21k increase in 2 weeks

Make it as bright as—

Oh, that looks great.

Okay,

you look great. I hadn't actually seen your face very clearly.

I just got off work and I'm like, okay, I, I have an early day today because we rotate who leaves early during the week. One person gets off at 2 during the week. Every day. And this week was mine. Actually, one person gets off on a certain day, like some people choose Monday, some people choose Tuesday, but we only get one day where we can get off on Friday. So we have to rotate the Fridays. Well,

thank you for spending your early time with me. I won't take too much of it. No,

no, it's okay. I got off work super late though, because I thought Because I'm still training. I'm still training and I was so busy these past couple of days. Like yesterday, I was so busy. I was running between— from clinic to our office building with blood samples. And I got to work like around 8:05 and I didn't get out of there until like 5:00. 5:15, and I got locked out of my office because the lady that we share office with didn't— she thought I had my keys with me, but I was in lab in the other building in the heart center the whole time. And by the time I got back, she was gone. She left usually about 4, and I'm left with my— and I'm like, oh no, I'm locked out. Thank God she was downstairs on the phone. Gone. Instead of gone. Yeah, so we were able to like catch her before she left the building completely, and she was like, oh, I was about to like just head out. I just need to use the bathroom and talk on the phone. So it was crazy. So today was my early day. I even have to tell one of the girls, she was trying to get me to map my data, the data place where they store all the All the data for our clinical patients. And she was like, you need to— she sent me an email. She was like, you need to map this. And I'm like, can I please do this on Monday, first thing on Monday? And it was 3 o'clock. It was 2 o'clock. I was like, today's my hour. It was 2:30. Like getting— I was literally cutting it close to 3 o'clock. I was like, today's my early day. I'll get back to that on Monday morning first thing because I don't have time.

Sounds like a reasonable request to me.

It was just like, but we rotate Fridays. Today I get to leave early on Friday, like around 2 o'clock, and next week I have to leave Monday at 2 o'clock. But, you know, that's my early day for next week. So Monday at 2, it's next week and then the holidays next week, the week after next.

But yeah. Yeah,

that's why it is happening so fast. That's why I was like, you know what, let me reschedule her thing because I don't think I'm going to be at my, at my condo by 4 o'clock exact. I didn't leave. I usually go in like around 8, 8:30 latest, but usually around 8:05. And I didn't take lunch break yesterday at all. I was like running back and forth. I guess I forgot to eat and I didn't question it.

Wow.

We were trying to get patients' consent and we were getting their blood work done. So I was running back and forth getting the blood to our clinic. And after that, we have to get all the blood, the process and everything like package so UPS can take them around 4 o'clock, which means we have to hurry up and get all the patient stuff processed. So I was running back and forth from one building to the next, and, and I didn't eat lunch because the minute I sat down and I was about to eat lunch around 2 o'clock, she came and she was like, hey, you need to— can you come with me to the heart center? We have several patients that they're consenting for like this particular study if you want to like shadow. And I'm like, yeah, sure. So I went with her and We were, you know, we have to get the consent stuff and they just need to sign it after we explain it. And then the minute they have to, they have to go get their blood work done anyway. So we have to go over there with them. And then when they get their blood work done, I have to take that blood work and go back to the next building.

So it sounds like you're so busy, so busy.

I was on— I was wearing like a platform shoe yesterday and after 5 o'clock when I was leaving the building, I was like, I was talking to one of my coworkers and she was like, yeah, that's why everyone here wore tennis shoes. And I'm like,

you

know what, I'll have tennis shoes sitting in my office, but I'm gonna dress good going to work. That way every time they grab me, I'll be in my tennis

shoes. They always got their Their tennis shoes on when they walk and then they change when they get there. Yeah.

And that is so great though because I feel like I'm more comfortable there. Like I get to have a lot, a lot of training and I think it actually is a really good fit. Like I've been having so much fun working with my— because they have 2 teams. I'm in the solid tumor team, but I've been working with— I've been working with the sickle cell patients too. So, but mostly just being around the cancer patients, which has been great. So it's just been really fun working with the providers because I have to be— I have to be in clinic and they have tumor board where they talk about patient treatments and all that. So I get to take notes and sit in and listen to the providers all talk about their patients and the type of treatment they're starting, if anyone has any idea like how to go about their treatment, if they should change it. So it's been a really great experience. I've been really— exposed to a lot of this. And they were telling me that the providers that are in the thoracic cancer unit are pretty funny and laid back and very comical. And that, that has been really true.

Really necessary when you're dealing with that kind of situation, that people are around to make you laugh. Yeah, for sure. I'm so happy that you're enjoying it so far and it's going so well. So I'm going to ask you a few questions and then if you want to add in anything, As I ask you, then feel free to just, just say whatever, whatever comes to mind. So first I wanted to ask you, do you remember— and a lot of people don't remember— but do you remember where you originally heard about me or discovered me on the internet? Like, was it YouTube or Vault or where did you originally hear about me?

It was YouTube.

Okay.

I actually was looking up on how to answer behavioral questions and I happened upon Your video on YouTube, and I, um, it directs me, um, to your— I checked the link at the bottom and saw, um, that you have like a website and, you know, where to go for additional information. And I clicked on it and it took me to your page, and you have like one of those sessions where you sit in and listen to like, you know, the how to answer behavioral questions, how to interview. So I signed up for it right away.

Okay, awesome. And so from the masterclass, what was it that, what was it that made you sign up for the full step-by-step program? Was it something specific that I said or what was it that made you actually take that jump?

