Career Expo Success Stories
Women For Hire Success Across the US
Read the stories of just some of the thousands of women who have secured positions by attending the Women For Hire Career Expo in their city.
MICHELLE RICKETTS
The job-hunting process was long and tiresome, to say the least. I was working for a mortgage company in the marketing department, which was definitely not my dream job considering that I had just received my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. Like most others, I had searched in vain for the great job that’s supposed to be available after you work hard in college and finally graduate.
After posting my resume on the big job boards and applying for various positions, I received an email encouraging me to attend the Women For Hire event in Atlanta. Even though nothing else had worked up to that point, I decided to go and give it a try.
At the event, I met a representative from Cisco Systems for the first time. Little did I know where that was going to lead me.
I now work for Cisco as an Associate Systems Engineer. In January 2006, after a year of intensive training, I will become a Systems Engineer. I absolutely love this position. I will be part of a sales team where I’ll design and implement networks for customers that use Cisco Systems in their networks. My career has finally started to take off and I’m thrilled.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to attend your career expo, which enabled me to connect with Cisco. I couldn’t have done it without Women For Hire.
OLIVIA MITCHELL
LEGAL ASSISTANT, CELANESE INTERNATIONAL
DALLAS,TX
Just wanted to say thank you! I attended the Women For Hire Career Expo in Dallas in April and I was hired by one of the most awesome participants—Celanese. I hadn’t heard of Women For Hire until the morning before the event. Your CEO was on television offering advice on how to be successful at any career expo. She ended by saying, “Wear something red!” That stood out to me, and it paid off.
MONIQUE COLBERT
ASSISTANT SALES MANAGER, SHERWIN WILLIAMS
ATLANTA, GA
I attended the Women For Hire event in March. I met a representative From Sherwin Williams, sent in an essay, got called in for an interview, and I started working for the company in May. I’m in the Manager-in-Training program where I’ll learn about store operations: everything from stocking a store, staffing a store, and mixing the perfect paint! I had been struggling with temp jobs; I am so happy to be hired by such a great company. My faith in the job search process has been restored with Women For Hire.
ANN BINION
PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST, UNITED SPACE ALLIANCE
HOUSTON, TEXAS
As a result of attending the Women For Hire event in Houston a year ago, I was hired by United Space Alliance. I got my foot in the door with a data entry position for the flight simulator. Once inside, I applied for—and was accepted—to a competitive Strategic Purchasing and Procurement program. This incredible opportunity allows me to rotate as a buyer, compliance analyst, subcontract administrator, and business and system analyst. Following the end of the rotation, I will have the opportunity to move permanently to the area that fits me well. I have never felt as fulfilled as I do now. To be a part of the space program is itself a dream come true, but to find my niche in corporate America after working hard in college and finishing up a successful term in the Marines is an ambition realized.
TAMARA GARRETT
CONTRACTS MANAGER, DELL
ROUND ROCK, TEXAS
I can’t believe I am sitting in Round Rock, Texas now working at Dell. When I attended your event in Atlanta in March, I wasn’t even actively looking for a job. I attended the morning seminar, where I met one of the speakers from Dell. About two weeks later I was offered a great job. Thanks Women For Hire.
CINNAMON THOMPSON
PEPSI BOTTLING COMPANY
During her job search last spring, Cinnamon Thompson faced many common frustrations: HR managers who didn’t return calls, offers from companies she didn’t feel were stable, poorly prepared interviewers, and even friends who would remind her that she really needed to get a job—as if she didn’t already know that. After a twelve year career as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines ended, Thompson was excited to learn that Southwest Airlines would be attending a Women For Hire expo in Dallas.
“Women For Hire seemed so professional from the beginning—from where the event was held to the quality of the companies that were there to recruit women,” Thompson says.
In addition to meeting with employers, Thompson networked with other professional women, all of whom were encouraging each other. “I was standing in front of a booth and I thought, ‘Oh, I can’t go work for Pepsi Bottling. I don’t know anything about their jobs,” recalls Thompson. “The lady standing with me said, ‘Go for it—it’s a great company and you’d be perfect for them.’”
That’s when she met Debbie Kavossi, a member of Pepsi Bottling’s recruitment team. “I wanted to join Pepsi was because of Debbie,” Thompson says with great enthusiasm. “When I was speaking with her, I could tell she loved the company and enjoyed her job. She said she could see something in me that would make her company even better.”
Thompson went home and applied online that night, and followed up with Kavossi a few days later. While Thompson also interviewed with Southwest Airlines and had a great experience with their recruiters, she had her fingers cross that Pepsi would make an offer.
And they did. Thompson joined as a sales representative, and after just nine months she received Salesman of the Period Award. She’s been with Pepsi Bottling for more than a year and her future looks bright. Thompson is looking forward to moving into management with the beverage giant and she’s grateful to Women For Hire for enabling her to make that first connection.
CHRISTI PHILIPS
WAL-MART STORES
Christi Phillips was very disappointed with her job. It held little room for growth at a time when she was pursuing a Masters degree. Yet she wasn’t in a financial position to leave until she had another offer lined up. That meant even less time available to focus on a job search.
