Vickie Chapman, a Love Your Career Formula member, recently got a job as a Customer Success Manager!! I am so proud of Vickie and how much effort she put into her job search. It’s not easy and I hope this case study with Vickie gives you the motivation to keep going.
Vickie Chapman’s Success Story
Tell me about the beginning of your job search. What were you thinking before you joined Love Your Career Formula?
I was working in a job that I loved as a project manager. We had a heads up that the opportunity was going to come to an end. So, I had started trying to build my LinkedIn profile, my resume, but at the same time, I was feeling stuck. Finding the Love Your Career Formula was terrific! It allowed me to get out of this mindset that I am just a project manager. It gave me all the right questions to ask myself and to really think about what I like to do.
The really enlightening question was thinking about what those moments that were most satisfying to me were. That really led me to break out of just “I’m a project manager” to “I help people”. I invested in my customer success and I like working with clients.
When did you learn in Love Your Career Formula?
I started with the Resume Makeover Bootcamp and it just seemed like there’s so much more wonderful content available from getting to know people on the Facebook group side and looking at the other blog entries. So, when there was an opportunity to try out the larger community, I went for it.
It took me a little while to get that there were people starting a business as well as people who are trying to figure out what that next career step is, what their path was. It was also eye-opening to see that there are people who do all different kinds of work. I think I had in my head that I found you on the internet so this might be “technology people”. But to find out there are people interested in different roles in HR, in technology, and all sorts of things. It expanded my idea of a career.
What did you learn in the very beginning?
Having the discipline of setting those goals for myself week-to-week was important. Part of the hard part was that I was job searching while being employed too. Once the job ended in December, my full-time job became looking for the next thing. I did take that discipline and set up those goals to keep myself on track. Time management and organizing and goal-setting were all good and timely advice for me.
I also worked hard on my elevator pitch and knowing myself better. I attended networking events that I pushed myself to go to. Also, I worked on the top of the resume replacing the objective statement that a lot of resumes used to have. Overall, getting across that enthusiasm and I really felt a big difference in the number of responses that I was getting.
When did you decide to make the commitment to dive in and really do it?
It was in December. It was a little nerve-wracking to make that investment in myself but it just felt like a good fit. But this is part of it, investing in myself. And I got so much out of it than I can initially thought I would. It was wonderful!
What do you think life would have been like if you didn’t decide to commit to Love Your Career Formula?
I probably would have gotten to a point where I was just going to take the first job opportunity that came to me. I probably would’ve stayed with a project management role that I could do but wouldn’t have had those opportunities that I was hoping for.
Tell us the results.
After looking at different roles that fit more of those things that move me and motivate me, I started working as a project manager in a larger customer success organization but I started looking at the specific customer success manager role. This is perfect for me because I’m still working in the same department but just a smaller piece of it. That really changed. Just looking at a whole set of different roles, identifying those spots where I can immediately contribute, and those areas that are going to be new exciting challenges for me. Having that focus was terrific and also led me to a great recruiting firm in this area.
What are you most proud of in this journey?
I’m proud that I stayed true to my values more than I have in my careers in the past. And I am proud that I really looked for a good fit for me not just from title or salary or location but just that opportunity to grow in those areas that I care about.
Do you have any last words of wisdom for those who are just starting and thinking about starting Love Your Career Formula?
It’s going to be uncomfortable at times but it’s so worth it if you work through it. You’re capable of learning more about yourself. The next person you’re going to talk to whether it’s for an informational interview or a job interview, they’ll feel that from you.