Um, basically when I was doing, when I was listening to you, It was mostly to get additional information on how to— because on how to answer the questions, especially the behavioral questions, because they always trip me up. And also, I was trying to make sure that if I do have— If I do go to another interview, I am prepared, like you know, not only with the behavioral questions, but what to ask the interviewer, the interviewers, or how to tell my stories, because that was the number one thing. That was also one of the main things that I signed up for because I felt like I have no idea on how to do my— on what to do when it comes to the behavioral questions. And I have no idea how to plan it out because They usually, you know, most of the information out there are very broad. Other stuff are just like, they don't, you know, I've had stuff about, oh, do the STAR method, which was what I know from my school, my graduate program, or my career department here, because I've been there a couple of times. The STAR method, but they only have a couple of— they only have maybe one or two examples of how, you know, of it. And I really was looking forward to that information on how you went about, you know, answering different questions, especially when you have like maybe one or two or three, you know, examples of that one particular question. So it kind of opened my eyes on, oh, like I can do it this way or I can do it that way. The results and then having like a little, you know, having your own personal, you know, trying to tie it all in together with the job and just to show them that you're interested, just to show them that you're not just like telling them some random example. So just to see how it relates to the position and how it relates to Everything that you might be doing there. So that was another reason why I signed up for it, because I don't have much to— much to use as an example, and I was struggling really hard to find examples on writing my stories on. So I thought that was helpful, and I'm like, you know, I gotta sign up because I need all this help that I can get. And then when I realized that you have all this extra stuff on it, you know, with the negotiation and And all this, so much information that you can just like, you know, just go through the videos and get— and you providing the whole, the whole like data and we need to go in and how to create it, how to find people. Like, I didn't know anything about that. But when I heard you talk about that and when I heard about— when I actually was like, you know, I need to sign up and see like the whole thing because you had an example, like a free one. Yeah. I had that downloaded, but I want to have like the whole access to it.

So, yeah, gotcha. So when you found me, what kind of position were you in? You were looking for a job and what kind of results had you had so far?

Basically nothing. I started my job search last— way before December. I was graduating December 2017. I started my job search Way before December, it was probably like October, November time, I was applying for jobs but not getting any results because, because I thought, okay, well, maybe it's because they weren't— they're seeing my status as a student. They know that I didn't graduate yet. So these positions, they need people to graduate. So that was what I was telling myself. And then after I graduated, I started applying. I would get interviews and I will go in there and they will grill me and sometimes I would think I did good. Sometimes I'm just like, okay, I don't think I get it at all. And even if I go through the second stage, they don't even like call me. So I was stuck in like interviewing or just getting a random you don't qualify email.

Mm-hmm.

So I was just literally just applying to jobs after jobs after jobs. I was just going through Indeed and all these websites and just applying.

And how long did you do that for?

Several months? A long time. That's basically what I know before I actually ran into

your thing.

I was actually going to like the company's website, fill out application. Or I would just go through Indeed, open it up, and I've sent so many Indeed applications, like, you know, the resume, and you just send it. I updated my LinkedIn profile. I actually, you know, go into Indeed and even the LinkedIn job site. I signed up for LinkedIn, like the subscription. I applied for so many jobs through there too. But nothing. Like, believe me, I couldn't find anything at all because I feel like they were just, you know, screening me out. Or if I even go for an interview, I would just end up getting— a month later, I'll just end up getting like those regular emails, sorry, we went with another candidate that was more qualified.

Mm-hmm.

So sometimes I, you know, I felt like it's just because of the way I interview. Which is why I was looking around trying to find ways for me to, you know, interview differently.

And how is that starting to show up when you went— when you would go to another interview? How would that affect your confidence when you—

Well, when I actually did your training and went in— are you there? Can you hear me?

Yes, I can hear you.

Okay,

cut out for a second, but we're back now.

Okay. Um, I actually did an interview, actually 2 interviews after I did the program. The first interview was with the VA. When I went with them, I took everything you said and put it into practice, or everything I've been practicing and put it into action.

Star student right here.

I did. I actually, since the place was an hour— it was literally 2— an hour 45 to 2 hours away. And my meeting was— I have to postpone my meet— I have to postpone my meeting to a later time because I want to make sure I was there on time. But I was there. And I interviewed with 2 doctors and the research coordinator. They asked me a whole lot of questions that at first when they would ask me that question, like questions like, you know, tell me about, can you give us an example of how you handle data? Or can you give us an example of what kind of data you've, you know, what kind of data analysis you've used before? Like those type of questions I used to be like, I used to blank out on. I'd be like, you know, 'cause I'll be like, how do I handle data? I don't know. Yeah. Like, I just, yeah. But when I went through the whole practicing thing, I know what to say because I've, you know, it's something, one of the, if I'm going into research, that's something I know I'm gonna be asked about. So I usually just practice it by telling them an example of how I have handled data, basically talking about my research project that I did, how I went in and collected my data. And after I collected it, how I went in and— basically starting from the beginning, I would tell them how I— inclusion, exclusion criteria for my subjects. And then after that, how I collected my data. And then when I collected it, how I decided to put it in SAS, which means I have to clean it up and create a 1, 2, or 0 scale kind of thing where 1 means yes, 2 means no, or greater than or less than, how to calculate my GFR.

