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| Power Style Wellness Connections |
Get Ahead: Let’s Get Her a Job!
By Sara Peak Wallace
Interviewing for a job is like dating. You put on your best
outfit, use your best manners, and smile politely
throughout the meeting. Afterwards, you sit anxiously by
the phone waiting for the call that could change your life.
Sometimes you meet someone so perfect you wonder
“How is this person not already taken?” The same is true in
the professional world. When I first met Kristen Ward, I
couldn't believe believe such a talented and educated
woman was having difficulty finding a job. “Great talent is
up for grabs,” I thought. There are so many companies
and businesses in this town who would be lucky to have
Kristin as an employee.
To help, we enlisted three prominent and well-connected women in Louisville to give
Kristin advice about her job search. Here is how they helped guide a Paducah native
in the quest to find a job in her new hometown of Louisville.
STATS
:• Age: 26
• Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a minor in music from Illinois Wesleyan
University
• Master’s degree in Public Administration from Southern Illinois University.
• Work experience in public communication, having written press releases and
developing content for policy issues and actions for the city of Paducah.
A TEST INTERVIEW: Polly Motor, Promoter, Inc. Walking inside the doors of
Promotoer, Inc is like being welcomed into someone's home. While the Moter’s live
on the third floor of the Fourth Street building, what really demonstrates hospitality is
the warm reception received from Polly Moter, owner of ProMoter, Inc.
A smiling and polite Polly greeted Kristin out of the rain and into her office which she
admitted, was cleaned just for our arrival.
“I usually start an interview talking about my company,” Polly told Kristin “That way,
the interviewee can get a little comfortable first, before it’s their turn.”
Polly’s philosophy must have worked, because when it was Kristin’s turn to speak,
she was confident and chatty. Kristin began telling Polly about previous job
experiences and modestly mentioned about a book she is currently writing.
“You shouldn’t sound apologetic for that,” Polly laughed. “You need to bring that out
in interviews. Not many people your age are writing a novel. I admire that.”
Polly talked with Kristin about the impact that networking can have on trying to find a
job.
“A good place to start is to call someone up and ask them ‘Even if you’re not looking
to hire someone right now, can I come brainstorm with you about opportunities?’
This is always a good strategy,” Polly says.
Polly also suggested Kristin look into the Louisville chapter of NAWBO (National
Association of Women Business Owners) as a starting point for networking. Polly
serves as the organization’s Communication co-chair and gave Kristin some names
of other women in the organization to contact.
By the end of the interview, Kristin seemed confident about what type of position she
was looking for.
“I don’t care if it is a private or public company,” Kristin tells Polly. “I just want a job
that is meaningful and that matters. I want the opportunity to make really great
things happen.”
GETTING CONNECTED: Ashley Roberts, President Elect Young Professional
Association of Louisville (YPAL)
The first thing Ashley asked Kristin was "How do you like Louisville?" I hope you find
that everyone is really friendly,” she tells Kristin.
Ashley is a young professional with a huge heart for our city — and it shows. Ashley
is President-Elect of YPAL, an organization in Louisville with over 600 young
professionals who participate in social, networking, and volunteer opportunities.
“Some of the most important things in my career have been volunteer,” she tells
Kristin.
And it seems the two have a lot in common. When Kristin was in Paducah, she
worked with the mayor of her city closely and started efforts to build up a program in
Paducah similar to YPAL.
“You starting up a youth organization in your community is huge — you should
communicate that,” Ashley tells her. “People reading your resume will think ‘Wow,
she mobilized young people to care about their city. That’s a big deal.”
The more they talked, the more professional contacts Ashley had. “I know someone
there...” she’d say, or “I can follow up with him for you,” she’d offer. It was clear that
most of her contacts came from networking — an activity she strongly recommended
to Kristin.
“It’s not a big blanket,” she tells her. “You have to find the thing that fits. Join causes
that actually mean something to you.”
As with other women we met with that day, Ashley also had some suggestions for
Kristin’s resume.
