ExtraMile
I have been always of the opinion that job application is just half the task when it comes online. My target company for this project was PwC A.F. Ferguson & Co. and my goal was to go outside of my comfort zone: face-to-face cover letter and resume.
To begin with, I did some research on the company, and adapted both documents to reflect the company’s values and the work that they do. I then stumbled across another HR Manager on LinkedIn by the name of PwC A.F. Ferguson and messaged her to introduce myself. At the time I didn’t hear back from her, but I didn’t linger.
I got to work at the office, and I encountered my first problem. A security guard at the entrance requested an access card and I didn’t have one as I was not an employee. I was not going to be able to just walk up to the HR manager like I wanted to. I was just for a moment caught in a rut.
Get Shahbazalishaikhshaikh’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Then I thought, I know somebody that worked there as a trainee at PwC. I called him and he came down to meet me. We didn’t actually go to a reception desk, we sat down for tea. I took him through my CV and cover letter, and he vowed to send them to the HR Manager, and explain to her how he had managed to get me to the office.
The highlight of our visit was our discussion! He shared all the policies, code of conduct and the working culture of the company. I found that in just that short period I was able to learn more than I could have from any website and I got a much better understanding of the expectations that PwC has of its people.
The lesson I took: Things don’t have to stop because of obstacles. If one door is closed, see if another door is available. Networking is important and a good connection could yield opportunities you didn’t anticipate.
What I need to do differently: The next time I will call one of the inside people before going to the building to find out how they enter.
I’m now waiting for the HR Manager to respond on LinkedIn. A call was received or not, this was a lesson I learnt that it is worth taking the extra mile.
