Where you are working (the name of your employer):
CUNA Mutual Group
Your title/position:
Manager, Corporate & Legislative Affairs
How you found this job:
I worked for CUNA Mutual the summer between second and third year, but when I left it was pretty open—I wasn’t sure I wanted to move to Madison post-graduation and they didn’t offer anything specific. Their instructions as I left were to keep in touch and let them know my plans when I figured things out. We stayed in touch through the school year, mostly through emails.
During the school year, I talked to everyone who would listen about my interest in using my law degree in the financial industry. I talked with professors at the law college (who have pretty great connections), Heather and Tasha, family friends, etc. And then I followed up on the suggestions of these many people. Some suggestions were good, some were terrible, but in retrospect it was good to (1) learn what all was out there, (2) get other people invested in my search and (3) make more connections. I talked to new people throughout the school year over the phone, in person at their offices and via email and even with all that, there were definitely days when it just did not seem to be working.
How and when the employer contacted you regarding an interview?
In April I reached out to my old boss, telling him I was a little worried I didn’t yet have a job and to see if he had any thoughts on my search process. At that point, I had made several other connections with people in the credit union industry and done several informational interviews to learn about kinds of jobs available for attorneys within the financial industry. I shared this information with him—specifically, the people and companies I’d talked to-- and was surprised when he suggested I return to CUNA Mutual, joining his team in a role they were willing to create for me.
How you went about researching and preparing for your interview:
Since I’d previously worked for the company, there was no official interview aside from the one I’d done over the phone to apply for the summer position last year. (I think both of us would have preferred an in-person interview, but since the company is in Madison, WI, the phone made more sense.)
Something I did which I think benefited me was to lay it all out there in my April email. I shared particulars on what companies/people I’d visited with whom I knew he was familiar. I think by demonstrating a continued interest to work in the financial industry, he was impressed.
Were there particular things you discussed during your interview that you think helped you get the job offer?
n/a
When and how the firm made the offer; and when and how you accepted
Although I was offered the job informally in April, I was advised that the company would need the next month or so to formally draft the offer letter to make it official. Feeling concerned that for a million different reasons things would end up not working out, I continued looking for a job. Using the same practice—staying true to my desire to work in the financial industry—I followed up on positions and with people who I’d been put in contact with during my information-gathering phase. It was during this time that I interviewed twice and was offered a second position. With an unofficial offer from CUNA Mutual and a second, official offer from the other employer, I was in a bit of a pinch to request an official offer from CUNA Mutual, where I knew I wanted to work. Without pitting the two potential employers against each other, I made sure I could compare the information about the offers and make the choice that made the most sense for me which turned out to be with CUNA Mutual.
Other notes:
It’s a miserable process, especially as other people have jobs and you don’t. That said, I think it pays to do research, unabashedly get others invested in your job search process and follow up with sometimes awkward suggested connections. Good luck!