Alicia Otero, Procurement Coordinator for The Boeing Company
The first member of GO! Network St. Louis to share her success story with us is Alicia Otero, who recently began a new job as a procurement coordinator for The Boeing Company.
Before starting her new position at Boeing, Alicia, a former buyer, worked on temporary assignments for six months, and then was unemployed for three months. “I wanted to remain in supply chain and procurement because it’s what I like, and I feel I can make the most impact on my career in those types of positions,” she said.
Alicia appreciates the positive atmosphere she encountered at GO! Network and said it helped her overcome feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. “Having regularly scheduled meetings with useful and inspiring messages kept me going,” she said. “I needed empathy to stay motivated, and I wanted to help other people. I started feeling more positive when I was finding ways to share information and giving back via networking and creating my own career networking website.”
GO! Network helped Alicia hone her networking skills. She likes the way the organization encourages job seekers to talk with one another, exchange business cards, and share job leads and information about resources. “I love the speed networking events and breakout sessions. I wish GO! Network would host them every month!”
Asked what advice she would offer to other professionals still in transition, Alicia offered the following list:
- Don’t give up!
- Partner with other like-minded individuals.
- Go out to lunch and treat yourself to something special, even if it’s just a walk in the park or flowers. Be frugal, but be happy.
- Find ways to give back and help others find jobs, too.
- Never stop networking, even when you’re employed.
- Establish and follow a routine, and attend networking events to get yourself out of the house.
- Don’t spend more than 3-4 hours a day at home on your computer.
- Use your local library!
- Sign up for as many networking emails as possible. They contain information that you might not find through any other source. Try Catholic Employment Network, Businesspersons Between Job, Joel Reinert (at Missouri Career Center), LinkedIn groups, etc.)
- Post regularly on LinkedIn and other job sites to secure recognition for yourself.
- Make a list of target companies and network specifically for them and for positions there. Find out where they obtain contract workers and register with those agencies.
- Sign up on your target companies’ websites for job postings and email alerts.
- Keep your résumé updated on all the job boards you use.
- Attend networking meetings at Chamber of Commerce events. (Sometimes the lunches are cheap!)
- Don’t be afraid to approach people and ask for a connection or referral. It only takes a moment, it costs nothing, and you have everything to gain.
“I know this seems like information overload and a lot of work,” Alicia said, “but it keeps your mind busy!”