The Women For Hire event in Houston looked too good to pass up: it was the opportunity to meet with fifty employers, many of which piqued her interest. Her first choice? The world’s largest retailer. “I was attracted to Wal-Mart because they were willing to train management staff with or without previous experience,” recalls Phillips.
Her conversation with Wal-Mart at the event turned into an invitation to interview on the spot, which resulted with an offer for employment. “I give a lot credit to Women For Hire because the process of attending the event was easy and even fun,” says Phillips, who’s now a Management Trainee and couldn’t be happier with her new career.
KATHARINE LOBRECHT
“I heard about Women For Hire through the accounting department at Texas Woman’s University. My teachers encouraged me to go and I’m so glad I did because it gave me a running start on my future.”
LISA HUYNH
“A friend told me about the Women For Hire event, which I attended with high expectations that were surprisingly fulfilled. Since joining Credit Solutions, I wake up excited for work, which not everybody can say about their jobs.”
CINDY PEMBROKE
“I juggle the hats of artist, writer, and business woman. When I ran across Women For Hire on the web, I was at the store shopping for my power suit within the hour. I’ve chosen to take a step back, but am now with a company that is growing leaps and bounds, holds all sorts of avenues for advancement, and treats employees great. I hadn’t dared to think that in Georgia I could work for one of the early founders of Silicon Valley, and now my imagination is alight with possibilities. Now I’m the Field Office Administrator for Oncology Service at Varian Medical, the manufacturer of leading cancer fighting radiation treatment equipment.”
VONDA LEE
“Upon moving to Houston, I became a recruiter for a global staffing agency. Yet with previous experience in the automotive and pharmaceutical industries, I knew there were other companies available to me that would be anxious to utilize my skills and experience. I highly recommend the Women For Hire Expos to not only friends and family across the nation, but also to women that I come in contact with every day. I also push them to try to attend the breakfast seminar held prior to the event. It is a truly inspiring and helpful service to women.
It gives me great pleasure to answer the question: ‘How did you get your current position?’ The companies at the Women For Hire Expo had positions open and needed good candidates to fill them. My interview process was quick, as it took less than 30 days from initial screening to offer letter. My new position is Retail Development Manager with Gulf States Toyota (GST). I am in charge of product training for my area. I was offered a wonderful compensation package including salary, bonus, three weeks vacation and company car. They even pay me to work out! I’m excited because GST has a rotational program that will allow me to see other facets of the company and increase my skill sets. This means my career path can be whatever I choose it to be. My future with this company is very bright. It is extremely difficult to get your foot in the door, but I got in thanks to the Women For Hire Expo.”
CATHERINE RAYMOND and ROBERTA MATHIS
After reading an advertisement in the Boston Globe, Catherine Raymond and Roberta Mathis decided to take a chance. They put on business attire, printed resumes and headed to the Women For Hire event.
Raymond saw the diversity of job postings and opportunity to meet face to face with hiring representatives as a sure shot that she would land a job, or at the very least, develop her interviewing and resume skills. Mathis, who had heard of Women For Hire, liked the concept of a woman-focused career expo and thought it was a great opportunity.
They both landed jobs as Sleep Counselors with Mattress Discounters in the company’s sales department. Raymond and Mathis are excited to be working at a company with great training, strong earning potential and exceptional growth opportunity, and they’re quick to credit Women For Hire.
SUCHI PANDYA
Anyone who has moved to New York City from a rural location knows the transition isn’t always easy. In fact, it can be down right brutal. After studying at Emporia State University in Kansas, Shuchi Pandya was ready for a change and decided to pursue her dream: Life in the Big Apple. She packed her bags and moved to the East Coast. Now, she thought, she better find a job quick.
“I was getting worried that I may not find a job in the field I wanted to work in, but would end up taking something that would help me just get by,” says Pandya.
Despite the culture shock, the new pace of life, and the competitiveness that Pandya faced in New York, she was able to find work. In a matter of a few weeks, she had a great position in her field at RSM International, a top ten accounting, consultancy and corporate finance firm. How did she do it? Women For Hire.
Pandya heard about the Women For Hire career expo through her brother, a student at New York University. While looking through a registration form online, she liked that the event was focused specifically for women and she appreciated the prestigious list of companies that would be attending.
“Most of the other career fairs I attended had a lot of unrelated jobs,” she says. “Women For Hire had big companies and a lot of finance positions. I knew I could meet the people I wanted to meet.”
Indeed she did. She met Jodi Goldman, a recruiter for RSM International, and landed a position as an audit associate.
“I keep telling Jodi that Women For Hire was the best thing that happened to me,” says Pandya. “In fact, I went to the next New York Women For Hire event as an RSM employee and helped recruit with Jodi!”
Pandya couldn’t be happier with her position. “I love it. I think the best thing is we work with different clients and we get to meet new people. There’s travel involved. It’s not a boring desk job; there are always different situations to face.”