You were able to tell a good story to them that you knew that you were

talking about. Yeah, I basically just tell them step by step on how I did my stuff and how my results were. Wow. And how I think that's going to be— that's going to help me be, you know, that's going to help me be the best candidate for them because I have gone through the process and that was just one example of many, many examples. of some of the research that I've worked with and how I analyze my data, if that's what they're looking for. Because first, when I was interviewing for the pharmaceutical company, they would ask me something like that, and usually I would just blank out, or I would just tell them that, oh well, I did this and this, and I never tied into— well—

Specific.

I know that, yeah, never tied the two together. I just leave it at like that.

Mm-hmm.

But it gave me more confidence to interview with them, and it just let me show them that I know what I'm talking about. It also let me, even when they asked me one of the questions, one of the major things that they asked me about was EndNote. I have never worked with EndNote before, but I learned from one of your videos, if you don't know how to do it, just tell them the truth and tell them that you're willing to learn and you are, you know, Just try to tell them, don't go about telling them that you know how to do it when you don't and then they hire you and then you end up having a problem with it. So I learned from what you said because that was basically what I was like, I feel like that was one of the misconceptions and one of the things that I was doing before, like trying so hard to let them like me because I know how to do everything.

Mm-hmm.

When I realized that, I did that for several companies that I interviewed for, even though I never did get the job with them.

Oh.

But when they asked me about EndNote, I told them I have never used EndNote before, and I would love to learn more about it if they give me some training, because I have actually trained myself in several different stuff. When I was in grad school, and I gave them the example of being a medical coder, and I was trained to be a medical coder, even though I don't have my certification. It's my job. And I was trained to code. And I've been doing it for 4 years. So from that example, they know that I am someone that, that is teachable, so they can teach me to do EndNote. Because one of the things they required is for you to do some sort of bibliography or create some kind of reference list for their— for the research that they're doing. So when they told me, oh, well, EndNote is basically like creating a reference list for your research, and I was like, oh, well, it's basically like this program that I use. It's RefMe, but I used RefMe when I was using it when I was in college, when I was writing my paper, trying to organize it. And they're like, that's exactly something like that. So So when they kind of connected the two, I understand what they were talking about when they said EndNote. And I'm like, I've never used it, but I'm willing to learn if anyone is willing to like just teach me because I'm not— I can grasp stuff really fast if they just provide me the information on how to do it. And I showed them an example. I told them about an example.

The example was key. Yeah, because you could just go in there and say, oh, well, just teach me and I'll learn. But you showed them.

Yeah.

And that's definitely follow the instructions.

That is something that I know, like, I have never done before. I'm not talking about when I go out to interview with something that I don't know how to do, but I would usually be like, oh yeah, I know how to do that. Yeah, I can do that. But they don't even like, you know, they would just brush about it.

Yeah. And you didn't get into the discussion that you needed to get into if you just say, yeah, I'm trained in that or whatever and you're not. Okay, cool. So what was the thing that caused you to spend the money on the program? Because a lot of people would say that it's— they would say that it's expensive. What would you say was your biggest reason for spending that money?

Basically because I was just believing that if I get a job, I know I'm going to be able to pay back. In my head, I was sitting here, I was like, if I'm gonna get what I need to get a job, like, based on just getting that information for me to, like, get where I'm going, I know for a fact the minute I get a job, I will be earning enough to basically pay it back within, you know, within whatever time period. So for me, it was worth it because I'm like, okay, she knows what she's talking about. She has gotten all these people to get a job. There is no reason why I cannot be one of them. And I know for a fact, if I just go on a payment plan, the minute I get a job, I'll be able to start making enough money to pay back this whole thing, because it won't be an issue.

And you did. So that's what I told myself. Awesome. And so you had mentioned before when we spoke that you had also signed up for other things like LinkedIn Premium and spent your money on things that like you didn't think were worth it. And then that was another reason why you thought you could invest in this.

Yeah, I canceled that. I canceled my premium. I canceled whatever. I can't— I kind of grew. I just want to say, like, I feel like I grew a lot this past year. Like, when it comes to job search, finances, and trying to be more mature about things. Because one of the biggest things, like, I know I was stressing, I was really stressing about my, you know, my job search. But I know from the beginning that if I can just find me the right position that pays me the right amount, I'll be able to support myself and do what I need to do to be financially stable and be more responsible with my finances and with my life, you

know.

Mm-hmm. So basically, I was just, you know, just going from one place to the next, looking for ways to figure out how to interview How to get, you know, just searching out there in the World Wide Web, looking around, just trying to get answers. And first, I actually went to see a career coach here, and she went through my resume, and she was like, oh, this was before I graduated, actually. She's like, oh, you'll get a job in no time. And I'm like, okay.

They always say that, and then it's Proven a lot harder, isn't it?

Yeah, she looked at it. She was like, oh, you're good. And she sent me a lot of links about where I can apply for jobs and all that. And it was just one of those things like, okay, well, I took her word for it. But then after several months of going through it, I was like, I need a different, you know, I need something else. I even went through a Facebook group and they helped me with my resume. Like, I had a girl actually send me her resume to, you know, to show me what she did on hers and, you know, so I can format mine because mine was a little bit out there. And basically that kind of helps too, but when it comes to the interview part, I was just all over the place.

Yeah, a resume is a tiny part of it. They always want to help you with your resume and then they don't want to teach you the rest of the stuff.

Yeah, and I've heard my husband actually say, maybe it's because you talk too much. So I've actually tried to be all quiet and I'm like, this is not gonna work.

Well, you want to be yourself somewhat because you don't want them to hire you because you can't talk.

