From Director to VP: How Natasha Landed Her Next-Level Role and Comp to Match

Speaker: Natasha Collins

Natasha Collins: After being laid off from my job, I fully engaged in the BossmakeHer program. I think the program really gave me the structure that I needed at the time to maintain momentum during my job search and to keep me from wallowing in self-pity after that setback. The program gave me all of the tools, the guidance, and the support that I needed to expand my professional network in a really meaningful way, and that helped me move from a senior director position into a VP position with a new company and with a 20% salary increase. So I would say BossmakeHer helped me take my setback and turn it into a setup for something better.

Natasha Collins: It's hard to pick just one part of the BossmakeHer program that made the biggest difference for me because the way the program structured each component, I felt really built on each other to prepare me for the next stage in the job search process. But I guess it was the rewriting and the rebranding of my resume, my LinkedIn page, and the new messaging that I used in all of my networking outreach that really was fundamental to all the other success that I had in my job search activities. And I think those were the tools that really helped open up a lot of the C-suite conversations and interviews that I had. But I do have to say that having the networking campaign and then adding on a consultation to help negotiate the job offer when the time came, were real game changers for me too.

Natasha Collins: The three words that best describe BossmakeHer for me would be structured, practical, and supportive. I thrive on structure, so having the online learning modules and assignments tied to each phase of the job search helped me feel better prepared. I chose practical because each phase has worksheets, templates, and actions to do that actually produce materials that are relevant that you can use during your job search, as opposed to just a lot of theory about what you should do. And then lastly, BossmakeHer is very supportive. There's an incredible group of coaches that are really invested in your unique journey and provide specific guidance about your situation, even though it's done in a group setting. And the group setting also works in your favor because you're surrounded by people going through a similar experience, going through a similar phase in the job search process, and you can learn from each other or reach out offline outside of the coaching sessions for additional support. So as a result of all of this for me going through BossmakeHer, I never felt unprepared or alone during the job search process.

Natasha Collins: There are so many things that I learned from my experience with BossmakeHer that I would encourage others to do if they're trying to navigate the job search process on their own. First and foremost, I would say do not overlook the importance of your own professional network. If you don't think your network is particularly strong, I would suggest that you start outreach today, start nurturing it.

Natasha Collins: My connections and my network were invaluable in opening up doors to people who were really in the positions to hire me. While I did apply to some online positions, the outreach to the network was much more successful path for me to get in front of the right people. The second thing I would suggest is know your capabilities, know your worth and be confident about it. While you'll have to consider your own personal financial situations, try not to settle for a position that you know is less than your worth, less than you're capable of, Find facts that will help you be more confident about your position relative to others and why you can do the position better than others. If you're not happy with the progress that you're making in your job search, figure out what you need to do or say differently, but stay vigilant. The right opportunity is out there. You can get that great opportunity if you put in the work and, and really go after it in a structured and thoughtful way. Lastly, I would say, seek out some support. I think that the job search process can just be so taxing both physically and mentally, and you need people around you to help you when times get tough. So seek out other people that are also searching for jobs, seek out advisors that can help you through the process. Spend time with family and friends so that you are taking that mental break, and can continue to put in the time and put in the effort, to get through the process. And if all else fails, just know that there is a tremendous team of experts at BossmakeHer that could certainly help you with this process and help you with all the things that I just talked about. BossmakeHer staffed with people that are past recruiters and have decades of experience in HR functions and processes and, can give you some great advice.

Natasha Collins: So I would just say that that is available to you and if you're willing to put in the work, they will definitely be able to help. I'm certain that all of the work that I did with the BossmakeHer team helped to give me more confidence in my job search and it definitely accelerated my ability to get to the next great opportunity. So with that, good luck.