On today’s edition of Get off the Pile, Zach Zimmerman ’13 shares how he persevered during a frustrating job search and how LinkedIn and a UVM connection helped him land his job. Here’s his story in his own words:

A little background:

The career I have embarked upon now can be traced back to my senior capstone internship with the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics at UVM. I received special permission to study the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), a triple-bottom-line alternative to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in a graduate level Ecological Economics course.

Upon graduation, Prof. Jon Erickson offered me a paid position as a contract research analyst on the GPI. For the next three years, I balanced this contract work with my commitments as a musician, performing and recording with various bands in Burlington. I enjoyed the freedom of contract work and the skills and experiences that it provided.

And because I was unsure of what sort of career I wanted, splitting my time between this role and my creative endeavors felt comfortable and natural.

Time for a change:

By fall of 2015 I was feeling dissatisfied with the lack of structure in my research role, and knew that I’d have to pursue a higher degree in economics to continue growing in that role.

Increasingly unsure that this was the correct path for me, I moved home to the suburbs of Massachusetts, where I set out to find a job in the Boston metro area.

The search:

The search was more challenging than I had originally anticipated.

I set a goal of living at home for no more than two months, sure that setting this limit would motivate me to put all my energy into the search. However, my lack of formal experience in an office and a crisis of confidence contributed to job search anxiety and feelings of inadequacy.

I sought to develop my existing professional relationships while being more open to building new ones, and became more critical not only of the roles I was considering, but of the ways in which I presented myself in cover letters.

There are lots of resources—perhaps too many—that aim to help job-seekers understand how to write cover letters, but through trial and error I learned how simple they are:

1. State what you’re applying for;
2. Show that the company and role excite you, and
3. Explain (succinctly!) how your experiences make you capable of performing all of a job’s responsibilities.

Landing the job:

Ironically, the job I landed in was one of the first jobs to which I applied.

Before I had even left Burlington, I searched LinkedIn for UVM graduates working in environmental roles in Boston, and found Stephen Hart ’12, who was working at Earthwatch Institute, an environmental citizen science non-profit. We scheduled an informational interview, and with his encouragement I applied for the position of Program Coordinator.

I was not offered the position the first time around, but Stephen and I stayed in touch. When I was notified through LinkedIn that he had received a promotion, I knew there would be an opening soon. I wrote a new cover letter (and marveled at how much my writing had improved in the half-year since beginning my search) and within 10 days of applying I had interviewed, received and accepted a job offer, and started my first day.

I’ve been working as a Program Coordinator at Earthwatch for the last two months and have my UVM connections to thank for it!

Zach’s Get of the Pile Advice:

1. Think creatively about your experiences. A major element of my role at Earthwatch is customer service, a skill I developed primarily through working in food service as a server and barista. I also highlighted the relationship-building skills learned through my many years as a musician and event planner.

You can take experiences from any job and apply them to your current focus — just be thoughtful and honest about what you learned.

2. Be thoughtful and human about networking. Rather than approaching it with a mindset of “who can help me get a job”, consider “who can help me understand more about the profession(s) I may want to be a part of”.

Many people will be flattered to share their experiences if you frame it as a learning opportunity rather than a favor to be repaid.

3. Practice good mental hygiene during the job search. It is can be easy to fall into defeatism, and you’ll wake up realizing that you spent two weeks being too unsure of yourself to send out a single application.

Recruit friends and family to support you—tell them that you may need encouragement or advice, and show your appreciation when they offer it. There is light at the end of the tunnel!

4. Don’t put too much weight on discovering your career or landing your dream job right out of school. We all know people who know what they were put on this planet to do. That doesn’t mean you’re disadvantaged for not being one of them.

Every application and every job is an opportunity to reflect on what you like, want, and need in a job and in life.

Hey Class of 2016! About once a month we interview a young alum who shares their stories on Afterword about their first year out of UVM.

And, after an all-night brainstorming session, we decided to call it “My First Year Out.”

Your first few months can be challenging, with seemingly endless job searches, settling into a new city, or heading back home for a while – it can be overwhelming.

You still might not know what you want to do with the rest of your life, but we are here to let you know that’s okay and you are not alone! For example, my first year out was pretty tough, but I made it!

This week, Sam Jedrey ‘15, a business school graduate, would like to share his unexpected first year out. Sometimes the plans you have change, and keeping a positive attitude is critical to bouncing back.

Ryan: What was your first year out of UVM like?

Sam: I learned a lot about myself. I decided to stay in Burlington and not move back in with my parents. This forced me to always be on the hunt for work.

I graduated from UVM with a job in insurance sales and hoped that would set me down the right path towards success with my degree. Everything seemed to be working out well, but I quickly learned that was not the case.

After realizing insurance was not for me, I moved on from that position, and took some time to find a job that felt right to me, not just an attractive position to impress my friends and family.

I worked in the food industry for about five months in the Burlington area, interviewing for countless positions during my free time. Importantly, all of this helped me discover what I was looking for in a career and focus less on what the company was looking for in me.

