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UpMo Mavens: Ilyse’s Story

August 27, 2009 | Author: Aswan Morgan | Filed under: Job Hunting, UpMo Maven Stories

UpMo is working with a group of users (”Mavens”) to help them leverage the Intelligent Job Hunt™ and our rich, evolved service to get the job they want. UpMo Maven Ilyse P. tells her career story:

“After earning a BS in Computer Science, I started my career in software engineering. I worked as a software developer for several small privately held companies before joining a mid-sized, public company in December 1998. During my 9+ years with the company, I survived two acquisitions and several rounds of layoffs. I enjoyed positions of increasing responsibility and earned two Master’s degree part-time, one in Software Engineering and the other in Business Administration.

My tenure with my previous employer ended during the Spring of last year, when my position was eliminated. Initially, I looked for other Software Development Manager positions. I made sure I diversified my job search strategies. I attended professional association events, did informational meetings with folks at companies I was interested in, and applied to jobs on the Internet. I managed to get some interviews and was quite close to getting a position at a start-up. That fell through when a new VP joined the company and the hiring needs changed. It was during this time that I realized that I had lost passion for engineering and really wanted to do something on the business-side to leverage my MBA. I originally thought of Product Management. After all, it’s common for engineers to move into that area, and I already had experience in many aspects of this role through my previous position. At that point, I did informational meetings with a few Product Managers to get advice on how to reposition myself. I also continued to attend association meetings and apply to positions on the Internet. I was able to generate some interest. In fact, I came very close again to getting a position. This time, the economic downturn forced a hiring freeze, and I was once again out in the cold.

So, this brings us to late last year. I started to think that maybe there are other careers out there that could also be fulfilling. I looked back on what it was that interested me the most during my MBA. I really enjoyed the class projects that had some sort of marketing research or market intelligence component. Therefore, I decided to broaden my net and look into this area.

After making this decision, I enrolled in a Marketing Research class. I also did informational meetings with people in the field to validate that I have the proper skills for this role. After completing the class and the informational meetings, I realized that this path could work for me. Over the last several months, I have been doing volunteer work for a consultancy company and a few professional associations to get hands-on experience in the field. I know that this transition will be difficult given the economy, but I really want a position that I can feel passionate about.

I am excited to be selected as an UpMo Maven. Participating in this program will hopefully recharge my job search and help give me the focus and motivation I need to succeed.”

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