But I think I think he don't understand that there is— for me, when it comes to— that's the thing. I feel like when people meet me, they make assumptions, and it's really hard for me to, like, you know, open up and be, like, talkative to someone unless I get to know them. And then I'm not shy around them. I can talk.

Mm-hmm.

But when it comes to interviews, like, the first time you're meeting someone, but I try to be, you know, person— you know, I try to be more outgoing and have, you know, a firm handshake and, you know, trying to get to know them. Oh, by the way, I took your advice on like complimenting them and everything during the interview. There was this lady that had like the same t-shirt that I have on. Oh, perfect! And I was like, I have the same blouse.

Perfect. That's a great opportunity. And it's just like subconscious commonality too. She's like, oh, she likes the same clothes as me.

It was really great because that was my VA interview when I was— when I actually drove through rain to get there that morning. And they knew that I was coming from a different city. So they knew that. So when I went in there, like, you know, we just talk about the weather and, you know, just talk about— they talk about their study. And I compliment her on her shirt. And there was a doctor there. She was really nice. They were really nice. They tried— the thing is, they tried to get me to talk to them about— they tried to get me to go in to talk to them about the actual study, which will probably be like— them trying to offer me the job, but I already made a decision to go with another company. Remember when I talked to you last? Yeah. They sent me an email about that. So it was really great talking to them. And another thing that I learned from you is, you know how you send the thank you notes afterwards? I do that. I used to do that a lot, trying to get, you know, because that's common, everyone knows. So I used to do that, even sending it to, sending it, like trying to find people's email address, even if I skipped them. So at this interview, particular interview, the person that was in charge of the whole department and the program was doing some kind of summary for that meeting or something. She was doing some kind of summary. And so he wasn't able to make it to the meeting. But he was the head of the whole program at VA. So I took it upon myself to send him an email to thank him anyway. I know he wasn't there, but they mentioned him and they said he's supposed to be here, but he has something else going on. So he's actually working on that. Oh. So I was like, okay. But I sent him an email and tell him thank you. I know he wasn't, you know, I know he was going to be at my meet, at my interview. And they mentioned it. And so—

Perfect, perfect.

I sent him a thank you note so he can know. I was like, I know you didn't get to meet me face to face, but I just want to say thank you anyway for, you know, giving me the opportunity to interview with you guys for this position. I, you know, I understand you were very busy that morning and you didn't get to make it Through my— for my interview. But yeah, just so he can know who I am.

Yeah, yeah, I think it was a good move. So you signed up just 2 months ago, actually. I checked and you just— you signed up November 11th. So it took you less than a month to get your job. You've already started, you're already training because it's not even December.

I know.

11th yet. So, so yeah. So how many months was it before that? It was because you said it was last November that you graduated in 2017. Okay. So, so you were, you were job searching for almost a year, a full year. Does that sound right?

Yes, actually, I've been searching for almost a year. Actually, I've been searching for a year because I was still, I was searching for jobs like Hoping that once I graduate, I would just start, but that wasn't the case. So I literally was searching for a year.

And then after starting the program, literally less than a month, you're already in your new role.

Yeah, and I took your— I took all your advice, and the major thing that I think I think there are a lot of major things. One of the main things that helps, when I started your whole course, like when I saw your video, when you were talking about, you know, you have to create your own opportunity.

Mm-hmm.

And I realized that I do have a lot of network, and I understand exactly where you're coming from when you were talking about You need to create your opportunity. You need to try and see, get in touch with people that you know that would probably help you out a lot. And I started realizing that I know a lot of people in my industry and like in the field that I want to go into because I was in grad school and I, you know, technically got paid for to travel from these people a whole lot, but I never did thought about, hey, I'm graduating, they might be the best people to reach out to since I'm looking for a job.

Or if they're all in the same industry, right?

If I were to reach out, I just realized this, while I was roaming around the internet looking for jobs, or while I was actually in school, who are looking for jobs to these pharmaceutical companies and these crazy people, the Department of Health, all these people out there. I actually have a lot of connections where I was because I was getting paid to travel to conferences. I literally could have just sent an email to the manager who actually was sitting right beside me when I was gathering my data and be like, hey, if you guys have a position, me right here, I need one. But no, I was just thinking I'm just big for my britches, like I can fly away. And then I— Because I could have gotten a job Literally the following, either January or April or a couple of months ago. No, not a month ago. Well, yeah, the beginning of the year after I graduate, if I would have just reached out and because they did offer me— the hiring manager there, that's why you don't look— I don't, I don't know how to say it, a gift horse in the mouth.

Yeah, that's how you say it.

A position, but it was a temporary position. If I would have accepted that position and started working for them right off, right after I graduate, I would have been working for them almost 2 years now.

And you thought you could get something better, so you passed it up.

And I thought I could do better, but I thought I could do better. And then on top of that, if I would have talked to her Because I didn't know at all she was the manager at this particular clinic. She is the research manager. If I were to talk to her and be like, hey, I need a full-time job after I graduate, if anything open, can you please reach out? Or if I would just send her an email, or if I would just talk to the provider that was her boss. That was sponsoring me. That's why I said—

You didn't know what you didn't know, right?

I didn't know that I have connections and network that I could tap before I graduate or right after I graduate to get my job. They hire someone in April.

So would you say that the, the best connections are the people who you were in grad school with? Yes,

they are the best connections because they know you. They know your work ethic. They're more willing to give you a job than some stranger.

Mm-hmm.

