One Avenue

I had just come home from a great weekend camping trip to Marin when I sat down with my father to talk about my career search.  My dad believes that I need to go down to the employers and present myself.  Meanwhile, I kept trying to explain that I need a reason—specifically a relationship—upon which to base this kind of visit.  He said that he would let me know when next he spoke to his friends or associates.

The next day I found myself on the phone with a man who works as a consultant to the company from which he had retired.  I told him that I had previously worked as a consultant at the same company and that I wanted to talk to him about my attempts to get hired there.  He said he had worked for many years as a union employee and that one avenue might be to speak with the unions.  I explained to him that this was an avenue that many had suggested to me.

I then went on to explain that I had been using the company’s web-based job application system.  I noted that while they had actually responded to me I have always been rejected for positions for which I am fully qualified.  I then described some of my experiences as a consultant with the company and asked about the work environment.  He then described what the company’s consultants do in his office.

I told him that I wanted to get on the radar of someone at that office.  I then told him that so many potential employers don’t see that my most recent employer’s background made him a good connection.  He explained that the company keeps on reorganizing its services but that he it could use a little investigation.  This call has made me reconsider my concept of this type of job.  Up to now I had always been under the impression that I would land a job and then join the union.