Lessons Learned Over the Phone

The Many Lessons learned over the PHONE!!!

So after being refocused, I began making more calls and people began calling me back. I went from being embarrassed to be prepared and knocking the calls out the park. Even though at this moment they have not resulted in employment they have boosted my self-esteem, gave me assurance, and even direction. I hope these moments help you not make some of the mistakes as me!!

The Bad Call

First call, that I learned from that went a little like this:

Contact person: call this lady name Shannon…tell them I sent you they will help you out!!!!

Me: Okay … is that it?

Contact Person: YUP!

Me: U sure?

Contact Person: Yup!

Me: okay…

Me: Hello Im calling to speak to Shannon

Shannon: This is she

Me: Hello Shannon I was referred to you by Rita, she stated that you work in job placement

Shannon: Yes what are you looking for

Me: A full time job

Shannon: Well, what kind of job?

Me: A full time job

Shannon: Okay what kind of job?

Me: A full time one

Shannon: (PISSED AND VOCALLY IRRITATED) I KNOW you are looking for a full time job but what kind, what do you have experience in?

Me: Oh (Voice a bit shaky because I knew this conversation was going down hill) well I have experience in humanities and social services

Shannon: We don’t do job placements for that, we don’t do humanities and non profit. We work with HR, administrative assistance, more corporate offices etc.  but if you fill out a profile online you never know. Have a great day.

Me: You too

Shannon: CLICK

Contact person: Oh I thought you were looking for an administrative assistant position..

ME: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I learned so much from this embarrassing conversation.

First Off:

Anyone who is assisting me in the job search must know what I am looking for. I must clarify and get clarity on any referral.

            -Who is this person you are referring me too?

            -What position and company is this for?

            -What is this company known for?

            -What is the company website?

            -Why do you think this would be a good fit for me?

I was embarrassed because I did not know what I was getting myself into… NOT SMART!!!! I should have been able to tell her exactly what position I wanted based off the position I should have researched that she was offering. I must/ You must always be in the position of having the upper hand. This means, know what the answer to the question before you ask the question. Know the answers to the questions she/he will ask. Nothing should ever catch you off guard during these moments.

When she asked what job am I looking for, my answer was true and honest out of desperation. In my head I am thinking that I don’t want a temp job or a part time position, I want a full time job with benefits doing ANYTHING. Did she need to know that information? OF COURSE NOT!!!! J

Now knowing, I should have answered her like this:

I am looking for a position that offers administrative support. Whether that is through and administrative assistant position, case manager, or any position offering support in administration.

Now is this is my I need to do what I have to do answer without sounding desperate and foolish. Searching for a job has enough stress and shame that one does not need to invite more of it by being ill prepared and making everyone uncomfortable and embarrassed.

The Great Call (lol… sounds like the great commission…my fellow theologians will get it)

I got a call from a contact at one of my top 5 non-profits I want to work for, YES!!,  the Children’s Home Society. I love working with foster care kids, adoption agencies, intervention programs, youth ministries, etc. That’s my passion. I believe that childhood really lays a foundation for life. 18 years impacts the rest of the 80 you may live. Isn’t that crazy?

That is why intervention and prevention programs are sooo important. If kids knew at a young age that they can be successful no matter what, I believe they will achieve success. Unfortunately, when young people grow up with is THUG LIFE or DRUG LIFE (no matter the race) that’s all they aspire to be. But being a doctor, lawyer, teacher, social worker, nurse, engineer, or project manager is much cooler!!! J

Lisa: Hello Jhaniqua,

Me: Yes, Hi its great to talk to you

Lisa: Yes, you were referred to me by Rachel

Me: Rachel is an amazing person. I worked for her as an intern a few years ago. But since then I have graduated with my masters from Duke University. I started working with foster care kids in a home near Fayetteville and I loved it!!! I fell in love with working at that place. I recently got married, had to leave my job and relocate.

Lisa: Oh, great so are you still looking for employment?

Me: Yes, actually I am. I have been looking at non-profits that would allow me to continue to work in the same area. While researching companies, your company the Children’s Home Society continued to pop on my radar.

