A True Story of One Job Hunter and Her Ultimate Success

Kitty Boitnott, Ph.D., NBCT, RScP

Career Transition and Job Search Coach | Your Career Makeover Coach

For today's video, click here.

Today, I would like to offer a shout out of one of my clients...in fact she has been with me longer than any other client. I asked her if I could highlight her story because she has just recently landed a new job after almost two years of looking, and I want to congratulate her publicly and offer her story as one of inspiration and hope for others who are looking and may feel discouraged from time to time.

My client is Nicole. I knew her when she still worked as a teacher in my school district before I went to become President of the Virginia Education Association in 2008. I met her at a Henrico Education Association function.

Another client of mine referred Nicole to me several years later. That client had experience success in working with me, and she and Nicole were friends. She knew that Nicole was unhappy in her current situation, and she advised Nicole to give me a call which she did in the latter part of October of 2014.

Over the course of our initial phone conversation, I picked up on how unhappy Nicole was. She had decided that going back to the classroom after completing her Ph.D. had been a mistake, but she wasn't sure where to turn. We talked about the program I had to offer, and she asked a lot of really good questions. She wasn't ready to just sign up with me. She had very specific concerns and considerations, and we spent a better part of an evening talking about her situation.

I remember her telling me in frustration, "I just want out and I want out by Christmas." I remember telling her that finding something that soon was unlikely, but we would make a stab at finding the right fit for her as soon as possible. And thus our work together began.

Over the Christmas holiday, we met in person and we talked some more about what it was that she envisioned for herself moving forward. Like most of my clients, she wasn't quite as clear about she wanted as she was about what she didn't want. This is something I have discovered over the course of the years that I have been coaching...focusing on what we don't want is much easier than envisioning what it is we do want. The key to success, however, is developing a vision for what you want and then moving yourself in that direction with focus and clarity.

Nicole was finally able to articulate what she thought she might like in her next job, and I asked her to get really specific about it. As a result, she narrowed her search and started to focus on a very particular type of job. That isn't to say that she didn't get occasionally sidetracked, but for the most part, she stayed focused. 

What followed was a roller coaster ride of ups and downs that she rode for the next 17 months.

Last summer she was offered a position but she ultimately turned it down because she didn't think it was a good fit for her.

This past year, she had a better year as far as teaching, and there were times when she felt very ambivalent about leaving. She was enjoying he students more and was feeling valued by her administration and her department. She was feeling more comfortable and I believe grew weary of the search. And who could blame her? Job hunting is tough. You get rejected way more than you get accepted, and it can be a blow to even the most confident among us.

The keys to Nicole's ultimate success, and the reason that even as I write these words, I know she is preparing to move to Florida to start her new job on August 22 is that she was patient, she persevered, and she was persistent even in the face of disappointment and rejection.

I call them the three "P's" of job search success. Without patience, perseverance, and persistence, no one is ever successful in today's job search landscape. The success job hunter practices each of these three "P's" in equal measure over the course of a typical job hunt.

Nicole has ultimately found the job that she described to me back in December of 2014. It has been a long time coming, but the end result is that she got the job she wanted. She is striking out on a new adventure--a new chapter in her life. And she has asked me to hang on with her as she transitions into her new role whichI am happy to do.

I wanted to offer a shout out to Nicole and her success today. I hope you will wish her well on her new journey. And if you are a job seeker yourself or if you are toying with the idea of changing jobs or careers, I want you to take heart from Nicole's story. You may not be able to make the change as quickly as you might like, but if you practice the three "P's" and you have someone to help you stay on track, you too may be striking out on your own new career adventure before very long.

You have to start to get there, though. So what are you waiting for?

Until next time.

On a different but related note, when did you last have someone check your resume for you? Are you sure it conveys what you want it to convey? Would it get you the job you want? How would you like a video resume review? I am offering a special for a limited time. Send me your resume, and I will send you a 20-minute resume review just for you that will offer objective feedback on how you might improve it and get it up to speed. This is a service I normally charge $45 for, but for this limited time, I am offering it for only $27 (a 60% savings). 

To take advantage of this great deal, click on the "BUY NOW" button blow. Then send me a job description that is similar to the job you want along with you resume, and I will shoot your video resume review back to you within 48 hours. For questions, just reply to this message.

Video Resume Review - Only $27 for a limited time.