That friend I got a job for . . .

Last summer I wrote a blog about helping a friend of mine get a job where I work. I was nervous about how he would do. Not only had I written his resume and cover letter; I wrote the job description to suit him, and had somewhat embellished his experience and skills. A couple of days after he started, his supervisor told him jeans and t-shirts weren’t appropriate. He made some marginal changes in his wardrobe but said there was no way he could give up sneakers. He wears Keds. In bright colors.

When we talked, he sounded pretty insecure. Some new equipment had been installed and his department had a training session on it, but he said every time he used it, he couldn’t remember any of the directions and had to ask questions repeatedly. I stopped by his department occasionally, and he looked like a deer in the headlights. I was not sure what would happen.

The department he was in went through a major reorganization just before he was hired. His supervisor had been the assistant for 18 years and finally promoted to manager, but the department now consisted only of the two of them. The manager had a specific set of responsibilities and my friend the assistant had separate duties. However, after a few weeks, the manager decided it would work better if they both worked together on as much as they could.

They were off and running. Since each of them was in a new position, it seemed they needed the constant support of the other. You never saw one without the other. It allowed my friend much more visibility and he got to know lots of people. He became more comfortable, and his “unique” personality came across as artistic rather than nerdy. His manager, or associate, likewise had a more confident manner than previously.

A few weeks ago, the person who hired him thanked me for recommending my friend for the job. She couldn’t believe how well he and the manager got along and how smoothly the department was running. Everyone is happy with the situation and I am very pleased to have helped an old friend. He took me out for a very nice dinner as a thank you. I can relax about him, and now I’m looking around to see if any other jobs pop up there . . .