Why It’s Important to Believe in Yourself: Gregory Day’s Job Search Success Story

Is it possible to break into a field that you have zero experience in? It might not be easy, but it can be done. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Gregory Day shares how he went from a career in IT to the field of Human Resources without HR experience. Gregory says passion for the field and enthusiasm for the job are what carried him through when hiring managers scoffed. Learn more about Gregory’s career history below in this installment of our Success Stories series.

Transcript

Find Your Dream Job, Bonus Episode 77:

Why It’s Important to Believe in Yourself: Gregory Day’s Job Search Success Story

Airdate: July 1, 2024

Mac Prichard:

This is Find Your Dream Job, the podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want, and make a difference in life.

I’m your host, Mac Prichard. I’m also the founder of Mac’s List. It’s a job board in the Pacific Northwest that helps you find a fulfilling career.

One of the best ways to get good at job hunting is to talk to people who do it well.

That’s why once a month, I interview a Mac’s List reader who found a job they love.

Our guest today is Gregory Day. He’s the HR Director at United Fire.

It’s an independently owned fire safety company in the Pacific Northwest.

Gregory Day believes in the power of connecting with others.

In a story you can find on the Mac’s List website, Gregory recommends making as many contacts as possible, especially on LinkedIn, when you look for work.

Why do you love your job, Gregory?

Gregory Day:

That’s a great question: why do I love my job? Well, I love every aspect of human resources. I came in late to the career field, and I’ve always dealt with HR in a way that was apprehensive, so I wanted to change that perception.

Mac Prichard:

Well, tell us about your work at United Fire and what you do there.

Gregory Day:

Yeah, well, I’m an HR department of one, and basically am responsible for everything from onboarding to offboarding and everything that’s in between, matching personnel records, lots of administrative work, employee relations, that’s really the hardest part of the job, but I’m an HR generalist. I make sure we’re compliant with Oregon and Federal Laws, leave of absence, it’s definitely a generalist position.

Mac Prichard:

You have an interesting background. As you said a moment ago, you came to HR later in your career. How did you make that career change? You had worked in different occupations; what did you find helpful, Gregory, when you were moving into a new field?

Gregory Day:

That’s another great question. Just this irrational belief in myself because I really didn’t have any experience as an HR rep. My sister is an HR VP for a television station, and my brother is an HR educator. Honestly, I had no background in Human Resources, but I think that gives me an advantage because I can see how employees relate to HR. Since I didn’t go to college to study Human Resources, like a lot of HR reps do, I had that outsider perspective, and that really helps me bridge the gap between employees that really do not want to talk to HR.

Mac Prichard:

When you were making the change, how did you make the case for yourself to your employer? Because, again, you hadn’t worked in HR. What advice would you have for someone who is making that case, who wants to switch into a new field? What did you find was compelling to your employer?

Gregory Day:

That’s really funny, Mac. You know, I learned a lot about HR by interviewing for HR jobs. At the time, it was during the pandemic, post-pandemic period, and people were desperate for workers, and I was very willing. I would go to interview after interview after interview. I had a very bare necessities view of what it entails.

Basically, I was applying for everything HR-related, entry-level, and there aren’t many opportunities like that, so it’s quite funny that I learned by interviewing and, again, my own research. Just that enthusiasm carried me. I think that’s what got me the job, just to get your foot in the door of human resources, I had a very heavy administrative background, that helps, and just that desire. People can really smell that desire.

Mac Prichard:

What objections did you hear from employers as you were making that switch, Gregory, about changing your career? And how did you overcome them?

Gregory Day:

Objections: Well, I have no experience. I saw myself as an HR Assistant because I did help with the onboarding when I was a trainer. I mean, I come from IT. I just had a real passion for helping people, helping people be successful. That’s really how I envisaged HR as a tool to help people be successful.

That positive attitude and self-belief really carried me, with not too much knowledge, not too much knowledge at all, but I don’t know why I was so confident that I could get a job in HR. It just seems crazy now that I look back on it. It’s amazing what self-belief, how far it can take you in life and your career, and this goes beyond just looking for a job.

Mac Prichard:

You’ve been in HR now for a few years, so you’ve done your share of hiring since you broke into the field. Are there lessons that you’ve learned watching people apply for positions where you work that you would share with our listeners about how to do a job search?

Gregory Day:

Lessons learned, well, I’ll tell ya, honestly, attitude, attitude, attitude. You can really hear the enthusiasm in someone’s voice, and I know I had it, and it can carry you, it can really carry you beyond the qualifications. Obviously, you’re going to have to hit those qualifications at the bare minimum, but it’s amazing how you can talk your way into an interview.

That enthusiasm, it’s something that I really need to hear from an applicant. Otherwise, there’s just no point. I don’t see them being successful in their role. Like I said, HR, my role, is to help people be successful, and you need that enthusiasm to carry you through the tough times, I know I do.