Lisa: Great!!! So have you looked on our website where the jobs are posted?

Me: (SMILING INSIDE) Actually I am signed up on your list serve for Job alerts and I have applied a few times for the foster care specialist position. Do you have any suggestions on how to gain employment with the Children’s Home Society?

Lisa: Oh good!!! Well I would suggest that you continue to check back with the website and make sure that you are completely filling out the entire profile online. Make sure your application is complete.

Me: Yes, I will do that, would you recommend that I go back to school to get an MSW?

Lisa: Remind me of your education again?

Me: I have a masters in Divinity with a significant amount of course work in Christian education and I have a bachelor’s degree in counseling and religion.

Lisa: Cool, yeah, no the MSW is preferred not required, I think you should be fine.

Me: (EXCITED) Really? Well great thanks sooo much. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me.

Lisa: No problem. I know we are not hiring now for the Greensboro office, but I will ask around and get back to you!!!

Me: Thank you sooo much you have a great day!!

Lisa: You too!!!

Lessons Learned:

-I am sooooo excited recalling this experience. It was just what I needed, to be reassured in my education and experience.

-I was also prepared. I knew about the company! I knew about the hiring positions! I was already connected with their list serve. I was prepared with questions. This conversation flowed. It didn’t seem so much as an informational interview verses as a natural conversation for me to gain more information about this company and potential future employer.

-When you call companies and doing phone informational interviews or even networking over the phone, prepare just as much as you would if you were going into an office for an interview.

-Also, its not all about who you know, but who knows you. Hopefully, during this conversation I made such a good impression upon her, that when a job comes available she will remember me and the pleasant conversation we had, hopefully, she will share with her supervisors or the hiring managers about me!!! That’s the key. Even though I have not heard back, I feel like Joseph waiting in prison, one day She will remember me and I will be in the PALACE!!!

Peace, Blessings, and ENJOY FRIES WITH LIFE!!!!!

Refocused Yet Prepared

Refocused Yet Prepared

I appreciate and love music PERIOD. I love music because I can dance to it, eat to it, drive to it, listen to it, tap my feet to the beat of it, and connect with others with it. Most of all I love music especially Gospel or Christian music because I am able to leave this earthly dwelling and be in heaven for a moment. I am able to connect with God, be with God, love on God, and receive the LOVE of GOD.  While in church last Sunday at OG (Orange Groove, Durham, NC) Korwind Stokes the minister of music there along with the praise team began to minister a favorite: IM CHASING AFTER YOU… let me pause and share the lyrics:

I’m chasing after you, no matter what I have to do

Cause, I need you more and more…

More and more…

I’m chasing after you

I’m praising my way through

Just to be closer to you

I’m chasing after you…

Now for my fellow Christians out there (#PRAISE HIM rt!!!!) you may identify with me, being unemployed and needing a job, you can find yourself chasing. Chasing people trying to network, chasing job after job, lead after lead, chasing websites, all the while God is saying:

HELLO I can open doors that no man can shut,

HELLO have you ever seen the righteous begging for bread (Psalm 37:25),

HELLO I provide food and shelter for the birds of the air why would I not do anything less for you? (Matthew 6:26)

…darling stop chasing everything else, seek me first and all other things will be added unto you. (Matt 6:33)

Well, while the tears began to stream down my face, because I could hear the Holy Spirit speaking so clearly, Jhaniqua began to rise... conversation went a little something like this:

Well Lord, like, that’s great to seek you, but it’s hard to seek you when a way is not made.  It’s hard to feel like you are providing when I feel like I am begging, on all sides. I know I’m supposed to be chasing you, but God do you not see the heartache, shame that’s taking place?

Yes, I know the saints love to shout off of IF HE DOESN’T DO ANOTHER THING HE HAS DONE ENOUGH, howeva (neck roll) saints let’s be REAL. If you lost your job, family, money, shelter, and was begging, you too would have questions for the Almighty God. Many of us are like Job’s friends or even Job’s wife; we too are sitting by the brook in ashes wondering what the HECK IS NEXT. Now I’m not saying that this would take away from God’s Goodness, Sovereignty, because whether I’m poor or rich God is still God.

