After saying “YES” to the big question that changes a person’s life, Benita Abraham—like so many of us—was eager to share the news with family and friends. So, she scheduled a photoshoot, picked a romantic beach location, incorporated chalkboard calligraphy with cute sayings, like “I said YES!” and posted the Pinterest-worthy results online.
But next to Benita in these photos wasn’t another person or a ring or a baby; her companion was a job offer letter, framed in classic, timeless white. Fast-forward a few hours and the Internet caught wind of Benita’s photos, making her—quite possibly—the most famous employed person of the moment.
Her Facebook album, named “employed,” likens Benita’s successful search of the perfect job to one of a significant other. She writes:
So excited to share my happy news with my FB family!
I finally found my soulmate, my perfect match, my boo. After 7 long months, I found the perfect job with a company that truly cares about its employees and one I will learn so much from.
#employed #myboo #loveatfirstinterview #LTR #careergrowth #perfectmatch #photoshoot #notjustforbabiesmarriagesandbirthdays #workin9to5
Within a few days, her photos got over 20,000 likes and garnered national news attention. Everyone from Good Morning America to On Air with Ryan Seacrest to The New York Times wanted the scoop on Benita’s job story. Even Quartz lauded Benita for “reinvent[ing] the ‘engagement photo’ for 2016.”
And this is what being a recruiter is all about
Benita, 37, was laid off at her healthcare IT job of nearly eight years last December. She took a break, traveled to India to visit family and started her job hunt in February. After applying to nearly 300 jobs and declining two offers that weren’t quite right, she saw the opening for her current job and applied in June.
“I was really excited,” she tells Forbes, “I was really hoping this would be the one.”
Next, came the interviews, one of which lasted two hours even though it was only scheduled for 30 minutes. When Benita left the interview room, she remembers thinking to herself, “...Dear God, please let me get this job. This is the one that I want.”
Moments like these are a reminder that the biggest perk of being a recruiter is the ability to change people’s lives (no diamonds required). Despite the tough days, the hiring managers gone MIA, the lack of resources, and the frustrating purple squirrel chase, every day you get to go home, knowing that you made a huge difference to somebody like Benita.
Hat tip to you, recruiters!
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Topics: Industry humor and fun
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