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I am writing to let all of you know that I now employed! After all of those interviews and rejections (and 7 months!), I knew this was the right one from the minute I walked in. It was as if God was telling me that this was where I was supposed to be, that was exactly how I felt. So now I am a Documentation Specialist at Cryolife. It is just a 10 minute drive from my house, and the company is very well run with great benefits. And I've always wanted to work for a company that really impacts people's lives, and Cryolife provides products that help save people's lives. That's a company that I can be proud to work for. I just started last week.
I am so thankful for the faith that I had to get me through this; if it hadn't been for my faith that God would provide what I needed when I needed it, I don't know how my family and I would have dealt with the whole situation. I am also extremely grateful to you and all of the people I met through JobSeekers; you all helped me through this tough time in so many ways, and I am truly blessed to have met all of you. The information and practice I received was priceless, and the spiritual support helped me to remember that God has a plan, and that he would eventually let me know what the next step was.
Thank you all again! Your advice, support and prayers helped lift me above worry and and kept my focus on listening to God and finding that job!
In Christ,
Debbie
June
2008
I
wanted to let you know I will not be at the meeting on Tuesday. I got a job offer
yesterday and took it and I start Monday! I have really enjoyed the time spent
there each week, even though it has been a relatively short period of time (thank
the Lord!). It is a real source of encouragement, and I loved Marlon's Bible Study.
My husband was involved with both the Town Center and Dunwoody meetings in 2002-2003
when he was in transition for over a year. They give a person a great source of
strength to stay focused on God during a difficult time. If I find myself in this
position again I will definitely return to the meetings. Thanks to you and all
the people involved for the service you provide.
In Christ,
Marianna
Crose
January 2008
I
started my new job on August 7th. This was my first interview after the baby was
born. I interviewed on July 25th and was officially offered the position on July
28th (though they confirmed desired salary, starting date, etc. on the 27th).
Tell everyone to stay positive and hopeful...I thought the interview for this
position was just awful. I thought their questions were very difficult (even after
going through 25ish interviews pre-baby) and that I sounded highly unintelligent
when I answered. I didn't realize I was just one of three that made it through
the whole process. I think the timing and everything was just meant to be. I put
my last job in God's hands so I felt comfortable when it suddenly ended. It was
rough but now I see that much better things were ahead of me.
I am the
Communications Analyst with Coventry Health Care of Georgia. We are off Circle
75 Parkway in Atlanta (very close to the Galleria) -- as Ryan said this is the
building where they do the Christmas tree in office lights each year.
I very much love my job. I know it's only been 3 weeks, but everyone has been
great. It's comfortable enough that when I leave to pick up Ryleigh, I don't worry
that I'm looking bad for leaving on time. Plus because of location, I'm able to
use Aunt Faye for babysitting -- and I know she really is the best. There are
a lot of regulatory things to learn since this is health care but everything has
been smooth so far. I can see myself here for a long, long time. The salary and
benefits are perfect and more than I expected. One of my co-workers even put some
flowers on my desk this morning!
The company itself is growing. If anyone
wants to visit the website, it is www.cvty.com (that's the parent company). Our
site is www.chcga.com.
I know my time at Job Seekers wasn't long since
I was expecting the baby and all, but I met many people who have helped me along
the way. It's nice that people still check in with me even after meeting them
only one time. I need to contact Phil to thank him for all the info he provided
on Choice Point. I interviewed there the day I found out Coventry was interested
in me.
Thanks so much!
Danielle
Just a short note from an alum of Job Seekers.
(1) That "elevator speech" that I learned 2 years ago is ingrained with me but I try to keep it up-to-date. It's fascinating how often it is appropriate to use to remind myself of where I've come from.
(2) My wife and I have put down roots (again) in the Pittsburgh area with my great job at Bayer and a wonderful church home.
(3) To the Job Seekers: keep on seeking--the Lord first and the job you want--in that order! Be flexible and remember that it is the Lord that will provide that job.
(4) Sam Levinson's advice from his father: "My father patted me on the shoulder and said that, when I needed a helping hand, it was no farther away than the end of my arm!" A little bit of Yiddish humor is good for all of us!
Kindest regards,
Ray
June 27, 2006
Thanks again for a wonderful program and bible study this am. I am so glad I found you guys. You guys are such a blessing.
12/20/2005
Jobseekers,
I just wanted to write and say how much the very first meeting I attended meant to me. The testimony Chandler gave as well as the quick tips on stress by Anita really pinpointed stuff I could relate to. Last weekend (having been out of a job for almost 3 months) was probably my low point. Bottom of the depression/anger/mood swing battle - and we were in Columbia SC for the funeral/memorial of my wife's aunt. Friends and relatives were encouraging me, but it was not getting through my thick skull. I got a lead from a church associate about these Tuesday morning meetings and decided I needed to change my routine. So I came. I'm so glad I did!