After months of searching, in February I landed an internship with Dealer.com in Burlington which eventually led to a full-time position with Dealer in Manhattan Beach, CA. It took longer than expected but it’s all starting to work out now. What a crazy year!

R: What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

S: My biggest challenge was remaining positive. While working at restaurants, I felt that I was under-utilizing my degree. Now, I realized that all types of experience are valuable.

Time away from the business world gave me the opportunity to really take a step back and discover opportunities that would fit my needs.

You can learn so much from any position if you keep an open mind about how it benefits your life and the lives of those around you.

R: What did you learn from this experience?

S: Not only did I discover what I disliked about insurance, but, more importantly I learned what I didn’t like in regards to career culture.

For me, I was eventually able to find an environment that works well for me by working at places that didn’t feel right. Sometimes, working a job that doesn’t fit is just as valuable as finding a job that does work for you.

It’s not the easiest path, but learning from each experience will help you narrow down a career path that fits your sensibilities. Now I can look ahead to my future with these thoughts in mind.

We have another edition of My First Year Out for you today featuring one of your classmates.

Sam Jedrey, a business school graduate, would like to share the unexpected ride of his first year out. Sometimes the plans you have change, and keeping a positive attitude is critical in bouncing back.

We hope his story will inspire those of you still searching for the right job or career.

Ryan: What was your first year out of UVM like?

Sam: I learned a lot about myself. I decided to stay in Burlington and not move back in with my parents. This forced me to always be on the hunt for work.

I graduated from UVM with a job in insurance sales and hoped that would set me down the right path towards success with my degree. Everything seemed to be working out well, but I quickly learned that was not the case.

After realizing insurance was not for me, I moved on from that position, and took some time to find a job that felt right to me, not just an attractive position to impress my friends and family.

I worked in the food industry for about five months in the Burlington area, interviewing for countless positions during my free time. Importantly, all of this helped me discover what I was looking for in a career and focus less on what the company was looking for in me.

After months of searching, in February I landed an internship with Dealer.com in Burlington which eventually led to a full-time position with Dealer in Manhattan Beach, CA. It took longer than expected but it’s all starting to work out now. What a crazy year!

R: What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

S: My biggest challenge was remaining positive. While working at restaurants, I felt that I was under-utilizing my degree. Now, I realized that all types of experience are valuable.

Time away from the business world gave me the opportunity to really take a step back and discover opportunities that would fit my needs.

You can learn so much from any position if you keep an open mind about how it benefits your life and the lives of those around you.

R: What did you learn from this experience?

S: Not only did I discover what I disliked about insurance, but, more importantly I learned what I didn’t like in regards to career culture.

For me, I was eventually able to find an environment that works well for me by working at places that didn’t feel right. Sometimes, working a job that doesn’t fit is just as valuable as finding a job that does work for you.

It’s not the easiest path, but learning from each experience will help you narrow down a career path that fits your sensibilities. Now I can look ahead to my future with these thoughts in mind.

We have a very special edition of My First Year Out for you today. Three of your classmates are working in Admissions at UVM, Aya AL-Namee, Maggie Love and Connor Luong. We had a chance to catch up with Aya and Maggie this week. Here’s what they had to say about spending their first year out at UVM.
What do you find most rewarding about working at UVM immediately after graduating? 

Aya: Being close to staff, faculty, and friends who have helped me develop professional skills has been the most rewarding part of working at UVM. I’m constantly growing and getting feedback from people that know me well which helps me gain confidence in myself as a professional.

Maggie: The most rewarding thing about working at UVM immediately after graduating is being able to advocate for the school to prospective students and their families. It’s easy to talk about how wonderful our community and academics are and how many opportunities there are here, because I experienced it personally.

Has this given you a new perspective on UVM?

Aya: Working at UVM is very different than being a student, especially in admissions. In my job, I travel to different high schools and college fairs to speak about UVM and encourage high school students to apply. Seeing how excited they are about the idea of attending is very unique. It honestly has made me fall in love with UVM even more.

What has surprised you the most about your 1^st year out?

Aya: I was surprised as to how ready and excited I am to be in the “real world”. It’s less scary than I thought it would be. Also working at UVM has exposed me to the staff and the professional community of our campus. I must say that they have been very welcoming of me as a young professional.

Maggie: How supportive the UVM community is, regardless of whether you’re a current student or not. I notice it most when I interact with other alums, which we do often in our positions. No matter what year they graduated, they’re always willing to offer support in any way they can. My new favorite thing to share with families is that the community that’s created here at UVM is so strong that it extends beyond Burlington and stays with you after graduation. Whether you need housing, a job, or a friend, chances are there’s a UVM alum willing to help.

What do you like most about staying in the Burlington area after graduation?

Aya: I love being close to areas where I made many great memories as a student. I still go to the waterfront to watch the sunset and get creemees. Having friends in the area who are going through the same transition as me is also a benefit. We often come together to bond over challenges and celebrate successes.

Maggie: This seems like a common theme for me but the sense of the community and everything there is to do on and off campus (concerts, art, lectures, food, etc.). Burlington is such a great place to live and UVM is a wonderful campus, it’s hard to narrow it down!