And that's what happened in my case because I feel like not only that, I have a girl that I used to work with. I told you about her. She sent my resume to her hiring manager and talked about, you know, and talked to them about me and got me an interview with them. At their pharmaceutical company. The only issue is, remember when I told you the only problem is I think it's because they probably didn't have— because first I thought it was me. But when I talked to you, because I was having a really bad day.

That was the one that they were all confused about and you didn't know. Yeah,

but I guess they didn't have a position that was open, but they were willing to interview me. Like, yeah, that's basically what happened. But The thing is, if you reach out to people you know, there's a chance someone knows somewhere out— someone out there that might be able to help you out. Or you might not know that the person you're talking to might be a manager.

True.

Probably just wait till something happens and/or a position comes available in their unit or somewhere else and just send you an email and get you in there for an interview. That's what happened in my case. They hired someone in April for the position I am working in right now.

Wow.

The person was a transfer from another department, but the position opened and she just got hired.

Wow.

The only thing is, I wish I would have known

Well, we all have moments where we— I'm just going to turn on the lights again. We all have moments where we wish we had known something and could have gone back and done it differently, right? So

yeah,

it's all good though. At least you learned now, right?

I learned my lesson.

You won't make the mistake again. So just a few more questions I've got for you. So looking back at what you've been able to do now, what you've been able to achieve after you signed up for the program, would you say that it was worth it?

It was because financially I'm stable. I can depend on whatever I'm making, whatever amount I'm making right now. I have good health insurance. Even after they take it out of my paycheck and all that, I still have more money left than I was making in the past, which is— I actually sent my friend a text message. I was like, This is great. I didn't even have anything taken out of my paycheck and I was making literally $888 each month. No, each paycheck. Right now with over, I think, $400 or $500 or more taken out of my paycheck, I'm still making more than my regular biweekly paycheck from my previous job.

Crazy. So you doubled or tripled.

Yeah, it was worth it. Like there is, and I'm like, I was, I'm like, there's no reason why I felt like if I would have done it all over again, I wish I would have found your program first and just realized that there are ways to get people to notice you and for people to, you know, help you out there. And it's called your network or people that you know to tap into. Yeah. There, you know, so you can get there faster. But, and be at the top of your list, because I feel like I was at the bottom of the barrel with everything else that was going on.

Yeah, you're not alone on that one. You're not alone. So what would you advise people who are unsure about signing up for the program?

I feel like if you, if you care about your— if you're really spending that much time Going out there, filling out an application, and you're getting frustrated, wasting your money, you might as well just put it towards something that might be— that might help you with having everyone else saying the same thing. You know, there's always one thing that you're not doing that you don't know that someone out there knows. So If you're spending all your money doing all this stuff and wasting time, why don't you spend that time going through a course, your time and money going through a course that might guarantee you a really solid job and you don't have to worry about, you know, paying for the program. You don't have to worry about all of that because in the long run, you, you're going to be making more than you, you know, more than— actually, you're probably going to be making more than where you are anyway in the beginning, because if you're actually starting to look for a job and thinking you need something better, there is one way to do it. Just sign up, follow the instructions, and do your homework, because that's the best thing. If you just sign up and don't do your part, you're not going to get any results. Like, one thing that you need to do is, like, get, you know, try to gather all that information on who is in your network, I feel like you're basically investing in yourself because you're investing in your own job and yourself. Because once you sign up, you get the information you need, you follow the course, there is a— your chances of getting a job is really high than someone who is out there day and night going through the website and submitting an application and waiting for them To call back or sending emails and no one even talking to you. But if you send it to the right people, there's a chance you might get some response back. Because with all that experience, what are you going to do? Like, just keep doing what you're doing if it's not going anywhere? Like, I, I was hoping, like, I was praying, I'm like, God, please don't make me go into year 2 not having a job. But after I found you, I was like, you know what, I'm just gonna invest in it because I've been wasting money on these little things like subscribing to LinkedIn, getting my application logged into, putting into Indeed. Like all of those things are just a waste of time because there are other people there, like you said, doing the same thing. So why don't you, why don't you just take a different route? Yes, it costs a little bit more, but like I said before, it's your investment. It's your money. It's your investment. You just need to think about it as you're investing in your life. You're investing in your future because when you get that job, it's going to pay you more than what you're actually paying to be in this actual program. And you probably won't worry about it because you You know, before you know it, you'll be making enough to pay it off and you're like, okay, I'm good. And you can keep the program forever and get back in there if you need to change that job to a higher paying job.

You can. It's totally true.

Yeah. It's your investment. It's your life. And if I were them, I would just make— I would not change it for, you know, for no one. Like, I wish I would have found you sooner.

Thank you. I wish you had too, but I'm glad you did. I

actually got taken— weird story. I think this is because I put my information on Indeed. You know, when you upload your thing and say, yeah, yeah, we'll find you. That is one dangerous thing that people can do.

Yeah.

I actually got a guy contacted me saying he have a job with me, he have a job for me. He interviewed me through Hangout on Google. Okay. I should have known because it was, you know, typing. It wasn't like—

Oh, it wasn't like a video chat or anything?

No, it wasn't a video chat. Okay, it wasn't a video chat. It was actually a phone call on Hangouts.

Oh, okay. Interesting.

But I should have known because he told me he was someone and I went in to research the company and I find out that And I was thinking, oh yeah, he probably is this person. Like he was impersonating someone from the company saying he's that person. So the reason why I find out that I was trying— I was actually getting scammed was when he said, oh, well, you're gonna have to— because it was supposed to be one of those remotes. clinical data collection thing. I was like, oh, this is awesome. I already do remote work and all that. So when he started talking about, oh, well, for you to get your computer and all this, you're gonna have to send money to me.

