How a Blind Audition Turned a Military Spouse and Stay at Home Mom into a Founding Team Member
We practice what we preach at GapJumpers and have put together a unique founding team by using our own blind audition approach to find the best talent out there. That is how we found Anne Gregory, our Talent Community Specialist. Anne’s story is below, what she hasn’t included is the fact that her blind audition challenge submission blew us all away! As soon as we received it our immediate thought was ‘We want to work with this person.’ Lucky for us the feeling was mutual.
I think I officially gave up having a career back in 2007 or so. My story is sadly similar to many moms (and dads too) trying to return to the workforce after a career break. Maybe mine’s complicated a bit by the fact that my ‘Dear Husband’ (DH) is a very dedicated active duty Marine.
When we first started out, we both wanted to wait to get married until we graduated from college and had our feet under us. He had been commissioned for about two years and I had settled into a middle management job with a big box retailer. It wasn’t exactly my dream job, but everyone has to start somewhere, right? I had my sights set on veterinary school and had been accepted, and my DH was set on four years in the Marines and then out into civilian life. That was the plan.
Then the 9/11 tragedy overtook the country and our carefully laid plans were suddenly changed. There went vet school, in came a new duty station, and the start of a military career.
The beginning of the end of my career aspirations came when we got transferred to this really small town in middle America. There just weren’t many opportunities for me, everyone knew you were a service member’s spouse, that you wouldn’t be there for long, and assumed it would be a waste of time and resources from a business point of view to hire you. That’s when I got my first lesson in “home is where the Marine Corps sends you.”
So, like many others, we decided it would be a great time for me to take a break and for us to start a family. Two beautiful boys, three years, and two relocations later, we were stationed on the East Coast. I felt like the family was in a good place and it was time for me to go back to work.
Or not; my DH said goodbye for what would be the first of many overseas deployments as our country continued to be involved in overseas conflicts.
My hat’s off to any single parent out there, it is not easy wearing all the hats alone. Add into that worrying about your significant other in a combat zone somewhere far away, trying to find a job, pay for day care, and not go insane…right.
So, to make the time pass and keep as busy as possible, not to mention increase my employability, I decided to go back to school for a graduate degree. Yup, DH deployed, 2 year old and 6 month old, back to school I went, insane I was. But, I stuck with it through two more years and two more moves. I felt really accomplished when I graduated with a Master’s degree in computer science. DH was back on U.S. soil, and I was ready to tackle the working world with my bright, shiny new piece of paper.
Or not; we promptly got orders overseas.
Once again, I found myself in a place with few opportunities, especially for someone with a Master’s in computer science, but little practical experience. Working off base was nigh impossible unless you were sponsored by a company and fluent in the language, which I was not.
The bright side was that this little island was beautiful with amazing history, and friendly local people. We all enjoyed our time in paradise, and the base made it surprisingly easy to set up a small business. I was able to work a little by providing web development services to other military members with small businesses. I did everything from repairing broken computers and laptops, helping newly arrived families set up their networks, Vonage and Skype equipment, and other little odd jobs here and there. I was really a Jill of all trades, but definitely a master of none.
By the time we returned Stateside, technology had marched on, and my computer science degree was practically useless. I was excited about the possibilities of a new job, but the U.S. was now in the middle of the great recession and I quickly found myself right back to being an overeducated, under experienced, unemployable, stay at home mom.
Don’t get me wrong, supporting my DH and my family has it’s rewards, but there is also something to be said for having accomplishments in the workplace outside of home that you can call your very own.
I continued to half-heartedly look, off and on, for an opportunity that fit. But my résumé was kind of ridiculous. I had an outdated computer science degree, no practical experience, and a gaping 12-year hole between full-time jobs. I can only imagine what hiring managers thought when they came across it. At the same time, I knew that I was an intelligent, capable person who really wanted to contribute. It’s a very frustrating place to be.
Then, in May I was driving the kids to the activity of the day when I heard an NPR piece about GapJumpers. GapJumpers is a new start-up that is helping employers eliminate bias in the hiring process by screening applicants using blind auditions rather than a résumé or application.
I was immediately intrigued by the possibility of showing an employer what I was capable of rather than having them immediately reject my lackluster résumé. I visited the GapJumpers website and found that they were hiring for their own team. They were looking for someone to help them grow the applicant side of their business by creating relationships with educational institutions, such as community colleges, coding bootcamps, and self-taught individuals. I was really excited by the possibility of being able to help someone in my position find an opportunity that they might otherwise be overlooked for.
The blind audition challenge that I answered involved a bit of research and a write-up, along with some work example templates and graphics. I really enjoyed the process. I was able to show my researching skills, my ability to write, and to express the detail I put into my work. Based on what I was asked to complete, I knew right away that the position would be enjoyable and rewarding. I was proud of the work product I submitted, and delighted when I was contacted for an interview less than a day later.
After meeting the co-founders of GapJumpers, Kédar Iyer, and Petar Vujosevic, during the interview and subsequently the rest of the team, I continued to be impressed with the company and what they were trying to accomplish. The entire hiring process from hearing the NPR piece to being offered the position, took less then a week! How refreshing is that?
So, this is the start of my new beginning and I kind of like the sound of that. My story is a perfect example of the untapped talent pools that are out there. Rest assured they are more than ready, more than willing, and more than able to contribute in very real and meaningful ways. The résumé process filters many like me out, the GapJumpers blind audition process filters us in.
Here’s to providing many more people with a much needed real shot.
Do you want to find that untapped talent pool? Get in touch and we can share more about how GapJumpers works. Looking for a role? Check out the current blind audition challenges available, create a log in, and get notified every time we post a new opportunity. We are bringing new clients on board every week. Follow us on Twitter or drop us an email at myfriends@gapjumpers.me.
