Everyone has a story about how they found their job. Sometimes that story is deathly boring — 'I came in, filled out an application and now I work here.' But, every so often, we come across people who went above and beyond to find their jobs and completely ignored the traditional route to employment. We caught up with two such individuals and asked them to share their stories with us.
Jose Zuniga, Social Media and Content Strategist
Can you tell me the story about how you found your job? I’m a big fan of Gary Vaynerchuk, who in addition to being a business and marketing genius, is also an investor. One day when I was looking for a new career, I visited Gary’s website and checked out his portfolio. I assumed that if Gary believes a company is worth investing in, then that also means he believes in the company’s leadership and employees. That’s when I found MakeSpace.
I read their entire website and blog, and was instantly hooked. Even better was discovering that they were hiring. But instead of submitting an application through the Applicant Tracking System, only for it to be buried among a sea of other applicants and then possibly filtered out by a computer before reaching a hiring manager, I searched “@makespace.com” on Twitter, found the email address of MakeSpace’s Co-Founder and COO, Rahul Gandhi, and sent him an email.
In that email, I mentioned the following:
- How I like making space, and linked to a tweet with a photo I took of a MakeSpace van three months earlier during my morning commute to my previous job.
- A quick story about how I loathed visiting a storage unit with my mom as a kid, and how MakeSpace thankfully solves that nightmare.
- Concrete examples of why I’d be a great fit for the role, and how MakeSpace could benefit from hiring me.
- 13 marketing ideas. I’m guessing Rahul appreciated it, because he forwarded my email to MakeSpace’s Director of Talent, Brandon Johnson, who then emailed me to schedule an interview.
After a few rounds of interviews, I was offered and happily accepted the position. Not just because it was a better job, but because I went from fan to fam, and I’m incredibly honored to help MakeSpace deliver the best storage experience in the world.
Do you have any tips for others who may want to work at your company? Before you apply, research our company, customer reviews, competitors, and industry as a whole. Then figure out what we can do to improve, how you can contribute, why you’re the best candidate for the position, and how to stand out from everyone else trying to do the same thing.
Through it all, be yourself and ask questions. If you feel like you could have done a better job answering anything during the interview process, be sure to include thoughtful answers in your thank you note. I did, and I couldn’t be happier. Best of luck!
Matt Lundy, Implementation Specialist
How did you find your job? In my previous position I ran the events department for a venue here in NYC. One day, I searched “Event Management Software” on Google and found VenueBook. I called the number listed and set up a meeting for a demo.
On the day of the meeting, my team and I had the game plan to not make any commitments — just hear his sales pitch. The sales rep (we'll call him Andrew) walked in and I was confident of my upper hand; I am a great negotiator. He proceeded to do a demo of the software’s capabilities and, embarrassingly, my “poker face” dissolved and my jaw dropped. After 10 minutes I wanted VenueBook, BADLY.
I saw it as a tool that could propel my business forward. Shortly after, my venue started a rapid business decline and sadly, I needed to find something new. I had a few friends in the industry with open management positions which would have been the safe route, but I had a feeling I wanted something more challenging.
One day, I woke up and said to myself, "I don’t want to do something I am just good at (and just manage a new venue); I need to try something new, exciting and outside my comfort zone. I want to be a part of VenueBook."
I called my former sales rep and we had drinks the following night.
Over some craft cocktails, I said, “Andrew, the website says that VenueBook is not looking to add any new hires, but if any position becomes available, I would love consideration. I have always followed my gut and my gut is saying there is something incredibly special going on here and exactly what I have been looking for.”
Here I am eight months later and each day is as exciting and rewarding as the last. I am now helping lead the charge on our new product, VenueBook Lite, and I love stepping up to the plate, tackling new challenges each and every day. I found a team, and more importantly a company, I am PASSIONATE about and that challenges me.
Do you have any tips for others who may want to work at your company? If you truly believe in the mission, it will come through in your interview and conversations.
Be yourself. Go with your gut. If either of those point you in the direction of having a passion for hospitality, a deep love of creativity, enjoy working with a team and going with the flow, VenueBook will do the rest.
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