by O'Farrell | Apr 24, 2013 | Featured, I Got a Job!
Praise the Lord, people are landing good jobs. Here’s a story from one of the 15 people I mentioned in a post last week. I hope you will read this and be encouraged. Friends, there is always hope, no matter how poorly things are going at the moment. And Nancy, I am very proud of you! – Dave
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Good morning Dave,
It’s confirmed, as of an hour ago, I am newly employed!!! I accepted an offer with SYNNEX as their Senior HR Business Partner. I start April 29th.
I cannot thank you enough for all of your support. The job search tools and the thought process that you taught me in searching for employment have been invaluable. I will now continue to use them in my recruitment process internally within organizations. Your continued follow-up calls, emails, encouragement – and at times a good kick in the butt or pep talk – really kept me focused and positive, when falling into a depressed and unproductive state could have been so easy.
I have a new understanding and a great appreciation for outplacement assistance. I will now encourage companies that I work for to offer it more often, and direct people that I know searching for employment to seek out a reputable source.
Thank you is such a small token of my gratitude but it is enormously heart felt!
Sincerely,
Nancy Towsley
by O'Farrell | Apr 18, 2013 | Featured, I Got a Job!
James Statzer
Wow, what an awesome two weeks. Seven O’Farrell clients land jobs last week and eight so far this week. Congratulations to Mike, Russ, Lecia, Nancy, Donald, Tim, Randy, Kyle, Kesha, Barbara, Shelly, Jackie, John, Debra and James. Praise God that I get to do what I do and to see God’s hand at work in the lives and careers of so many people.
Here’s a story from a client of mine from 2010 who has been managing his career pretty well since then. James just landed a great job where his first assignment is in Baton Rouge. Turns out I’ve been working with a delightful client in Baton Rouge just this past week. Small world.
James I look forward to seeing you at JobSeekers very soon, but this time as a member of the Ship’s Crew. Blessings on you and your family!
– Dave
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Dave,
Perhaps a little different than how you often hear that phrase; but, you did ask for feedback after our phone conversation a few weeks ago and I wanted to let you know that things worked out very well… again! I am now Senior Consultant for Cymetrix Corporation on location at a client site in Baton Rouge, just about three weeks since our last discussion. Since we first worked together in 2010, I have worked my way to effectively doubling my salary from the job that I left that year!
Even during the first few days in this position, I can say I love this company, my new team of colleagues, and the work assigned to me. It is not a stretch to say that this is what God has been working on all this time in order to place me (and my family) in His will and design for my career.
Thank you, Dave, for your role in this journey that He has me traveling on. The training, advice, and encouragement you offered me in this process – in 2010 and a few weeks ago – is priceless!
One other benefit in this position is that I expect to be traveling Monday through Thursday for projects with Friday’s free to give back some of my time and experience as a member of the Ship’s Crew at JobSeekers of PTC. If I have enough energy left after this first week, I will try to drop in this Friday morning; but, I wanted to go ahead and let you know now of this result.
God’s blessings to you and all in your ministry!
James Statzer
by O'Farrell | Apr 17, 2013 | Featured, O'Farrell's Blog
Since I published the good news about seven O’Farrell clients landing jobs four days ago, three more have shared their “I got a job” news with me. The one that came in this morning is from a client who has doubled his salary since we originally worked as coach and client three years ago. We had a coaching session a few weeks ago and he started a new job this week. That’s why I named my company O’Farrell Career Management. It’s not just the one job search, it’s career management. Congratulations to Kyle, Kesha and James!
by O'Farrell | Apr 13, 2013 | Featured, O'Farrell's Blog
Great week this week for O’Farrell CM clients. Mike and Russ have accepted offers. Lecia starts a three-month contract on Monday. Nancy has an offer in hand and may have another coming. Donald, Tim and Randy have already started new jobs (just found out this week). David and Wanda are both getting close. Great to work with all of you as coach and client. Congrats to all nine of you for making it happen! – Dave
by O'Farrell | Apr 1, 2013 | Featured, O'Farrell's Blog
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Craig Kimbrel
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Fredi Gonzalez
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Roger McDowell
Well, this is embarrassing. Seems I failed my job interview with the Atlanta Braves. Thought it was some kind of April Fool’s joke.
I met with the Braves on Friday afternoon. They were back in Atlanta for a couple of days of practice between spring training and opening night. Networking was the key to setting up the meeting. General Manager Frank Wren lives here in Peachtree City, and it turns out that we have a mutual friend.
Anyway, I met with manager Fredi Gonzalez and pitching coach Roger McDowell at Turner Field. We didn’t talk long; I wanted to tell them about all the blogs I’d read and webinars I’d watched about pitching. They just wanted to see me pitch. We left Gonzalez’ office and headed out to the bullpen.
Bullpen coach Eddie Perez had his catching gear on and set up behind the plate. An assistant held up a radar gun. I threw my first pitch. They said it was 61 miles an hour. I said there must be something wrong with the gun; I was expecting to throw in the low 90’s. I tried harder next time. That one was 58 miles an hour. The guy with the gun pointed it at a pitching prospect who was on the mound next to me. He threw a pitch at 93 miles an hour. Guess the radar gun wasn’t malfunctioning after all.
All these thoughts were racing through my head. “What am I doing wrong?” I went over all the things I’d read about or watched on how to get the most leverage, torque, and arm whip to maximize speed. I tried even harder on the third pitch; 57. Seems the harder I tried, the slower I threw. I think I saw closer Craig Kimbrel snickering a little bit.
Finally I told them that I’m not really a power pitcher; I’m more like Greg Maddux. I’m going to strike batters out with my craftiness – movement, location, and change of speed. The assistant put down the gun, picked up a bat and stood in the right-handed batter’s box. Gonzalez said, “Okay, the count is 0-2; throw a slider down and away just outside the strike zone.” I came set, went into my wind up, and hurled my slider to the plate. It was up and in. Ball one. More snickers.
Again I reviewed all I’d read about how to maximize control. I’d even gotten a refresher this past week from Doug Brantley, owner of Five Star Baseball & Softball here in Peachtree City. He told me not to forget the three imperatives of great location: put your front foot down in the exact same spot on every pitch, keep your chin over your front knee, and use the exact same arm slot and release point on every pitch.
“Okay, 1-2, you can still get the hitter out; another slider down and away.” My second pitch was halfway between my target and the location of my first pitch. In other words it was belt high right down the middle. Kimbrel whistled like a bomb was falling and then made the sound of an explosion. I’d crashed and burned. Gonzalez and McDowell said they’d seen enough and told me I should consider another career.
Several of you pointed out after my post last week that I’d never stepped onto a field or picked up a ball in my quest to be the Braves starting pitcher. I scoffed at you guys because you wanted me to practice. I thought if I could just get an interview, I would do great when it really counted. I hate to admit it, but practice really is key if you want to win a job in the Major Leagues. Maybe I should have paid for a few lessons with Brantley.
Come to think of it, practice is the key if you want to win a job in a normal company or organization too. I know that many of you are reading blogs, watching webinars and participating in free seminars. Maybe that’s not enough. In fact, maybe these things are giving you a false sense of security – just like I had with the Braves.
Today I’ll be watching Braves opener on TV just like the rest of you; and thinking of what might have been.
What are you doing to prepare yourself for your tryout?
Copyright © 2013 / Dave O’Farrell / All Rights Reserved
Praise the Lord, people are landing good jobs. Here’s a story from one of the 15 people I mentioned in a post last week. I hope you will read this and be encouraged. Friends, there is always hope, no matter how poorly things are going at the moment. And Nancy, I am very proud of you! – Dave