Chandler's testimony about our sufficiency in Christ really hit home as did his mention that diligence is what makes a difference. Anita's stress checklist identified a number of things I was going through. I think the most important was that I hadn't really "talked" to anyone about the situation (that is, until Monday night before the meeting). Talking really did make a difference for me. Not just a rah rah speech from my friend (who, by the way has lung cancer at the age of 29) who was out of work last year (as a qualified pastor, no less), but just someone who could listen.
The networking was good too, as I was able to reach out to a couple more folks, and I think I might be able to help as well...
The first step of faith (related to my situation, not my life) was probably what has led to my more positive attitude (as well as a lot of prayer). I'm happy to say I think that might have been a trigger. I think I might have a lead or two now for an interview.
Also, I got the chance to tell a friend about the meetings. I'm hoping she'll show up next week....we'll see.
Go with God,
--
Erik
I wanted to send a note of thanks for what you do. No one understands how it feels to be unemployed except for someone who is. Gathering those souls together not to commiserate, but to uplift one another is crucial.
With sincere thanks,
Lisa
October
7, 2005
Dear Friends at Jobseekers,
I am writing to tell you that I have a job! I start tomorrow! For the first time in my life, I am hired to do what I love and what I am trained to do - Web Design!
First of all, let me thank you for your help and kindness. Thank you for providing me with a place I could go once a week to get re-energized in my search and share the process with some mighty good people. You lifted me up when I was down. Thank you for a great program that reminded me that God loves me and has a purpose for my life. Thank you for all those excellent lessons on leadership, which reminded me that I was more than an unemployed person. Thank you for those great stories, the testimonies, that reminded me I was not alone and which gave me hope. Thank you for the good cheer and solid advice. Thank you for being there each Tuesday, week after week (with coffee, too!). Thank you for being my friends!
I received so much from Jobseekers! I am so very grateful!
It's my plan to be there next Tuesday to thank you in person.
Sincerely,
Margaret
It's Tuesday and I could not help but think of coffee, bagels, Christian fellowship and support; in other words, Job Seekers!
I wish you and your colleagues the very best.
One year ago I was attending Job Seekers every Tuesday morning in Kennesaw.
Thanks to
the support of your wonderful organization I found a job in (where else?) Pittsburgh
PA. God has a sense of humor: we lived here 20 years ago and were therefore familiar
with the area and the company--Bayer
MaterialScience.
My wife and I relocated last March and I've completed 8 months with a great company.
You
and David were careful to remind us job seekers to spend time in prayer and meditation
to determine what we were really ready to undertake. In this regard, I'd prepared
myself for the possibility of having to relocate; therefore, when this job possibility
became known to me, I was ready to consider it because I'd done the preplanning
(review of my likes/dislikes, strengths, preferences, etc.) that you had urged
us to do. I'd also done some soul-searching and determined that a move into a
technical staff position (from the Vice President of Research position
that
I'd had in my previous job) was one that I could enjoy and find fulfilling. That
has been an interesting transition! It has been aided by my current boss who is
2/3 my age but who has been with Bayer for 18 years.
You're right: as you say in every meeting, God has a job waiting for each one of us and He'll reveal it in His own good time.
God bless you all!
Raymond S.
I have received a tremendous amount value from Jobseekers. I’m glad that there are Christian organizations such as Jobseekers that offer spiritual support and career assistance during periods of transition and what I think is time of personal growth.
Please tell everyone I said thank you very much for the information I received. One of the recommendations provided I followed. Which was, follow through with all job opportunities when provided through networking. Had I not attended the meeting I would not have followed up with an opportunity I had via a network referral. I went back after the meeting, informed the individual who submitted my name for a position, followed through, and was hired on 6/30/05.
Very Truly Yours,
Tony
Thank you for critiquing my resume. As you probably noticed today I wasn’t because of a Drs. Appt. this morning and I will not be there next Tuesday due to vacation. I will be there the following Tuesday. I have received a tremendous amount value from Jobseekers. I’m glad that there are Christian organizations such as Jobseekers that offer spiritual support and career assistance during periods of transition and what I think is time of personal growth.
Regards,
L
(May 24, 2005)
Dear Phil,
I am grateful to share with you that I have been led to gainful employment here in Atlanta as a Account Executive covering the SE region selling a document composition, management and outsourced printing application to Utilities, Financial Services, Mortgage and Insurance Companies.
Although I was only unemployed from July 30 until September 29th there are several experiences that God revealed to me that I would like to share with the Job Seekers group.
What I learned from this experience of unemployment is something I heard from Charles Stanley recently. Here is what it boils down to.
God is and has been truly faithful to my family. He provided me friends that came to my aid in ways that only He would bring. He pulled me through some very dark days and moments when I wanted to truly give up and throw in the towel. The coaching that was provided by those who know who they are and encouraged me not to give up but to finish the race strong were right. I could relate because I am a past marathon and ultra runner and I know what that means when you don't have anything left in your body but still have 3-4 miles to go. So I figured if I could do it physically then with God, I could do it spiritually. I also realized that this life is about a spiritual battle and we need to call upon God's protection daily. I now feel the warmth of His embrace when I need to feel it during tough emotional battles and there is nothing greater than to know that He has put the woman of my dreams as His communicator with me and now I am listening better than before, not always, but better. My family is strengthened, my home life is getting better and I look forward to having God use my in the workplace as well.