Red flag.

I'm like, excuse me, I'm not supposed to pay so I can work for someone. They're supposed to pay me. If anything, you're supposed to pay me or send me those stuff. So I was like, you know what, something is not right. So I called the HR people in that particular company and I talked to one of the ladies in charge of hiring. And she said, that's not how we do our hiring process here. And on top of that, we don't ask people to come to give money or to send money anywhere. And we don't go through that process at all when it comes to hiring. We actually interview face to face. And we do like 2 or 3 interviews. Even if we interview through the phone, we always do video interviews. We don't do like voice or text or anything like that. So she told me that that's not their process.

Wow. I've heard of a lot of scams before, but I hadn't heard about that. That's crazy.

Yeah.

Wow.

Yeah. And I've— yeah, he was impersonating a manager with their company.

Wow. So that's a good tip for people is just to not put your put your resume on Indeed because then you're just susceptible to scams.

Yeah, that's— I don't know where he got my resume, but I think it was from Indeed. And he just said he came across my resume. But I was like, I only posted on Indeed and the only people that see my stuff on LinkedIn is the people that are in my group, you know, like, I don't post my resume. Like, I have like, you know, a profile there, but I do have some, you know, information on LinkedIn, but to be honest, LinkedIn, the only people I have there are people that I know from school and professors and people that I connect with that, you know, but second, but I don't have that many third. So I'm sitting here, I'm like, where do you get it? Like either Indeed, Monster, or some other website, but Indeed was the one that I uploaded with all my information. And I told— I selected that they can actually contact me or email me if they have a position open or available. So I went back and deleted all that, like after I went back and deleted and tried to turn off my information off there. But yeah, I do almost got Scammed, but you know, I'm not a naive person.

No, you're smart. You're smart. But someone else might have fallen for it. I work

hard for my money. I've seen a lot of American greed to know when you're getting scammed.

Well, there's people falling for these scams every day, which is why—

I know. I am surprised. I'm surprised, Natalie. I'm like, how do you not know you're getting scammed? You're sending money to someone. You're not getting anything back.

And whenever someone asks you for money, you're like, okay, what? What's going on? Why?

That's exactly what— once he said send money and it said Western Union, I'm like, I've never sent money to my grandma who lives in Africa through Western Union and you think I'm going to send money to you in the middle of nowhere through Western Union?

Say bye to that money.

No, he was like, You just go to— we need to send the money to our financial lady to put in an order for you. You go to Western Union at Walmart, you fill out the form. And I went— he sent me the address, so I went online to look at the address. It was in the middle of nowhere. And I'm like, yeah, no, I'm not doing this. And when I came back with the— because I— You're not doing this? I got like an email from the lady and everything. And I, after I talked to the actual company, and I was like, I sent him an email on Hangouts or whatnot. And I was like, hey, I know you're trying to scam me. I'm not that naive. I might be desperate for a job, but go find someone else because I know you're not a real hiring manager.

That's awesome. That's awesome.

Yeah, after I sent that message, he didn't answer me at all and the account was gone.

That's what happens. Oh, that's funny. Well, good for you for not falling for it and for warning people.

Those are all my trials and tribulations of finding a job.

That's a good one. That's a good one. Thanks for sharing that one with me. I got a kick out of that one.

So I

have one last question. Well, actually 2. What was— was the program easy to follow, easy to implement? Did you have any troubles there? Any feedback you want to give on the structure?

You really give good examples, like on how to do stuff. I really didn't know how to collect people's email address, even if they're not on You know, even if when you don't know them, but you know their first and last name or something like that, like you can look them up on LinkedIn. But yeah, it was really easy to follow and getting all the information you need. I didn't know the website name. I can't get it off my head, but where you can find emails.

Yeah.

I didn't know about that too. I was talking to one of my friends and she was like, what? When I emailed that girl, the girl from the pharmaceutical company, she was like, how did you get my office email? It's not even on LinkedIn.

We have our ways.

So yeah, I was like, oh yeah, there's like this new thing that I was using, but I know it's not on LinkedIn.

I just guessed. I just guessed.

Yeah, but I completely understand what you're saying though. You know, it's kind of easy for you if someone is working for a particular company, there is basically some sort of, you know, .edu or .something or .com that they use or how the email is formatted. But I didn't know that there is a way to get that particular information. So it's pretty easy for someone to follow. And I like that you give us sample— you give us the data, the Excel sheets. Yeah. where you collect all your information. I think that was pretty helpful too because when I was— when I thought of, okay, I thought of several people that are in my in-network, I started making a list of their name and then I put in their phone number and then I go through the list on your website to see if I can get like their emails or work email or anything that I can get. So I'll be able to contact them. And if I already have that email, I'm just gonna like, you know, put it in there. So when I finally sat down and sent a couple of emails out to these people, be like, hey, I'm looking for a job. Like, you know, this is Romantio, remember me from blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Yeah. So basically I just go through it and try to get that. It was pretty easy to follow. I think the program itself is very, very Very— it's very knowledgeable and it's full of information that anyone can use. And I understand some people might just like skip over some stuff. For me, I actually didn't go through the whole negotiation thing, even though I watched the video, but I didn't like, you know, I didn't go through the whole, you know, the sample information and like creating an actual You know, how to like, you know, step-by-step thing. Because I feel like I would have, if I would have done the negotiation thing, I definitely would have sat down and put down word to word what I was going to say.

