Focusing in on What Matters Most to You: Jen Scott’s Job Search Success Story

In this job search success story, Jen Scott, PR Director at Grady Britton, shares how she focused on working for a mission-driven company.

What do you do for a career? Who do you work for?

My career has been in integrated marketing and communications for a variety of agencies and brands. Currently, I serve as the Public Relations Director for Grady Britton, a values-based, full-service branding agency in Portland.

How long did it take you to find this job?

It took a year after I was laid off from my previous position during the pandemic. I was fortunate enough to be able to take the time I needed to reflect on my previous experiences, hone in on what specifically I was looking for, and find the right job for me. 

How did you find your job? What resources did you use? What tool or tactic helped the most?

I did the usual things like viewing job boards (LinkedIn, Indeed, Mac’s List) and finding connections through my network to companies I was interested in. One trend that started during this period was that more and more employers were willing to hire remote candidates, enabling me to expand my search geographically. The downside of this is that I was now competing with candidates from all over the US.

The way I found my job was through a recruiter, the wonderful Susan Towers at Boly Welch, who was looking for Grady Britton’s next PR Director. It also helped that I had met Paige Campbell, president and co-owner of GB, so we had a starting point for our discussions about the position. The rest is history!

What was the most difficult part of your job search? How did you overcome this challenge?

Job hunting during the pandemic was much different than any other time I’ve done it. Networking was difficult because events were still shut down and most people were working from home. Interviews had to be conducted virtually and if I made it to the final stages and scored an in-person meeting, we all wore masks, making it difficult to read peoples’ faces and connect.

What is the single best piece of advice you would offer other job-seekers?

It was a looooong year of unemployment and I went through periods of disappointment and frustration. You will get discouraged. What got me through was focusing on what I wanted and not getting distracted by offers that could have supplied a paycheck but didn’t meet my other criteria. By resisting that temptation, I was available and open to the Grady Britton opportunity when it came along.

Why do you love your job?

Returning to an agency environment after working in-house for several years was actually pretty seamless because I chose the right agency. I have been fortunate in my career to work for mission-driven companies and it’s this commitment to values-led business that attracted me to Grady Britton, Portland’s first Certified B Corp creative agency. GB is also independent, woman-owned, and selective about the clients we serve. It’s filled with good kind people doing smart creative work – making the tough year of searching worth it in the end!

Everyone’s job search story is different, but each individual story can inspire and empower others who are on their own unique path. We love to hear how our readers have found rewarding careers in Portland, and we want to share these stories with you to inspire you in your job search and to help us all better understand the local job market!