I have the pleasure of being an Employment Specialist for INCIGHT. One of my responsibilities is to help, mentor and encourage job seekers. Consider me a Pitching Coach if you will, that helps Job Seekers “stay in the game!"
I like to start my coaching with the ground rules of stepping up to the plate with a professional resume. Next we do some warm-up Elevator Pitches. Some pitches are changeup pitches that alter the direction of one’s career paths. Others are curveballs that take the potential employer by surprise. All Elevator Pitches need to land in that sweet spot, the perfect strike zone that catches the recruiter’s attention.
The next inning of the employment game, preparation and training, goes into play. The job seeker shares an “out of the park” resume, charges toward the bases of success, crosses home plate, and lands an interview!
Our hope at INCIGHT is that everyone wins! Everyone plays their best game! Everyone finds gainful employment and ultimately, independence! Our constituents often start as rookies, but with perseverance and hard work, they are able to stay in the game by leveraging obstacles, unlocking their potential, and becoming All-Star Employees!
A Loud Victory Roar
One of my coaching clients is a young lady who was determined to get a job at a college or university. Her past employment experience included working as a Student Services Coordinator/Administration Coordinator at a college library back East. She shared her heart and desire with me to be able to work with students and help them through the successes and challenges of their education. Due to her past experience, she felt she was a good candidate for a registration or administrative position at a college or university here.
I started working with this young lady back in April of 2021. First I assisted her in updating and improving her resume and then, over the next few months, practiced one-on-one mock interviews via Zoom to help her through some of the barriers she was facing. One of her struggles was that she was not able to process information quickly and at times struggled to answer interview questions in a prompt and thorough manner. During our Zoom sessions we went over possible questions that an interviewer might ask and she came up with and documented some great answers. As time went by she became much more comfortable with the interview process and was able to deliver well-thought-out answers to questions as well as share past work experiences that conveyed her hard and soft skills appropriately. Valuable experience and confidence was gained through our five ses- sions and it was a pleasure for me to accommodate each request to meet with her. Throughout this time I also helped her create an Elevator Pitch, cover letters, and thank you notes for interviews she participated in.
This determined job seeker applied for many positions and landed several interviews. Some of the applications she submitted included a receptionist job at Concordia College, an Administrative Assistant at Lewis & Clark College, and an Office Aide at the University of Oregon, where she not only landed the first interview, but a second “next stage” interview as well.
To my delight, on April 11th, 2022 she sent me an email saying she had received a job offer at the University of Portland! That was “a loud victory roar” to this employment coach's ear! She did it, she stayed in the game and fulfilled a great achievement! That’s what it’s all about at INCIGHT’s Employment Department, coming alongside passionate job seekers, coaching, encouraging and assisting any way we can to help individuals leverage obstacles, unlock their potential, and land their dream job.
Grace Corrigan is an INCIGHT Employment Specialist. She has worked with INCIGHT for 3 years and also assists with administrative office needs.