“When someone looks at your resume, they want to know ‘how does your
experience translate into a job with us?’ I’d love to see you put specific skill sets and
objectives on here. Also, your resume can change for each position you apply for.”
True to her word, Ashley follows up with Kristin multiple times that day via email with
more contacts and job positions available around the community. “I want you to like
Louisville,” she laughs and tells Kristin.
If every newcomer received a welcome as warm as Ashley’s, Louisville would indeed
be the friendliest city in America.
HER LOOK: Tracy Varga, Tracy Varga Image Consulting
“Look at her,” Tracy says as I introduce her to Kristin. “She’s absolutely beautiful.
What exactly do you want me to do with her?” Tracy laughs.
Usually, Tracy Varga has her work cut out for her, taking her clients from sometimes
frumpy and mundane to sophisticated, stylish, and professional.
But with Kristin, let’s just say she had a head-start.
“You’ve got style,” Tracy tells her. “Everything is there. You look creative, and you
make me want to listen to what you have to say.”
According to Tracy, your look can be the differentiating factor in an interview.
“You are your logo,” she tells Kristin. “The way you look is your brand, and this has
even more weight in an interview setting. In our society, people make quick
judgments. With people, judgments are made in less than seven seconds. On a
website, two.”
Her suggestion to Kristin was to find what she wanted and focus.
“This is as much about people wanting you as it is about you deciding what you
want,” she tells Kristin. “If you have a focus issue, people will pick up on that.”
Tracy’s other suggestions included spicing up the resume, networking, and doing
research before an interview. She also talked with Kristin about what she calls
“Image Breakers.”
“On interview day, you don’t want anything to work against you,” Tracy explains.
“Interviews are not the time to make a fashion statement. You want to wear dark,
natural suits that bring the eyes up to your face.
“You should match yourself with your environment,” she adds. “A job interview at
Humana is going to require suit and hosiery, while other places might not be as
conservative.”
This is part of doing research before interview day. She suggests looking at the
company’s website to learn about their corporate culture and recent news and doing
a dress rehearsal interview — even if it’s just with a friend.
Tracy throws out some names of people in the community that might be able to help
Kristin and tells her not be afraid to call. Kristin and I thank her and leave…feeling a
little more sophisticated than when we arrived.
KRISTEN’S NEXT STEPS:Follow up with contacts. Kristin has followed up with the
contacts she received from the three experts, Tracy, Polly, and Ashley. She has also
updated her resume and incorporated networking strategies in to her job search.
But most importantly, Kristin says the experience has given her a refreshed outlook
on the process.
“I was getting down on myself and the whole job search thing, but Tracy confirmed
what I’ve always known, which is this process takes time and that I shouldn’t be down
or discouraged. I’m spending more time now being encouraged, meeting people and
making contacts, researching industries and opportunities, enjoying my passions of
writing and singing, and just keeping my eyes open for what God has next for me.
”MAKEUP: Rhoda Overstreet, Makeup Artist, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Macy’s in
Oxmoor Center Keeping your makeup simple is the best option when presenting
yourself to a prospective employer. “You want a professional, clean look. Nothing
trendy, nothing faddish,” says Rhoda. On Kristin’s face, Rhoda applied a protective
face lotion with SPF 15, followed with Number 6 Golden Oil Free Even Finish
Compact Foundation and Golden Orange Loose Powder. For a rosy glow, she used
blush in Spice with a pop of pink raspberry on the apples of Kristin’s cheeks.
Next, she applied lip balm followed by Malt Shimmer lip color, Chocolate lip liner and
Rose Gold lip gloss. “I used a lip brush to blend out any hard edges for a smoother
appearance,” she says. On her eyes, Rhoda brushed on shadows in Banana and
Fog. Then she lined the eyes with Black Gel Ink Eyeliner and finished her look with
Black Lash Glamour mascara. Kristin’s search for the perfect job is still on, and
thanks to the help of these three women, is progressing more rapidly than ever. We
know there are countless other women in our community with the potential to help
Kristin.
If you think you might be one of them, please contact us for more information.
