Barb Krafve, Staffing Coordinator – Delmar Gardens West
Barb credits her “buddy system” for helping her land a job as a Staffing Coordinator for Delmar Garden’s West in Chesterfield. Early in her job search, Barb teamed up with three former colleagues and decided each would “divide and conquer” to maximize their chances for landing the perfect job. Each “buddy” selected which networking event they wanted to attend with the promise that they would all reconvene to share feedback and lesson learned.
It was through this camaraderie that Barb accepted (somewhat reluctantly) the assignment to volunteer at a Chamber of Commerce golf tournament where she innocently struck up a conversation with the folks at the Delmar Garden’s hospitality tent. As they chatted and Barb shared her background and told of her search for a new job, a nearby senior member of Delmar Gardens staff began to realize that Barb had the right skills for a position they had open. One thing led to another and before long, Barb was offered a wonderful position, all because she was at the right place at the right time!
Barb’s previous position was at Maritz in merchandising procurement. Prior to that she worked at a clothing company who targeted nursing home residents. This background, combined with Barb strong administrative and hiring skills, was the nugget that got the attention of the Delmar Gardens staff and propelled Barb to gain an interview.
Throughout Barb’s search, she and her buddies took advantage of many networking events such as BBJ, Catholic Employment Network (Barb notes that the newsletter is great), SLATE, and, of course, GO! Network. Barb found GO! Network to be a “notch above” the other networking organizations due to their professionalism and outstanding speakers. Along the way, Barb’s buddy system shared insights and kept passing potential job leads to each other.
Barb’s best three ideas…
- Make yourself accountable. Having a buddy and being a buddy keeps you motivated and encourages you to help others, while you help yourself. Pay it forward!
- Respond positively to any and all leads. When someone offers advice or a lead that you already knew about, show your appreciation and respond graciously. A new future lead could still come from that source.
- Get Involved. Volunteering at various organizations helps build your network, keeps you engaged and can often result in the next great lead!