Lessons Learned About Landing a Job in Boulder
boulder employment job
- Persistence is key. I went to the grocery store Alfalfa's almost every single day asking about openings. I got into the queue for a position but never made it to the interview, then I got an interview but not the job, and finally I got all the way through. The secret was simply showing up every day, getting to know the employees, and making sure that as soon as an opening appeared, I was around to jump on it. That doesn't sound like a secret actually, just a lot of work. I had two or three of the guys working there rooting for me and pushing my name with the managers, simply because I was friendly and showed up a lot. There's a lot to be said for simply showing up.
- Go around gatekeepers. I didn't go through the regular channels to land this job. Normally, I would have filled in an application, submitted it, and then waited around. Actually, I did that that at first, but learned it wasn't really effective. Instead, I went directly to the manager of the department where I heard they had an opening and gave him my name. I got a call the next day and brought in my resume to the interview. I didn't even fill in an application until I was offered the job.
- Don't beg. At my first interview, I was over-prepared and perhaps overeager. I think that hurt me as it may have come off as insincere. At the interview that actually led to a job, I didn't have time to prepare, and I was worn out from hoping so much. The result was that I was more reserved and willing to accept that it wouldn't come to anything. I wasn't as grasping because I was okay with not getting in. I think this helped me make a more relaxed impression that came off as less desperate.
I still feel strongly that this is just the beginning. I made a commitment that I wouldn't cower from the choices necessary to end up working for myself, and I'm not going to let myself become complacent. Feel free to badger me about it, o' readers. :-)
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