Together, we can get this woman a job!
By Sara Peak Wallace
Interviewing for a job is like dating. You put on your best
outfit, use your best manners, and smile politely
throughout the meeting. Afterwards, you sit anxiously by
the phone waiting for the call that could change your life.
Sometimes you meet someone so perfect you wonder
“How is this person not already taken?” The same is true in
the professional world. When I first met Kristen Ward, I
couldn't believe believe such a talented and educated
woman was having difficulty finding a job. “Great talent is
up for grabs,” I thought. There are so many companies
and businesses in this town who would be lucky to have
Kristin as an employee.
To help, we enlisted three prominent and well-connected women in Louisville to give
Kristin advice about her job search. Here is how they helped guide a Paducah native
in the quest to find a job in her new hometown of Louisville.
STATS
:• Age: 26
• Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a minor in music from Illinois Wesleyan
University
• Master’s degree in Public Administration from Southern Illinois University.
• Work experience in public communication, having written press releases and
developing content for policy issues and actions for the city of Paducah.
A TEST INTERVIEW: Polly Motor, Promoter, Inc. Walking inside the doors of
Promotoer, Inc is like being welcomed into someone's home. While the Moter’s live
on the third floor of the Fourth Street building, what really demonstrates hospitality is
the warm reception received from Polly Moter, owner of ProMoter, Inc.
A smiling and polite Polly greeted Kristin out of the rain and into her office which she
admitted, was cleaned just for our arrival.
“I usually start an interview talking about my company,” Polly told Kristin “That way,
the interviewee can get a little comfortable first, before it’s their turn.”
Polly’s philosophy must have worked, because when it was Kristin’s turn to speak,
she was confident and chatty. Kristin began telling Polly about previous job
experiences and modestly mentioned about a book she is currently writing.
“You shouldn’t sound apologetic for that,” Polly laughed. “You need to bring that out
in interviews. Not many people your age are writing a novel. I admire that.”
Polly talked with Kristin about the impact that networking can have on trying to find a
job.
“A good place to start is to call someone up and ask them ‘Even if you’re not looking
to hire someone right now, can I come brainstorm with you about opportunities?’
This is always a good strategy,” Polly says.
Polly also suggested Kristin look into the Louisville chapter of NAWBO (National
Association of Women Business Owners) as a starting point for networking. Polly
serves as the organization’s Communication co-chair and gave Kristin some names
of other women in the organization to contact.
By the end of the interview, Kristin seemed confident about what type of position she
was looking for.
“I don’t care if it is a private or public company,” Kristin tells Polly. “I just want a job
that is meaningful and that matters. I want the opportunity to make really great
things happen.”
GETTING CONNECTED: Ashley Roberts, President Elect Young Professional
Association of Louisville (YPAL)
The first thing Ashley asked Kristin was "How do you like Louisville?" I hope you find
that everyone is really friendly,” she tells Kristin.
Ashley is a young professional with a huge heart for our city — and it shows. Ashley
is President-Elect of YPAL, an organization in Louisville with over 600 young
professionals who participate in social, networking, and volunteer opportunities.
“Some of the most important things in my career have been volunteer,” she tells
Kristin.
And it seems the two have a lot in common. When Kristin was in Paducah, she
worked with the mayor of her city closely and started efforts to build up a program in
Paducah similar to YPAL.
“You starting up a youth organization in your community is huge — you should
communicate that,” Ashley tells her. “People reading your resume will think ‘Wow,
she mobilized young people to care about their city. That’s a big deal.”
The more they talked, the more professional contacts Ashley had. “I know someone
there...” she’d say, or “I can follow up with him for you,” she’d offer. It was clear that
most of her contacts came from networking — an activity she strongly recommended
to Kristin.
“It’s not a big blanket,” she tells her. “You have to find the thing that fits. Join causes
that actually mean something to you.”
As with other women we met with that day, Ashley also had some suggestions for
Kristin’s resume.
