Employee Case Study: Joe

The job search can take a toll on your mental health, especially when you are fully qualified for the roles you are applying to and still aren’t hearing back. One of our candidates, Joe, found himself struggling to find work, even though he had 20+ years of work experience.

Learn more about how City Personnel helped Joe find a new job in this case study!

Background

Joe’s employment background was in customer service and facilities maintenance for over 20 years.

After roughly 7 years at a company assisting in facilities maintenance, Joe, like many others in 2020, found his job eliminated at the center of the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Joe then landed a customer service role at an automotive company, which was not a great fit for his mental health.

On the market for a new role, Joe found himself struggling with feelings of anxiety and hopelessness, a silent yet common battle many face during unemployment. 

Challenges

Feeling Defeat During the Job Search

There is a stigma of mental health and the impact of being unemployed that oftentimes is not explored. Like many across the country, Joe felt not only an external struggle applying during his job search but also an internal struggle with his mental health during this time. 

When you come home unemployed, it’s like you feel defeated. It’s just like, what do I do?! You wake up in the morning, you send out a couple of resumes, you check your email, and you wait in constant anxiety.” 

- Joe

Battling Potential Ageism while Job Hunting 

Joe felt that when applying for opportunities, he was met with the challenge of hiring managers passing on him due to a lack of faith in him picking up certain computer applications. 

Joe vocalizes, “I probably have to say that age, unfortunately, does play a factor. I feel like the job market has shifted to a point where companies usually have hang-ups on both sides of the spectrum: entry-level candidates and candidates who are older than 40. I see online all the time – where entry-level candidates who are often seeking entry-level positions hit brick walls because positions posted as “entry-level” actually require 3 plus years of experience. On the other hand, it can be seen as a gamble to teach someone older certain things. It subconsciously comes into question whether someone older can pick up a new system like their younger counterparts that are perceived as tech-savvy by default.”

Perceptions that Staffing Agencies Only Offer Short-Term Work 

Joe had previous experience working with a staffing agency early on in his career and did not hold any outright negative perceptions of staffing agencies. His only hang-up was that at the previous staffing agency, his work was characterized as short 2-day stints at companies. 

There is a common belief that staffing agencies only service temporary work and that stability is not offered, which is far from reality.

Approach

Joe’s introduction to City Personnel began on the web through an Indeed Job Posting. 

Joe narrates, “I was looking through indeed one day, and as I was scrolling through, a couple of positions caught my eye. When I clicked on the postings, I saw that City Personnel was the author. I was like, oh, this is interesting. So I sent my resume. Internally this voice in my head was telling me that I was not going to hear anything. To my surprise, two days later, I heard back. A lot of my anxiety faded for me because the pattern of hitting a dead-end seemed to be disrupted.” 

Curating an Experience that Champions the Candidate and is Consultant Driven 

City Personnel, as consultants in the local job market, was able to quickly match Joe with opportunities that matched his background with ease. 

“City Personnel quickly was able to identify positions that they had in their pipeline that suited my background and my preferences. I was shocked. I’m like, wait a minute. This guy already has like three things lined up for me. And it’s really funny because the first one I went to was the job I’m still in right now. So I mean, it was just like the perfect fit, basically.”

- Joe

Furthermore, City Personnel was able to help Joe weigh his options and make an informed decision.

Joe notes, “The funny thing is, was the position I’m at right now, I originally turned down for another role I wanted to pursue. Come to find out, the position I was going for ended up being filled. City Personnel was able to give me advice during my job search, educating me on the market and having direct experience with companies in the area. The team was able to consult me on the opportunity because they knew it would be a great fit.  So sure enough, when I accepted the position, it was the perfect fit.”

Emphasizing Transparency Throughout the Job Search Process

Joe shares, “ You all were amazing. The reason being is that I did not have to worry about working with people blowing me off or being left in the dark. At City Personnel, I had David, who saw my job search through from the initial interview to landing the job. I had Gabby, who supported me as well as the other employees on the assignment. It’s like if I sent an email or text with a question, action was immediately taken. I never had to worry about not talking with a team member at City Personnel if I needed anything.”

The Results

City Personnel was able to consult and champion Joe throughout his job search, providing expertise and resources. As a result, Joe was able to find a perfect match for his customer service and facilities maintenance background. Since then, Joe has been hired permanently by the company. 

Joe concludes by offering words of wisdom to others who may be seeking employment and who may be consumed by negative emotions. 

Joe offers, “Advice I have for others who are on the job hunt and having a bit of trouble finding their next position is to just keep on going, you know, just keep a positive attitude. There are times you are gonna get down every now and then, but just keep a positive attitude and stay focused. You’re going to look at your email, awaiting a favorable response, and normal feelings of anxiety or dread will come on. You’re gonna want to just scream, ‘Why does anybody want to hire me?! What’s wrong with me?!’ My advice is don’t let the funk rule you. I definitely had a bout of unemployment depression where after continuous efforts of applying, I ended up on my couch just seated in negative thoughts. Just fight that feeling because there’s definitely something for you out there.”

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