<strong>The job: </strong>Customer service technical support analyst.</p><p><strong>The employer:</strong> ScriptPro has headquarters in Mission and develops, provides and supports robotics-based management, workflow and telepharmacy systems for pharmacies worldwide. </p><p><strong>My role: </strong>I work in the hardware support of the robotic systems.</p><p><strong>How long have you been in this position?</strong></p><p>Since Sept. 27, 2010. </p><p><strong>How did you find your job?</strong></p><p>I had been out of work for 10 months, after a December 2009 layoff from my position as a technical analyst at Sprint, when I found this job opening. A friend who also worked for ScriptPro, in manufacturing, brought me flyers about job notices whenever he saw them. When I applied to human resources for this position, he tracked down the hiring manager, whose job title is customer service manager, and talked to him about me. I was called for a phone screening interview, and then was brought in to interview with three advanced team leads. The manager came in for a brief, personal interview as well. I was called by the customer service manager a couple of weeks later and offered the position. I think my friend&#x2019;s recommendation helped. &#x2026; But after that I needed to show that I was well qualified.</p><p><strong>What helped the most in the job search? </strong></p><p>Persistence, and staying positive. I had a six months&#x2019; severance package, with full benefits, from Sprint, and that helped to keep me relaxed. Devastating as it was, it wasn&#x2019;t the end of the world. The income and benefits really helped to put me at ease as I approached the job-search process. What also helped was telling absolutely everybody that I had been laid off and was looking for a job.</p><p><strong>Did you reach a low point in this process? If so, how did you overcome it?</strong></p><p>I did, especially when the severance ran out and there was not much going on in the way of job possibilities. There&#x2019;s a period of mourning you go through. It&#x2019;s like a death of a friend or relative. But then it&#x2019;s time to get up and get busy. I overcame the low-point feelings with a lot of faith. My church and the job clubs I attended shared my triumphs and my low points as well, providing the support I needed. I went to job clubs at Sacred Heart Church in Shawnee, Johnson County Community College in Overland Park and United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood. The one at JCCC really helped in setting up a time for us to practice presenting ourselves as we would in an interview. That rehearsal was important. We also talked at JCCC about different companies, and which ones would be best to target. </p><p><strong>What is your best advice for others in the job search?</strong></p><p>One of the first things I did was to have business cards printed with my occupation &#x2014; computer/graphic design specialist &#x2014; and contact information. I carried around those business cards and my resume so that I could hand them directly to the people I met. Through some online classes provided by an agency with which Sprint contracted, I had a lot of help re-writing my resume. Businesses want to know you were productive in your job; how efficient you were in your job; what makes you valuable. Accomplishment statements are a vital part of the resume!</p><p><strong>What is your educational and work experience?</strong></p><p>I have a bachelor&#x2019;s degree in business, with a data processing emphasis, from Emporia State University (1981). My career has been in computer technology. </p><p><strong>Is there anything else you would like to share related to the job search?</strong></p><p>While unemployed, I took classes at New Horizons Computer Learning Center at Metcalf South in Overland Park to update my skills. These classes led to my A+ certification for computer technicians. I took the class from January to May 2010, and was certified in August 2010.I found out about this class and other training available by going to Kansas Works in Overland Park. When searching for the job with my previous company, Sprint, I had met two Sprint employees while taking a PC class. That meeting eventually led to my position at Sprint.</p><p><strong>How does this job fit into your long-term career plans?</strong></p><p>This is interesting work, and an interesting company. I couldn&#x2019;t be more pleased. ScriptPro invests a lot in its workers. I plan to be here quite a while.</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> </div>