In His Grace,
Jon
Moskal
David,
It was nice to see you again last week. I thought I would drop you a line
to let you know how things have gone for me since I was in Jobseekers 2 years
ago.
In August of 2002, after 2 months out
of the workforce (not very long, I know), I accepted the position of Marketing
Representative at Six Flags Over Georgia. It's actually a funny story as to how
I got the job.
In April of 2002, I interviewed
for this job. Everything went great, and they asked me back for a second interview.
I was so excited and more than ready to leave my previous job. I showed up for
the interview at 4:30 p.m., only to be told that there was no way I had an interview
scheduled, that the person I had interviewed with previously was out of town along
with her boss, who I was supposed to meet. So I turned around and went home, and
someone else was hired the following week.
I stayed in touch with the
person who interviewed me, calling once a month just to leave a message and let
her know that I was interested if anything came up. After one of these messages
in August of 2002, she called me back, I interviewed the following day and had
the job by Monday.
I found out that they had been out of town that day
in April, but they were planning on coming back to meet me, and I missed them
by 15 minutes. Since I didn't meet the boss, they couldn't hire me, and they hired
someone else, even though they wanted me in the first place. But, my persistence
impressed them, and they called me back when the person they hired left.
As Marketing Representative, I was in charge of the park's relationships and partnerships
with our media partners. I worked a lot of weekends and nightsbut it was so much
fun. I got to put on a Smashmouth concert, ride Superman Ultimate Flight 26 times
in a row for a commercial, go through the tunnels at Turner Field and all kinds
of great things.
I managed to do a good job, increasing our added value
with our media partners by 75% in 2003. I also created a brand new season pass
message, updated phone lines, pulled off 3 concerts free of charge to the park,
and raised $4,000 for the USO on September 11.
In October, my boss delivered
her first child, and when she returned in January, she decided she was going to
leave to start a business with her husband in Miami. I immediately applied for
her job and was promoted in April of this year to Marketing Manager.
Now, I am in charge not only of the media partners (yes, the dancing man is my
responsibility) but also our promotional partners like Coke, Wendy's, Publix,
Pizza Hut and more. It is a great job, and gets me the opportunity to do things
like the Gimme the Mike show on WSB, which is taped at the park (and the live
finale airs at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night!).
But
most of all, the lessons I learned in Jobseekers have helped me to do such a good
job. No matter what happens, even when the park was having an atrocious year last
year, I believed in God and he helped me to achieve at a high level.
When I was a Jobseeker, I did not believe that things could get worse. However,
once I started believing in God, praying to Him daily and listening to what he
was telling me, I understood that I had been applying my gifts in the wrong way.
I was in radio for 6 years before I got laid off. I wasn't going anywhere, and
I was creatively stifled. Now, I am a manager with great responsibility and freedom,
and a fulfilling, happy job.
Anyway, I appreciate all that you and the
other Jobseekers did for me, and if there is anything I can do to help you all
out, please let me know.
Ryan Kilpatrick
Marketing Manager
Six Flags Over Georgia
Comment from Shirley Douglas, Oct. 28, 2004:
Hello David,
I
just wanted to send a thank you to you and your team for what you do each Tuesday
for those of us among the unemployed. This is my first experience with networking
and I must say it has been a pleasure coming to your meetings. I've been job hunting
for two weeks now and I've received several leads from Regina who I met on Tuesday.
Hopefully, I will have a great story to tell soon on my new job.
Thank
you for your personal sacrifices and efforts you make each and every week to help
and encourage. You're a great gift!
Sincerely,
Shirley Douglas
Comment
from Ross Hayes: I want to say thank you to you, Dave, Marvin, Marlon,
Jane, and all the members of JobSeekers who bring some light into each week, when
there are dark and trying times.
Faith kept being restored from Marlon's
notes knowing how many years Joseph was a slave before his time came. It took
Noah 120 years to build the ark in his back yard with the neighbors laughing.
Looking at my situation compared with them helped me to keep focused and know
that God has a plan, he is in control, while I am just one of his co-pilots trying
to maintain a steady path.
Thanks again to everyone, a group I have thought
of as my Soul Squad.
Q: When are you going to update your web site. It needs to have some current information and links on it to help job seekers find that next job. Anon, 3/15/04
A: As you can see, the web site has been dramatically revised based on your comments and the feedback of a number of others. Our new webmaster has rebuilt the site and added a number of new pages to provide the kind of help that you are looking for. Please continue to use the site and feel free to send your suggestions to the leadership team . It is through your thoughts, ideas and suggestions that we will keep this web site fresh and valuable to you.