Mac Prichard:

In your article for us, Gregory, you recommended doing mock interviews before a job interview and actually meeting with employers. How did doing this help you land the job that you have now?

Gregory Day:

Holy cow, you know, I did a lot of interviews. You can get rusty. I interview quite well, I get rusty, and I think it’s really important to stay sharp. You can really slip and very quickly, too. I’m a really great interviewer, but I’m also really great at bombing interviews, even today.

Honestly, the mood, the tone, how you wake up in the morning, did you have a cup of coffee? There’s a lot of factors that can determine how well you’re going to do in an interview.

Mac Prichard:

Well, how would you practice, Gregory, I mean, to manage those factors? Every day is different, but were there things that you did consistently when you were practicing that helped you?

Gregory Day:

Yeah, you need to talk to people. I know it sounds funny to say that, but you need to talk to people, and you need to have a social life. It really helps with your job interviews. You need to meet people.

It’s not interview prep, per se, but when you talk about your job, like joining professional organizations, like the local SHRM chapter, PHRMA, that’s been an amazing tool because we talk about work, and I get to listen, get more information, and just have these conversations.

The thing about doing interviews is that it’s an unnatural thing, and you want to make it as natural as you can, as soon as you can, and that’s something that you can only develop by talking to people, and if you can talk to people in your industry, that gives you a huge advantage.

Mac Prichard:

Those two acronyms that you mentioned a moment ago, SHRM and PHRMA, that’s the Society for Human Resources Management Association and the Portland Human Resource Management Associations.

Those are, indeed, great groups. In addition to talking to people, you’re also a big fan, Gregory, of making connections online and you talked about this in your article for us. Especially doing this on LinkedIn. What difference did networking online and making connections on platforms like LinkedIn make in helping you get your job at United Fire?

Gregory Day:

Oh, it’s an incredible tool. I’m on LinkedIn constantly. The connections that you can make, it’s just unbelievable. LinkedIn has become an amazing resource. It’s become a social tool, along with a business tool. I mean, I’ve made friends on LinkedIn, I’ve made connections, and I meet up with recruiters and HR people; we have similar interests and backgrounds beyond HR. I’ve made friends on that platform.

LinkedIn is incredible; a premium account, a low-cost premium account, is only $40. What an amazing value. You can connect with anybody and leave a personal message. It’s a remarkable tool. Use it every day and post regularly, and then you’ll be seen as a resource for the people when they’re interested in talking about resources or recruiting, et cetera.

Mac Prichard:

Did you see that benefit when you were looking for work? When you were doing your job search, did your presence on LinkedIn come up in your interviews?

Gregory Day:

Holy cow, yeah, and you can tag people, and you can give people recommendations, and I love doing that. Coming at it from a giving perspective, what can I offer you? People love it. You’re making a human connection with people that have big titles, HR Business Partner, you’re making a human connection there, and you’re joking about it. Everyone has an interest, like they love dressing up their dog or doing crochet or yoga; I mean, I have a lot of interests like that, too.

You can make that personal connection.

Mac Prichard:

Tell us more about the giving attitude that you mentioned a moment ago because you brought that up in your article for us as well. What do you mean by having a giving attitude, Gregory, and how did that help you in your job search?

Gregory Day:

It helps me in every aspect of my life, Mac. You don’t want a friend that’s always asking for stuff. I want to give. What can I give you, Mac? I mean, I’ve given you content. Now, how can I help you?

Who doesn’t want a friend like that? Who doesn’t want to work with a recruiter like that? Who doesn’t want an HR rep like that? What can I give you? What a great way to start a conversation, and everybody has something that they need. If I have resources, I want to share them. I want to give, but that’s how you get, honestly. It’s such a trope, isn’t it?

You get when you give, and you’ve got to start by giving. It’s how I recruit, and it’s why I’m such a great recruiter because I want to offer people advantages. I want to offer people opportunities.

Mac Prichard:

Well, it’s been a terrific conversation, Gregory. Now, tell us, what is your number one job-hunting tip?

Gregory Day:

Number one job hunting tip: be genuine. You have to have a genuine interest in a job; otherwise, they can tell. People are very attuned to how much you really want the job. They pick up on that. There’s so much for an in-person interview that you can pick up on, as far as your body language and your intonation.

You really have to show a desire to want the job, and I think that’s very important to be genuine.

Mac Prichard:

Thank you for sharing your job search story, Gregory.

To learn more about Gregory Day’s job search, visit macslist.org/stories. 

And check out the Mac’s List website for dozens of other success stories.

On the second Friday of every month, we add a new interview with a Mac’s List reader who has found a dream job.  Go to macslist.org/stories.

In the meantime, thank you for listening to today’s bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job.

This show is produced by Mac’s List.

Susan Thornton-Hough schedules our guests and writes our newsletter. Lisa Kislingbury Anderson manages our social media.

Our sound engineer and editor is Matt Fiorillo. Dawn Mole creates our transcripts. And our music is by Freddy Trujillo.

This is Mac Prichard. See you next week.