But you didn't need to because you got an offer that was good. Yeah, you got a good amount. Yeah.

And you have tons of information and how, like, you know, and I didn't use the resume. I knew it was an additional thing. I didn't use the resume stuff in there. I didn't use the COVID letter too, because those are the things—

They're not important to me. Like, I think that they are important, but they're just a small piece of the puzzle. And if you had already done a lot of work on them before, then your resume and cover letter were probably already in good shape. So Yeah.

And those are those. I think it's basically— I think basically it covers a lot and people can get a lot for their money. To be honest, you're looking for a job, something that, you know, if you're me, you probably spend a whole lot of months like struggling to look to find. And why not just give it a try and just pay for it? The best, the best option was when I saw the whole amount, like, okay, you paid this much for like just one payment. I'm like, oh, I don't have that in my bank account. But then I was like, oh wait, she has a payment plan. Okay, I can do this.

So that's what I wanted to ask you about that too, because that is a— that was a real stretch for you to do that.

It was.

You didn't have money in your bank. So can you speak around what you were feeling when you made that move? Were you scared?

I was scared because I felt like I've signed up for a whole lot of stuff before that didn't really pan out and I have to pay for it either way. But for some reason, like I said before, when I started the whole program, I just decided to just Like, go for it because there's stuff that you talked about that I really do need and I really need to see how, you know, you work through them and how you can explain stuff, how you can like build your own story, how to tie it into like an actual interview. And I need those and, you know, I need to learn more about it. And YouTube and all that, it's great, but they don't give you much example and half the time everyone is doing their own thing, so you're not If you watch one video here and then you watch another video there, that one is telling you A and this one is telling you Z. And you go in there and you try to talk about it and you basically are going to either confuse them or you don't know what you're talking about or how you're supposed to go through things. But if you go with the program, you already know what you're going to do and how you're going to do it and how you're going to go through the next step and what you're gonna, you know, say. You practice and how you're gonna answer questions, and if you don't know what you're supposed to do. So it kind of helps a lot. I just feel like it's just an investment in your life because when you get a job, that's something that, you know, that you're basically there 8 out of like— 24. Like basically 8 hours a day. It's basically your second home. So, and you're getting paid to be there. So you want something that feels like you're getting compensated, you're getting looked at as a person, you like what you're doing. And to find that type of thing, it's not that easy. So you're not like wasting— you're not wasting your money. You're basically getting something in return, which is probably better for you and probably better for your whole family because you don't know, maybe that, that might be the thing that helps your whole family. So for me, it was something that helps me and it's something that helps my husband too, because now that I have a job that I can help, you know, I can help him. Financially, I can breathe easy and know that he's not taking on the burden of like trying to cover everything like before. So

that's huge. That's huge.

Yeah. So it's a huge thing. It's a huge decision. But people should know you're not making it just because— you're not paying for nothing. You're paying to get something in return. And that is a good job if you follow the program to a T.

Thank you so much.

Because some people slack off. But

yes, you have to do the work. And that's what you've really been a shining example of, which is why I wanted to do this interview with you because you really did. You followed everything. You got the exact result. It was all exactly how it was supposed to be in less time than I promised people. So I'm like, if you do the work, you'll get a job in a month. And you did it in less than a month. You've already started and you're already trading. So I can't say how happy I am.

Like I keep saying, it's just, I feel like I was in the dark until you open your mouth and say, your network. And I'm

like,

what the heck? Come on, you're struggling here. You should have done this a long time ago, remember? And then the minute I started reaching out, the minute like I started getting like Responded, response. And I was like, whoa, this actually do work. And then when I went in and did my interview and did what I— because I went through the whole, you know, question thing. Usually when, you know how you had like the little section on the first section on what to say when they ask you about yourself?

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, well, I've been to several interviews before I find out that you're not supposed to be talking about your whole life. I know in general you're supposed to like, you know, I don't even know what to say about that because I never know anything about what to say when they ask you that question. But when I saw your video, I was like, Oh, so I just need to talk about my academics and my job and not like my whole life story.

And every video, like you said, every video on YouTube is going to tell you to say something different.

That's exactly why.

Like, oh, well, and it's, you know what, it's like they're not all bad answers, but you have to find what works for you.

Yeah, it's not that bad. Yeah, but I understand. I understand what you mean. I was just picking up stuff from one video to the next.

Yeah, it can get confusing with all the information out there.

It does get confusing, and I feel like that's why when I was starting my job search with no one to help me out and without any direction, I would go in there and do so, you know, and thought I did really great because I talk about my life, I talk about this and talk about that, but to be honest, I never did, you know, I never did say anything about what they're looking for or how they look like, who they want, like how to make them, you know, oh, I like your study, I like this, I like that, I know you guys are doing this. I never knew that because I just thought, okay, it's an interview, I know they want to know more about me, so I'm just gonna go ahead and like just talk about myself. But I never did like, yeah, I never did talk

to them. Yeah.

I never did thought about You need to actually like— I know that you're supposed to do research on the company, but that's basically on— for me, that's basically just common knowledge on, okay, I'm going to interview for this company and I'm doing this job. Let me see, like, you know, generally like, oh, this is nice and nice. But I don't think about going in there and be like, well, actually, I like that you guys are working on this because I've actually worked on blah, blah, blah. I know we can tie on with this and this, but Yeah, I learned that afterwards and I'm like, why? Why? Like, it's like I just have like an awakening. It's like, come on, I need to write that down because I know that they are doing this and I can be able to do that.

