My Voice – Part 2

This is the second part of a story we published on October 24th, 2018. You can find the first part of the story at https://www.careerpathservices.org/news/my-voice-part-1/

In addition to my job placement and Zach’s classes, I was searching for full-time employment. I turned in every job log. I would send emails back and forth to Zach and Brenda asking for advice or guidance on work search etiquette. I applied for jobs that a lack of confidence had kept me from years ago. Not every application, resume and cover letter I sent out resulted in an interview, but they did result in a deeper knowledge of the job search process.

Brenda sent a number of leads my way, including job fairs in my area of knowledge. I received one lead for a company that had multiple positions. As I looked into the lead, I came across a posting for their hiring event. Head held high and confidence backing me, I applied for the position two steps up from the entry level. I followed the directions they for the job placement. I arrived ready to conquer the day of the event.

I arrived sharply dressed in the clothes Brenda helped me obtain with a resume in hand that Zach helped me critique, and a full understanding of how to nail an interview from all the classes I had attended.

When I walked in, I was met by a lady at the desk. I knew to be nice and polite as every employee is potentially watching and adding their input. She directed me up a set of stairs to meet my interviewer. They asked many questions, all of which I was prepared for. At the end, she asked if I had any questions, and from the guidance of my classes, I did. She seemed surprised, yet delighted.

After the interview, she escorted me to another individual, who then took me down to another set of offices. I waited there, and acting on advice from my classes, I stood instead of sitting and playing on my phone. Before long, a lady came out and escorted me to her office. She asked if I knew why I was there; I did not. She then offered me a position with their company: the entry-level position that I had not applied for.

I thanked her for the offer, but mentioned that I had not applied for that position. The positions I had applied for sounded much more interesting and offered a higher salary. She appeared shocked and looked into her offers a little more. The positions I had applied for were filled. As we walked out the door, explained the benefits package in hopes of changing my mind. She gave me her card and asked me to call tomorrow to discuss the position.

The next day I went to my job placement meeting and shared with my fellow employees the results of my interview. When I arrived at class I shared how I needed to make a phone call regarding a job in the afternoon. When I reached out to the HR representative, she asked again if I would consider the entry level position. Once again, I declined the offer.

After placing me on a brief hold, she offered me the position I and starting wage I had requested! The level of positive emotions I felt are still hard to describe. The following day at my job placement I shared the good news. Everyone was happy for me, yet sad in return; they had enjoyed my hard work and reliability I had shown over the last three weeks.

I started the hiring process by completing the background check paperwork and the drug test. As I waited for the results something, miraculous happened. The school found money within their budget to offer me a full time job. They were aware of how proud I was of negotiating my new wage, and they agreed to match it along with full benefits! I was happy and proud before, but with this new opportunity, I could have literally orbited the moon.

With the skills I had been taught throughout the program, I made a call and politely declined the other job offer. At the end of the call the HR representative let me know if I ever would like to work there to call her directly.

I came into Career Path Services’ program beaten and broken from the world. I lacked confidence in myself and in my voice. Because of the interactions and support from every member on my team, I am confident in saying I am a new woman. They gave me tools to use and showed me how to use them. I never missed an appointment, a class, a log, or an opportunity to learn something new that could help me on my journey. For this I will be forever grateful. I accomplished so many things that many abusers in my past told me I could not. I found my strength.

Thank you Jessica for advocating for me during this process.

Thank you Bobbi for listening to me and guiding me in my DSHS journey.

Thank you Brenda for staying patient with me while I learned to use my voice.

Thank you Zach for teaching me so many tools that I can use in and around work.

Thank you David for speed-teaching me everything I questioned about your classes in two sessions.