Why did you apply for the LA Fellows
program?
I am an
attorney. I went to UCLA undergrad and then USC Law School. I even did a semester at Notre Dame. So I always have someone to root for on a
Saturday afternoon. In my career I’ve
worked for several large hospital and healthcare companies, most recently a
12-year stint with a large pharmaceutical company. Everything was going quite well for me until
the division that I was working for was closed down by the parent company. I was laid off, and went on unemployment for
the first time in my life.
In many
ways I was very lucky. I was given a
generous severance package in light of my length of service, and I was even
brought back for a time as a consultant to help with the wind down. I was provided “outplacement” services
including a private coach for interviewing skills and job search strategies, a
resume consultant to revise and improve my resume, and similar services. It was a great “package” – but it didn’t
work!
I thought
that I was doing all the right things, sending out resumes, using the job
boards like Indeed, Monster and Simply Hired. I was going to some networking
meetings and things like that. I had
some interviews with some good organizations here in Los Angeles, up in the Bay
Area, even Arizona. I came close several
times, but nothing clicked. Over time I
settled into a routine of half-heartedly applying for jobs that I didn’t expect
to get. Getting comfortable with being
unemployed. Finding things to occupy my
time but not really getting anywhere.
Then I
heard about the LA Fellows. I came to an
Orientation to find out more about the program.
I didn’t really know what to expect, but I had a feeling that this
program was what I needed to get myself back on track. There’s a famous saying that goes: “90% of success is showing up”. I showed up!
What you gained from the training
portion of LA Fellows?
It may be
a cliché that we’re tired of hearing: “You only get out of something what you put
in” – but that sums up the LA Fellows program very well. Allison Silver and her team have assembled
one of the best groups of instructors that I’ve ever seen and put together a
series of classes that are more than simply a job search boot camp, they
actually provide an education on not
only how to be the candidate that will be selected, but how keep that job and
continue to build your skills and your network to prepare you for the job after
that, and the job after that, and so on.
What were the benefits of being a part
of Cohort 8?
There
were twenty-two Fellows in Cohort 8. It
wasn’t quite the cast of the movie “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” but we were
a very diverse group. We did, however,
have a few things in common: We’re serious about improving ourselves
professionally and we look out for one another!
We are willing to learn, and we are willing to help each other. Whether it was looking over each other’s
resume, conducting practice interviews, staying after class to help with
setting up a LinkedIn profile or sharing job leads, the Crazy Eights work as a
team. It was nice to be part of a team
again.
It was
also really good to have a regular schedule.
It may seem strange to say, but having things to do, assignments with due
dates, etc., are exactly what we needed to get our minds back in shape. The instructors know that there’d be nothing
worse for us than to land a job and then fall flat on our faces on a task, or
have attendance problems with being late.
The class
schedule is rigorous. The days are long
and the breaks were short. But that’s
what the “real world” is like, isn’t it?
This program will get you in shape – believe me.
Where did you volunteer and what did
gain from your nonprofit volunteer experience?
I came
from the for profit sector. I didn’t
have much experience with nonprofits, at least not with how they operate and
what the internal dynamics are like. As
part of the LA Fellows program, and in return for the education and training
that LA Fellows receive, they are required to perform 100 hours of service for
a nonprofit organization. The LA Fellows program has a network of
nonprofit organizations that are eager to have bright, motivated folks work as
interns to gain work experience and make connections.
In order
to get your internship you have to apply for the jobs the same way you would a
“real” job. I got valuable experience applying for the internship positions,
tailoring and sending resumes, scheduling interviews, showing up for
interviews, being on time, not spilling my coffee, having a spare resume with me
and remembering what it says, all that good stuff.
How did being an LA Fellows help you
land your job/get more interviews, etc.?
The
nonprofit internship interviews were a very positive experience. In particular, it felt nice to be “wanted”
and for it to be more of a “two-way street”, where I was actually interviewing
the nonprofit and deciding if it was a good fit for me.
My
volunteer work was done at The Center for Nonprofit Management in downtown LA. It is a “capacity builder” helping other
nonprofits in Southern California with management and organization strategies,
consulting services and executive coaching.
My work there has given me valuable experience in my sector, healthcare,
and it has given me something real and current to talk about in interviews,
networking conversations, etc.
So, did the LA Fellows work for you?
Yes, it
worked! Just recently, I had a
three-hour interview with a small law firm downtown. It was
great to feel so prepared and confident.
I used my STAR stories (where one gives an example of a “Situation,
Task, Action and Result” that demonstrates one’s skills and experience) and I
presented a strong and well-reasoned case for how the hiring manager would be
glad to hire me. So, I was delighted to
be offered a job as an attorney working on healthcare and corporate
transactions, which is exactly the kind of work that I wanted to do! The job is
starting out as a part-time position, which is actually good so that I can ease
into it. But I get the feeling that it’s
going to be full-time fairly soon.
I would advise candidates for the LA Fellows program
to take the application very seriously, especially the essay or personal
statement portion. Even if writing isn’t your strong suit if you’re honest
about who you are and what you want to do then that will come through. Allison and the LA Fellows team spend many
hours on the selection process, and there really are many qualified people who
don’t get in – so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get chosen the first time,
you can apply again.