Yeah, you used all of that stuff. It's not just that you learned it though, it's that you applied the knowledge.

Applied it. Yeah.

You can learn all of it and then not use it and it would not get you the results.

That's exactly— that's the difference because I feel like Before, I was interviewing, but I wasn't applying to anything. I wasn't doing anything. I was just interviewing from one place to the next, doing the same thing. But then when I realized all of that, I'm like, oh, I can actually tell them about this. They might be interested in knowing more about me if I tie this or this to my stuff. And, you know, that way they know that I'm not just a number and I'm not just one of those people coming in here talking about themselves. But I learned a lot from your videos. I learned a lot from— yeah, and doing it, you know, it's kind of like homework. But then again, you just need to put a couple of hours in. You don't need to like spend a whole day.

You went to college. You're good at homework. I know,

it's like you're good at assignments and homework and stuff. I talked, but basically, if you're doing it anyway, you might as well just— if you're doing— if you're in school and you're doing assignments anyway and you're like, I need to start looking for jobs, and they come up on your stuff like, oh well, I have too much homework plus I have to pay for this. Like, to be honest, you want to graduate and get a job. You don't want to graduate and go home. and still looking for a job, you might as well just spend whatever financial aid money is coming in and put it on payment plan and just get the knowledge you're getting from school and more and apply for jobs and do the assignments with your assignments.

Great advice. Great advice.

Yeah, but it's, it's just something I feel like everyone should be doing because not a lot of people know about it. About, you know, just trying to— like, there are a lot of little stuff that people don't know about. Like, you're so— like, I feel like I was so oblivious to, like, so many things, and I'm like, oh, I'm smart, I know how to do this, I got this, I'll teach myself how to interview and all that. But there's one thing when you have an expert There's another thing when you're not an expert in that field, you just need to like, you know, that's why everyone goes to school. Exactly. This is technically like a school. You're paying to get knowledge, but this is actually worth it because it's your job. It's like money that you're going to be getting either way. You're investing in something a lot bigger and you might not even notice it. Once you're— once you get that job, you're like, oh yeah, I got this job. I just need to pay that off and pay this off and pay this off. It was like, oh wait, Natalie, your program.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

But that's what I was doing. No problem. It's been really great. I love my job and they love me.

Well, who wouldn't love you? You're wonderful.

I really like them. They're so nice. And I never knew that my boss, that this lady would be my boss until, like, you know, I didn't even know she was a manager. It really surprises me until I sent an email to one of the girls and she was covering for her that week. She was on vacation. She was like, Susan is a hiring manager. And she's Send her your resume. And I'm like, oh, you mean Susan, the one that just emailed me about the position? Oh, the lady that I just worked with last year when I was collecting data. She was literally sitting on the other cubicle and I was sitting on the other cubicle and we talked the whole time, but I never did— I thought she was just a nurse, but she was the hiring manager for the whole unit.

Yeah, you never know who you're talking to.

You never know. And then she finally— yeah, she— you never know. She said she did offer me a position. She was like, hey, there's this position in this unit. It's a temporary position. If you want it, I know you're graduating. And I was like, yeah, I'm actually— I have a full-time job and I'll be going back to Raleigh and blah, blah, blah. I don't know, and I never did apply. And I was like, shoot, if I would have just gone in and watched and looked at what she was referring to, I would be like, you know, because this position, sometimes you go from part-time, but if you're working with them, you already have like, what do you call it, like you already are established with them. Mm-hmm. And you can go, you can apply within the department and get like a full-time position and move up. Like some of the ladies, some of the girls that actually graduated, like there's a girl that I graduated with, she started working there early before me. And I'm like, shoot, she actually got hired for that position. Like, why do you not know?

I think you told me about this one last time we talked. Yeah.

Yeah, she got high. Yeah.

All right, well, I appreciate so much the interview. It's been a great interview. And, um, yeah, I'm gonna— I'll clean it up a little bit and then I'll— I can send it to you so you can— so you can make sure it's okay. And, uh, yeah, and then, um, for your payments, we can do whatever. I can send you one to do the amount that we agreed, or you can just do 4 more if you want. Whatever you would prefer. Huh? Whatever you would prefer for that.

Okay.

Okay, but thank you so much, and you know I'm here for you if you need anything else.

No problem. Well, I might be going back to school to get my PhD.

Oh wow, good for you!

Yeah, I'm talking to a professor for like their Leadership and Administration class, classes on—

Awesome.

DPhD.

Nice.

So I don't know if she would like me to go back to her school. In her department. Because I emailed her and I'm like, please answer me, do I need to have 2 years of work experience before I apply for this program? Or can you just accept me as a newbie because I just graduated with the MPH and I don't have to worry too much about like experience and started taking courses to get my PhD because our program— see, that's why I love my job. They would let you take 3 credit hours a year towards like, and for free.

Wow.

Within, you know, since the university, since I'm a staff with the university, I don't have to pay.

Wow.

I can take 3 credit hours. Even though it sounds like really weird, but it's just 3 for a year, but I can, you know, I feel like if I'm gonna be there for a couple more years, I might as well just, you know, apply and see if I can get a couple. Yeah, make the most of it. And get the most out of it. Plus, it's not my, you know, and if anything happened or I moved up

I think it cut out. I can't hear you anymore. Can you still hear me? No.