Employee Case Study: Nancy-Jean
After searching for a permanent position for about a year and a half, Nancy-Jean was frustrated. She had years of experience in her field and a strong resume, but many of her applications were not even making it to the interview stage.
After being unable to work full-time for a few years due to illness, Nancy-Jean was ready to return to permanent, full-time employment. She knew she had the experience to contribute, but applying to jobs on her own was not getting her in front of the right people.
Working with City Personnel changed that.
Background
Nancy-Jean had been actively searching for a permanent position for approximately 18 months. Despite her experience and qualifications, she struggled to move beyond the application stage.
Like many job seekers applying through online job boards, she often had no way of knowing whether her resume was being reviewed or whether she was being seriously considered.
She needed more than another place to submit her resume. She needed someone who could understand what she was looking for, identify positions that genuinely matched her goals, and help get her experience in front of hiring managers.
Challenges
Getting Past the Application Stage
Nancy-Jean had been applying for jobs for about a year and a half, but in many cases she was not even receiving an interview.
“I was looking for a permanent position for about a year and a half with no success. I was not even getting through to the interview stage in many cases, even though my resume was strong and I had years of experience in my field.”
Finding the Right Permanent Position
Nancy-Jean was not simply looking for any full-time job. The position needed to make sense for her experience, preferences, and salary expectations.
Returning to Full-Time Work
After being unable to work full-time for a few years because of illness, finding the right permanent opportunity carried additional importance for Nancy-Jean and her family.
Approach
Understanding What Nancy-Jean Was Looking For
Dawn took the time to learn what Nancy-Jean wanted in her next position, as well as the types of opportunities she did not believe would be a good fit.
That understanding helped keep the search focused. The positions presented to Nancy-Jean aligned with what they had discussed, including her targeted salary range.
“She listened to me and paid attention to what I was looking for and what I did not feel would work for me. The roles she presented me with were in line with what we had discussed, including my targeted salary range.”
Providing Practical Resume Feedback
Dawn also reviewed Nancy-Jean’s resume and provided specific, actionable feedback she could use during her search.
Getting Her in Front of Hiring Managers
One of the biggest differences for Nancy-Jean was having someone who could do more than submit an application.
Through established employer relationships, City Personnel was able to introduce Nancy-Jean directly to companies, advocate for her as a candidate, and help secure interviews.
“When you are applying to jobs on your own on Indeed, etc., it feels like sending things into the abyss. Dawn was able to actually get me interviews.”
Staying in Touch
Nancy-Jean had spoken with other recruiters during her search, but City Personnel’s follow-up stood out.
Dawn continued checking in over the course of approximately a year, asking whether Nancy-Jean was still looking and keeping her in mind when new opportunities became available.
“The main difference is that Dawn repeatedly followed up with me, over the course of a year. Checking back to see if I was still looking and reassuring me that she would reach out if anything came up that was a good fit.”
The Results
City Personnel ultimately connected Nancy-Jean with a permanent position that was an excellent fit for her experience and landed at the higher end of her targeted salary range.
After approximately a year and a half of searching without success, she was not only getting interviews. She was hired.
“Dawn was able to actually get me interviews, and ultimately hired in a role that is an excellent fit and at the higher end of my salary range.”
For Nancy-Jean, the value of working with a staffing agency came down to having someone actively working on her behalf instead of navigating the job market alone.
“It makes a huge difference to have someone out there working for you, using their established relationships to put their clients in front of hiring managers, and it doesn’t cost you anything.”
The new position also represented something much bigger than the end of a long job search.
“I had not been able to work full-time for a few years due to illness, and had such a difficult time finding permanent full-time work once I was ready to go back. This job is going to make a huge financial difference to my family.”
When asked what advice she would give other job seekers, Nancy-Jean said:
“I encourage anyone who is looking for a job in the current market to call Dawn at CP.”
Nancy-Jean’s experience shows the difference that direct employer relationships and consistent advocacy can make during a difficult job search. Instead of sending another application and hoping it reached the right person, she had someone helping make sure hiring managers saw the experience she could bring to their organization.
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