As in the previous post, I will here discuss a personal experience that some may find useful as an example.
This week I had the pleasure of being offered a full-time role as a manager of two small employment advising centres that specifically support immigrants. The career experiences of immigrants to Canada is the topic of my Doctoral research, so needless to say, I'm delighted! I'm extra-delighted to have been offered the role because I had originally applied for one of the roles that I will be supervising.
My new supervisor told me when she called to offer the manager's role to me that the hiring committee had interviewed a few candidates, but had not made any offers because they hadn't felt like they had found the right kind of "logic" and "personality" together. When they told me they were offering me the manager's role because they "liked my logic", I knew how I had earned the job: the questions at the end of the interview.
Of course I had had to answer the rest of their questions appropriately, but I know it was the questions I asked at the end of the interview that showed them how I think. This organization offers both English language training and employment search assistance, you see, and one of my questions at the end of the interview was, "How do these two services [ELT and employment support] work together?" The answer was, they didn't really - yet. They are implementing a new service model, and the key to the new model is getting the two areas of service to coordinate with each other, to serve clients more effectively. They were looking for a manager who can see the connections between language skill and finding employment. I do - as part of my Doctoral research, I've spent the last 10 months reading about it!
It wasn't only the questions I asked at the end of the interview that got me the offer. I had to demonstrate that I understood the employment barriers that immigrants face, and that I have the tact and sensitivity to be a manager. Being a manager isn't new to me, but I haven't done it in a while. I'm counting on picking the brains of former manager's I've had, and relying on the expertise of the staff I'm supporting.
So, come August, I will be acting as the manager of two satellite employment resource centres, supervising and supporting the work of around 10 language instructors, employment counsellors and childminders. It's a full-time role, with a solid salary, and assuming I pass the probationary period (3 months, as usual), it comes with benefits. I'm told they have several staff members who have been there for 10 years and more, which bodes well - if I fit in there, I'm likely to be there for a long time.
They do the kind of work that I believe is exceptionally important. Let's hope I'm there for a long time!
