I would be a good match and that they would inform me no later than Friday after they spoke to the CDC client.

The next morning I received an offer letter with a competitive salary + health benefits and I will be starting work on 2/6/2017, exactly four months to the day that I moved from Florida to Georgia after resigning from my job of nearly six years at the VA.

Dave, this is the only company I interviewed with in my whole job search.

I want to thank you so much for your invaluable lessons and constant encouragement. I most certainly believe and know my steps have been ordered by the Lord. From meeting Mr. Dana Wilcock at church and him inviting me to JobSeekers, Ms. Linda Wells assisting me immensely with my resume, your brilliant classes (value-added references, interviews, etc.), and Mr. David Halm providing the Project Success Method course. My cup runneth over and I am indebted to your services.

Best wishes and have an awesome Friday!

Kindly,

– Eni

Tom Andersen

This wonderful message came in about three weeks ago. I’m delighted to share this with you now. Notice the combination of identifying a job lead, and then leveraging influential contacts inside the company.

Congratulations Tom; I’m very proud of you!

– Dave O’Farrell

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Dave,

Earlier this year I thought I found the perfect job at Cree. Little did I know that it would be short lived because of a companywide restructuring that took place in early October. It hit me hard as I was doing well personally, lead our group in sales and had a solid pipeline of business opportunities lined up.

I never expected to lose my job with all the good that was happening. After I regrouped I started doing the things you teach each week, especially networking, networking, networking! I found that there were not a lot of opportunities in my field and although I had all this knowledge and experience I was “over qualified” or did not have the right degree, or was not in New York, Philadelphia or some other Northeast city.

I found a post for a job on the Edison Report and sent in a cover letter and resume on 12/1. I received an email reply and a call in a couple days from the hiring manager. I had not heard of the company but during the call found they were from Germany and had been in the US for only a couple years but they also owned another company in SC that has been around about 20 years in the USA. This other company is Hess America. I know the COO and the inside CS manager at Hess very well and worked with them prior to them going to work at Hess.

During the call the hiring manager mentioned the two individuals I knew. The call went well and I asked the hiring manager if we could meet in person to allow me to learn more about the product, the job, and how I could help them fill the needs they had. I offered to drive to SC for the meeting.

That turned out to be the best two tanks of gas I ever spent! I met with them the better part of last Wednesday afternoon and was able to see those I knew from Hess and talk to them as well. I followed up with a “thank you” to everyone on Thursday outlining my understanding of their need and how I could achieve the goal they had. I received an email acknowledging the same from them and that they were going to check a couple references.

When I was with them last week I closed the meeting by leaving my reference testimonials and recommendation letter one of the managers I worked for had provided to me. Yesterday the hiring manager sent me a message that he was preparing an offer letter and I would receive it today.

It is a great offer with a good salary package, benefits, car allowance, and three weeks’ vacation. I start on 1/1/17. Further proof – The Hiring Season is now! I appreciate what you do and teach and learned a lot from attending your class and going to the meetings in the past.

The outplacement my last company Cree provided was of minimal help and what they suggested I was already doing because of what I had learned from you. From when I saw the job post to accepting an offer was only 13 days! I continued to follow up on other opportunities and call others in the industry as this was not a for sure position until today.

Thank you again and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas with those close to you and a very prosperous New Year!

Best regards,

Tom Andersen
East Region Sales Manager
Noedeon USA
678-457-2913

I am delighted to share this message with you. Theresa says a lot of nice things below, but I want to emphasize what a great leader she was during her time at JobSeekers. Each week, the same core group of people sat at her table and cheered each other on.

This morning Theresa wrote to say there is an opening for an accountant and a purchasing manager. These are not yet on their website, but they may be by the time you read this. The jobs are in Alpharetta. Contact Theresa if you think you might be a fit.

Congratulations Theresa, and thanks for paying it forward!

– Dave

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Dear Dave,

Each week as I continue to receive and enjoy the JobSeekers Newsletter, I think back on my time there this past spring. It is blessing to hear about all that is continuing on in your ministry there. As I write this note, I realize I will have my six-month anniversary here at Flight Display Avionics next Tuesday November 1st. Wow, where has time gone? Since late April, I have passed my PMP Exam, taken a new job, sent two kids off to college, and moved to Cumming for my new position.

In reflecting on the last six months, I remember vividly this past January through April attending JobSeekers and practicing my 60-second introduction each week. It was hard initially to figure out how to shorten and target 15 years of program and project management-related work at IBM into a statement which would not direct people to thinking I was a full blown IT professional.

The practice paid off because I landed the perfect job for me – project management in a technical environment. Since coming on board as the Strategic Project Manager to the CEO and CFO, I have been tapped to lead a long term project retooling the company’s ERP system. I have been challenged professionally in new ways I never imagined and have learned so much. I wanted to thank you personally, Dave, for the work you did on my résumé and for your continued guidance at JobSeekers. I landed in only four months’ time and I credit this program and process strongly in my success.

Many changes and challenges – all seen as blessings from our Lord and Savior. As I read the verse in today’s newsletter, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. – Proverbs 16:3” it really reminded how focused on God I was during my transitional season and how much I trusted Him to show me the new path. Keeping faith and keeping focused on what was really important led to the blessings I am experiencing today. I am one grateful God Girl but also aware that I need to keep this focus now amidst the blessings of this new job.

Thank you again and blessings to all those new JobSeekers out there. Feel free to link me and if you ever see a connection or way I could help you – drop me an email and let’s see what we can do!

In Christ,

– Theresa Yoss

John Lloyd

Hello Dave,

Hope things are well!

Wanted to let you know I have landed a new job with Ametek. Working out of my home office which is different, but a welcome change from commuting.

Thank you for all your help and support. What you and the team do for JobSeekers is awesome. Glad Arlyn directed me to you and the group because I was little lost at the time.

It was a relief to be able to meet other folks and talk about ‘things’ that really matter with the Lord present and behind us all. Gave me much needed peace of mind which I wouldn’t have found elsewhere.

If there is anything I can do to help going forward please let me know.

Thank you again and God Bless.

– John Lloyd

John Duncan

Dave,

I want you to know that I received a job offer from Robert Half Legal and I accepted it! Your help was invaluable, especially the focus on the secret job market. My new position was never posted but my persistence with networking got me in the door.

You and your team do amazing work, and I am confident that my time on Fridays was well spent. Thank you for everything! Praise God!

– John Duncan