Master the Job Search

When the man sitting next to me saw my plane ticket he asked me what kind of Doctor I was.

I told him I was the aspiring kind because I hadn’t passed yet.

I proceeded to tell my seatmate I had defended my dissertation earlier that day, but the committee was unwilling to sign off on it because my supervisor was in the hospital.

My neighbor said, “That is unfortunate. I’ve been in a similar situation myself before.”

My interest was peaked.

He proceeded to tell me he was a priest and a Doctor of Theology.

He told me he waited over a year for his committee to sign off on his doctoral dissertation.

The look on my face must have said it all.

“Don’t worry,” he told me, “I expect it won’t be that long for you.”

I asked the cause of the delay.

He told me his committee member had received a promotion and moved to another country.

As a result, the committee member was too busy with his new work duties and didn’t find time to read the manuscript for several months.

“Why didn’t you just replace him? I’m sure you could have found someone else!”

“It wasn’t that easy,” he told me. He went on to explain:

“You can’t rush the Pope.”

This gentleman sitting next to me had been Pope John Paul II’s last postgraduate student back in Poland.

In the final year of the man’s doctoral studies, Cardinal Karol Jozef Wojtyla was elected Pope.

I typically avoid speaking to strangers on planes.

I was so glad this gentleman spoke to me, otherwise, I would have peacefully kept to myself and enjoyed a nap.

This is one of the most memorable encounters I’ve ever experienced.

And an excellent reminder of how we never know who we will meet.

And how they will provide a little perspective to our world.

Who have you met recently? And how has that person changed your life?

Remember, there is no impact too small!

Thank you notes after a job interview can be the extra cherry on top of the sundae.

They are noticed and appreciated by employers because so few candidates send them.

According to the many hiring managers, less than 10% of applicants who are interviewed send a thank you note.

Thank you notes are valuable because they allow candidates to reiterate their interest in the role.

It is also an opportunity to mention one final piece of information which wasn't discussed in the interview and may tip the scales in their favour.

Even if the candidate doesn't get the offer, a thank you note is never a waste because it keeps the door open for the future.

They help formulate better relationships.

And as we know, networking and expanding our professional relationships are so important right now.