HIRED LEARNING: Barry Jacobsen – Never Turn Down Any Opportunity

By Dana Vavrova
Barry Jacobsen has accepted a position as a Business Solutions Architect at GalaxE Solutions. He will be working on pharmacy claim systems gap analysis resulting from the Express Scripts/Medco merger.  
Thanks to high demand in his area of expertise, his job search lasted only two months. “A recruiter for GalaxE found me on LinkedIn and called me.  We had a phone interview which was followed by a phone interview with the hiring manager.  Superstorm Sandy intervened, so it was a few weeks before the second interview with the hiring manager took place,” said Barry.
This was Barry’s third stop at PSGCNJ.  He first joined the organization after his job of 30 years ended in April 2011. When two subsequent jobs did not pan out, he returned to PSGCNJ late last fall, then again in mid spring 2012. He described his experience with PSGCNJ: “(It) taught me skills in all areas of the job search but especially how to interview.  I thought the speakers had great tips and I culled a little advice from each one. When I was unsure about some aspect of the search I could always find someone who was an expert in that area to bounce ideas off of; that made the whole uncertainty thing much less of an impediment.”
Barry served on the training and technology committees: “What they did was allow me to continue participating in corporate-like settings such as meetings and training sessions.  I tell people volunteering for the PSGCNJ can be like having a full time job but not getting paid!”
Barry’s suggestions for job-seekers: “Never turn down any opportunity even if it appears to be out of the area. Don’t assume anything about the job till either you ask, or they tell you about it.  Don’t forget….. you always have the upper hand to decline an offer.  You will never be in that position to decline if you never pursue it initially.  And…. maybe it turns out to be something that sounds wonderful!”
Barry’s experience demonstrates the importance of having a high-quality LinkedIn profile. We wish him great luck and please stay in touch!