it’s your Friday good news

by Alison Green on February 3, 2023

It’s your Friday good news:

I had just started my job hunt when I saw a posting for Dream Job at Dream Company — a position that never existed in my area until it recently got relocated here. I purchased your How to Get a Job: Secrets of A Hiring Manager ebook and got to work. My application sat in the “Submitted” phase for 6 weeks and I was sure it would amount to nothing. But then I was contacted by a company recruiter for an interview. I eventually made it through three interviews and a couple follow-up phone calls before getting the good news that I was being offered the position!!

I listened to your free training for how to prepare for an interview multiple times. In fact, before my interviews (for which I get extremely nervous), I would go for a walk and listen to your training. Your calm voice helped my nerves. I even made a post-it that I put behind my computer that said “THINK OF THE IDIOTS!” for my zoom interviews.

I practiced my answers to questions aloud A LOT as you suggested, and I found that it not only helped my nerves, but I was able to sprinkle relevant examples and accomplishments where they naturally fit into the conversation, even when a particular question was never asked.

OH! And your point that a thank-you email isn’t actually a thank-you, but a follow-up: this was news to me and thanks to your advice, I was able to use them to my advantage. I was concerned after my third interview about something I had said, and I used my thank-you email to address it and clarify what I was trying to say. The company’s recruiter told me that she read all my thank-you emails (even the ones to the hiring managers) and she said they were helpful in gauging my interest in the role and how my past experience and skills would fit with the job. So I’m now a believer in taking the time to craft a “mostly follow-up but also thank you” email.

I can’t tell you how many times I consulted your ebook during this process. From “the scheduled phone call that never rings” (turns out she was just running late), to “enthusiasm versus desperation” to “4 things to do when you get a job offer,” I felt like I had an expert in my pocket to help me with every step.

To the AAM community, let me tell you, I have read Friday Good News so many times thinking “wish this could be me!” I’d been discouraged in the pandemic because I found myself stuck doing something completely unrelated to the field I wanted to be in. I felt like I’d never get back on track. I’m proof that it can happen, y’all! Especially with Alison’s advice and the words of the AAM community. So thanks, y’all! I’m so grateful to have found this corner of the internet! Cheers!

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{ 29 comments }

{ 29 comments… read them below }

    1. AAMFangirl*

      Thank you! This site quite literally gave me the confidence I needed to hit the “apply” button!

    1. AAMFangirl*

      I agree! Whenever I run into a weird situation I think to myself…”I think I read an AAM post about this….” :)

    1. AAMFangirl*

      Absolutely and thank you! it’s this community that has kept me going at times when I felt like things were insurmountable :)

  4. Goldenrod*

    YEAH!!! Well done, LW! Congrats on your success!

    I agree that the advice from AAM is transformative. I’ve learned so much from Alison and the commentators.

    1. AAMFangirl*

      Completely agree! I have a degree in HR but I feel like I’ve learned more about how to do the actual day-to-day job from this site and all these scenarios we get to hear about!

  5. LG*

    Awww, this is so lovely. Congratulations on your new job! And I hope you feel so proud of all of the successful work you put into the process.

    1. AAMFangirl*

      Aw thanks! I am really loving the work so far and I think just putting myself out there and feeling like I had this invisible coach in my ear was such a boost! I’m so grateful to Alison and all of y’all!

    1. AAMFangirl*

      That was exactly me for, like…weeks. Honestly still doing the yay dance a few months later :)

    1. AAMFangirl*

      Thank you! It’s really been wonderful to read everyone’s Friday good news to keep me going. Positive energy begetting more of the same and all that :)

  8. No Longer 13 Years and Counting*

    You know … I found out my office was closing at the end of the month two days ago. I’ve been here over 13 years, and I’m angry. I was prepared to be bitter and just ignore the Friday Good News, and I didn’t. And I’m so glad I did. You just gave me a little ray of sunshine. Congratulations on your new position!

    1. Snoopy Clifton*

      I’m glad you came here, too! Sometimes we can get a lift of our own when we hear of good things happening to others. I know it’s the case for me and it’s why I visit this site during my Friday lunch break. Fingers crossed you will soon submit your own Friday good news item!

    2. AAMFangirl*

      Oh! I’m so happy the post gave you a boost but I’m so sorry this has happened to you. :( 13 years is such a long time to be invested in a job that becomes so much than just a job after that length of time. Please reach out if we can help! This community has been so generous and kind with expertise or even just listening. We are here if we can help! :)

  9. Lenora Rose*

    Congrats!

    I happily ignore the advice to send a thank you email – I really only even heard of doing so in 2019 or so when I started poking around here – but if I have something particular to say as a follow-up, I now can’t imagine *not* doing so (I’ve only used that once, when I, like you, felt like I had fumbled while answering a specific question. It was not one of my successful interviews, but I don’t think that was the reason.)

    1. AAMFangirl*

      I always did the generic “Thank You,’ but never made it work for me, if that makes sense. I don’t think it’s a sure-fire guarantee to make an impact in the process, but it doesn’t hurt to give it a go!

    2. AAMFangirl*

      Try the free PDF Alison has for how to prepare for a job interview! She also has a YouTube or Video version of the same thing and her calming voice was super helpful when I was crazy nervous right before my interviews!

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