Meet Wayne Zill, Vice President of Construction for Amherst Construction Services/Main Street Renewal. Wayne began his career in entry-level construction and purchasing positions with national homebuilders before becoming a Division President in 2003. Unfortunately, he lost that position during the recession that impacted so many Americans. Always resilient, Wayne worked his way back to a leadership role within the industry over a six-year period.
What’s the one piece of advice he wished he’d been given at the beginning of his search? Patience. There are a million jobs out there but they’re not all going to be the right fit. If you know you’re good at something, something will come back your way eventually.
What advice he’d give someone in a job search today: Go to the interview prepared, dress appropriately, and do your research about the company. You’re interviewing against some really good people so have well thought out questions that cannot just be found on their website.
What he feels he did right: “We saved our bonuses and were fiscally conservative which made things a little easier to manage.”
How he stayed resilient during the search: Know that other’s may be hurting more than you and just keep moving forward.
How he recovered from a bad employer: Learn from it and move ahead.
His advice for job seekers looking to pivot from their industry? You got to do the resume, but you have to NETWORK. NETWORK. NETWORK. Create a business card with a statement of what you have to offer, join industry groups, attend events, get in front of people. You never know what might happen. Remember that the majority of jobs are found through networking.
What additional advice do you have? Know your worth. Employers may try to underpay you so you must know your value and be able to articulate why you’re worth what you’re asking.
How he stays prepared for future opportunities: Have a solid resume focused on results. Update it and LinkedIn regularly, and talk with recruiters when they contact you. You never know where the next great opportunity will come from.
Additional Advice: Be flexible and willing to move. We’re a mobile society today. Without that, you have to be even more patient. Know what it costs to relocate and be prepared to do it.
