HIRED LEARNING: Bill Conrad – CAR Stories Make a Difference
By David Pastore
After 16 months on the job hunt, Bill Conrad recently landed a new position at EmbraceCortel.
The job opportunity came to Bill through a former colleague with whom he had stayed in touch over the years. When he was out of work, Bill called her every six weeks or so. From that one source, Bill generated seven interviews with the last one resulting in the position.
The hiring process was in two steps. “I had a 30-minute phone interview, followed by my only in-person interview: a marathon, two-and-a-half-hour session with three people. I was prepared and asked many questions.”
CAR (Challenge-Action-Result) stories, learned through PSGCNJ, were one of the most important aspects of Bill’s job search. “The accomplishment version of my resume became a punch list of success stories to work into the interview. I crafted
my questions to the interviewer so that they asked me to clarify, giving me the opportunity to explain in more detail and share the CAR success story. Then I asked if their corporate culture embraced that sort of situation and if the position had similar skill set opportunities for me to bring into their organization. They said that no other candidate had ever asked my questions!”
Bill managed his job search by “scheduling time for me, getting involved in volunteer organizations, and scheduling at least one daily break for a “normal” task, like grocery shopping. I tried not to neglect my family, keeping family time even when I was not feeling very positive. I learned some new recipes and cooked new meals.”
Bill re-established helpful connections “to spend some “normal” time lunching with a close friend, relative or PSGCNJ acquaintance. To help dispel feelings of isolation, I performed my job search several times a month in the PSGCNJ room and connected with other committee members.”
Congratulations to Bill; we wish him great success at EmbraceCortel.