A News Story Transforms One Candidate's Journey

Workforce Solutions Helps Rachel Land a Dream Job

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It was a TV news story that caught the attention of Workforce Solutions team members. When the Willowbrook office heard Rachel Rodriguez's story about her countless job search efforts, the team stepped into action.

Rachel Rodriguez thought she was taking all the right steps in her job search. She was updating her resume, networking and reaching out to employers and friends, utilizing online search tools and resources, and being as honest as writing "looking for a job" across social media channels.

More than one hundred applications later and only three interviews in eight months, Rachel grew worried. A single mother who recently moved into a new home, something was lacking in her quest to land a job.

Workforce Solutions Employment Counselor, Cheryl Sumbler, contacted Rachel.

To learn about her new customer, Cheryl reviewed Rachel's WorkInTexas.com profile. There it was - the missing link between Rachel and her new job - an incomplete profile.

Workforce Solutions recommends to all job candidates that the first step towards a successful job search is to complete a WorkInTexas.com profile. Employers access this platform when they are seeking the best candidate that matches a specific position, so a thorough WorkInTexas.com profile opens the door to new job opportunities.

Cheryl noticed inconsistencies in Rachel's WorkInTexas.com profile, and they updated the bullets under each section of Rachel's work history.

"I explained the importance of how those resume line items must reflect Rachel's achievements and highlight her key knowledge, skills, and abilities," explains Cheryl. "A detailed profile makes the process to match qualified candidates with a job smoother and sometimes quicker."

Cheryl also helped Rachel freshen her LinkedIn profile and information to highlight information in the same way. This kept Rachel's profile consistent across various platforms that employers use when looking for candidates.

Creating, updating, and maintaining a comprehensive WorkInTexas.com profile was just the beginning of Workforce Solutions' quest to help Rachel land a new job.

Understanding Rachel's professional background, desired job and work culture, and her personality, Cheryl began coaching Rachel one-to-one with job interviewing skills. They engaged in role-playing and practiced formulating responses to common, hard-to-answer interview questions.

Here, Cheryl advised Rachel to think through the questions asked, focus on transferable skills that contribute to the role, research about the employer, and make responses to interview questions about the position or "speak to the role."

Above all, through regular check-ins, Cheryl advised Rachel to remain encouraged, positive, and optimistic.

Within two weeks of Workforce Solutions preparing Rachel, it was time to put these renewed and fresh approaches to scheduled interview opportunities. One opportunity was a direct result of applying the same updates from WorkInTexas to Rachel's LinkedIn profile. MCA Communications contacted Rachel after reviewing her LinkedIn profile, and two interviews later, Rachel became their full-time Executive Assistant in Marketing.

"Cheryl followed up with me regularly after the interviews with the other companies. It's as if she was preparing me for THE one, and it came," says Rachel. "Had Cheryl not pulled up my WorkInTexas profile, which opened up so many other Workforce Solutions resources, I would not have been able to find this new job."

The connection between Cheryl and Rachel continues as Workforce Solutions stays in touch with job candidates post-employment. It is part of our commitment to assure the Gulf Coast region remains a great place to live, work, and do business.

See how Rachel's success inspires hope for others who shared the same challenges due to COVID-19 on Click2Houston.com

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