As I tried to deny myself to be able to receive what the Holy Spirit wanted to impart in me, speak to me and share divinely with me; the Holy Spirit kept ministering to me, yes its great to learn, its amazing to connect with people, you need to have a well written resume, you need these things, but I’m here to help you refocus. Turn your focus back on your purpose, your love for God, and your passion for God’s people. I know darling it’s hard but seek God, love God, and everything will fall into place.

Ladies & Gent’s I promise it all clicked in my head at that moment. Yes, its sooo true. All my prayers for the past few months have been nothing but touching the garment of Jehovah Jireh. Jesus please provide in this way, please pay this bills, please do this and do that. The love was kinda put on the back burner. Sorry JESUS!!! J I do love U, but it’s hard to really focus on love when your phone is being bombarded by 1888-I-WANT MY MONEY!!!!! Lol…

But its true, when you seek God just to love Him, and He loves on you, its just like calling my husband just so that he knows I’m thinking about him. Same concept. If I kept asking Sean to just do stuff but never expressed my love to him whether the task was completed in 5 minutes or the next day, I KNOW he would get agitated very quickly… SHOOT I WOULD TOO!!!

Lesson learned: I am refocusing. I’m now gazed on God. Waiting, listening, reading my word, praying and just spending time in worship. Does this allow me to negate all the information I have learned, or that I will stop attending classes, or stop perfecting my resume, NOPE!!! ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!

So where does this put me… back to resume writing…lol

Resume 101: Basics

·      Your resume is like your golden ticket. It introduces you before you are seen. It must be innovative, captivating, clear, concise, and quickly but descriptively describe your past work.

·      Each resume MUST be tailored to the specific job. WHY? I know its aggravating and time consuming but…

o   Each position and each job needs something different. Hiring managers for electrical engineers and pastoral hiring committee will look for two different things. This is not to say that a pastor can not be an electrical engineer or vice versa, but the wording, and your past job duties will need to be tailored differently.

o   Your describing words will change.

o   Your duties will need to be tailored. Applying for an administrative position you will need strong organizational skills and computer skills. So your previous work experience must reflect that. Applying for a director position, your previous work experience must reflect previous managerial experience.

·      Keep things centered: Sometimes hiring managers get hundreds of resumes. They may only have 6-10 seconds to look at each one. If your information is not centered or if its not laid out well, you will quickly be looked over.

·      Education: Once I graduated from Duke University, I felt like that was the best asset on my resume WRONG. For some people it was a turn off because they did not like Duke or because I was applying for something that having a graduate degree was not beneficial. Place education at the bottom, nothing too big but or too fancy for example:

            Masters of Education, Duke University

Verses

MASTERS DEGREE IN EDUCATION

DUKE UNIVERSITY

Don’t laugh at me, I know I am not the only one out there…lol… a little over kill but you get the point.

Resumes are very important. If it is sloppy has lots of spelling mistakes, does not make sense, more than likely your potential employer will feel like this is a reflection of you. Therefore, DON’T BE SLOPPY & Let someone look over your resume!!!

MOMENT OF FRIES:

I was able to spend some wonderful quality time with my best friend Regine!!! HEY BOO!!! She blessed me and took me out to eat at Outback Steakhouse in Cary, NC!!! & You’ll know what I ordered: FRENCH FRIES!!! OMG they were AMAZING!!!!

They were fully cooked to perfection, CRISP, and well seasoned. They came out hot and fresh!!! Fist Pumps to the chef!!!

Even if God opens doors, make sure that you are a good representative. Make yourself, your employer, and make GOD PROUD!!! Even though the Holy Spirit has ministered to me to stay focused it is still my responsibility to be prepared and wait in expectation to walk through the door, with my head held HIGH, Stilettos on my feet, pearls on my neck, lip gloss on my lips, and resume in hand!!!

I am still waiting for God to open that door but I’m sure its coming!!!!

Peace, Blessings, and ENJOY FRIES WITH LIFE!!!!