“When someone looks at your resume, they want to know ‘how does your
experience translate into a job with us?’ I’d love to see you put specific skill sets and
objectives on here. Also, your resume can change for each position you apply for.”
True to her word, Ashley follows up with Kristin multiple times that day via email with
more contacts and job positions available around the community. “I want you to like
Louisville,” she laughs and tells Kristin.
If every newcomer received a welcome as warm as Ashley’s, Louisville would indeed
be the friendliest city in America.
HER LOOK: Tracy Varga, Tracy Varga Image Consulting
“Look at her,” Tracy says as I introduce her to Kristin. “She’s absolutely beautiful.
What exactly do you want me to do with her?” Tracy laughs.
Usually, Tracy Varga has her work cut out for her, taking her clients from sometimes
frumpy and mundane to sophisticated, stylish, and professional.
But with Kristin, let’s just say she had a head-start.
“You’ve got style,” Tracy tells her. “Everything is there. You look creative, and you
make me want to listen to what you have to say.”
According to Tracy, your look can be the differentiating factor in an interview.
“You are your logo,” she tells Kristin. “The way you look is your brand, and this has
even more weight in an interview setting. In our society, people make quick
judgments. With people, judgments are made in less than seven seconds. On a
website, two.”
Her suggestion to Kristin was to find what she wanted and focus.
“This is as much about people wanting you as it is about you deciding what you
want,” she tells Kristin. “If you have a focus issue, people will pick up on that.”
Tracy’s other suggestions included spicing up the resume, networking, and doing
research before an interview. She also talked with Kristin about what she calls
“Image Breakers.”
“On interview day, you don’t want anything to work against you,” Tracy explains.
“Interviews are not the time to make a fashion statement. You want to wear dark,
natural suits that bring the eyes up to your face.
“You should match yourself with your environment,” she adds. “A job interview at
Humana is going to require suit and hosiery, while other places might not be as
conservative.”
This is part of doing research before interview day. She suggests looking at the
company’s website to learn about their corporate culture and recent news and doing
a dress rehearsal interview — even if it’s just with a friend.
Tracy throws out some names of people in the community that might be able to help
Kristin and tells her not be afraid to call. Kristin and I thank her and leave…feeling a
little more sophisticated than when we arrived.
KRISTEN’S NEXT STEPS:Follow up with contacts. Kristin has followed up with the
contacts she received from the three experts, Tracy, Polly, and Ashley. She has also
updated her resume and incorporated networking strategies in to her job search.
But most importantly, Kristin says the experience has given her a refreshed outlook
on the process.
“I was getting down on myself and the whole job search thing, but Tracy confirmed
what I’ve always known, which is this process takes time and that I shouldn’t be down
or discouraged. I’m spending more time now being encouraged, meeting people and
making contacts, researching industries and opportunities, enjoying my passions of
writing and singing, and just keeping my eyes open for what God has next for me.
”MAKEUP: Rhoda Overstreet, Makeup Artist, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Macy’s in
Oxmoor Center Keeping your makeup simple is the best option when presenting
yourself to a prospective employer. “You want a professional, clean look. Nothing
trendy, nothing faddish,” says Rhoda. On Kristin’s face, Rhoda applied a protective
face lotion with SPF 15, followed with Number 6 Golden Oil Free Even Finish
Compact Foundation and Golden Orange Loose Powder. For a rosy glow, she used
blush in Spice with a pop of pink raspberry on the apples of Kristin’s cheeks.
Next, she applied lip balm followed by Malt Shimmer lip color, Chocolate lip liner and
Rose Gold lip gloss. “I used a lip brush to blend out any hard edges for a smoother
appearance,” she says. On her eyes, Rhoda brushed on shadows in Banana and
Fog. Then she lined the eyes with Black Gel Ink Eyeliner and finished her look with
Black Lash Glamour mascara. Kristin’s search for the perfect job is still on, and
thanks to the help of these three women, is progressing more rapidly than ever. We
know there are countless other women in our community with the potential to help
Kristin.
If you think you might be one of them, please contact us for more information.
Together, we can get this woman a job!