HIRED LEARNING: Gregory Brothers – “PSG gave me hope and support”

By Cynthia Lewis
Greg Brothers started with Staples as a Facilities Supply Specialist on January 16, 2012, after being in transition for 27 months. A member of the Training Committee who worked on the Job Fairs, Greg had some great insights to share.
“It was a difficult time for me,” Greg admitted. “Going to the weekly PSGCNJ meetings helped me to stay focused and gave me hope. I got strength from the other members; we shared stories and best practices. I didn’t feel so alone in the process. It was a good support group.”
Greg got involved with Training and taught the communication section on Tuesdays with Lori Mohr as the chairperson. “It was a great group of trainers. We met once a week. It was fun and helped me to stay current. I felt I was needed during my time off. We all helped each other and I also learned from the people we trained. Everyone who went through the training gave us high marks on the presentation and the process.”
To find a job, Greg networked with everyone he knew. A former neighbor who worked for Staples contacted Greg when he heard the company was adding a janitorial division. Greg had extensive experience for the position from his prior work with WW Grainger.
Greg applied for his current position a year ago, but they hired a younger candidate. Following PSGCNJ’s advice, Greg wrote a thank you note, expressing his continuing interest in Staples. “My boss never forgot the positive note and when they needed to expand their sales force, he called me back for another interview. This was much quicker because Human Resources had all the paperwork complete. I was interviewed by two people. When my new boss asked what I had been doing for the last two years, I pointed to the PSGCNJ training on my resume. He asked me more questions about my volunteer work than my employment. I was proud to explain what I did and how it helped me. I interviewed on December 9 and was offered the position on December 22! I love the job and people I work with.”
Greg recommends that job hunters: “Don’t give up hope; you will get a job. I was angry when I was rejected the first time by Staples. But the PSGCNJ group told me to learn from it and reach out, expressing my desire to work for Staples, asking them to consider me in the future.”