Career breaks are a prime time to reset and re-evaluate. It was exactly what Carla Alaso intended to do during her time off after leaving her job of 15 years. Overall, it was a fruitful time for Carla, who dipped her toes into freelancing and virtual assistant work. She also had the headspace to reflect on what she wanted in life. There was just one pickle: the break went on for far longer than she expected.
Her job search began early into the break – casually at first, then more aggressively as a few months passed and the number of roles on Carla’s application tracker ticked past 70. Stress seeped into what was supposed to be an explorative, restful career break.
“I landed some interviews, but they led nowhere. There was also the issue of lowball salary offers,” Carla recounts. She did her best to stay positive.
“I prayed a lot. I kept on applying. I had to have faith that the rejections were God’s way of redirecting me to the right job.”
Soon, her prayers were answered. It was around this time that Carla heard from Bill Salanio, Senior Consultant at Robert Walters Philippines about an opening with an insurance company. Her application didn’t make it to the end, but that wasn’t the end of the story.
Robert Walters’ team-based structure meant that instead of a single consultant, Carla had an entire team rooting for her. It wasn’t long before another opening came up. Jayson Mendoza, Manager from the Human Resources desk came bearing a payroll and benefits manager position at an asset management company.
“During my search, some companies stopped responding after we made initial contact. Then Robert Walters came into the picture. Jayson was super responsive. Among all the recruiters I’ve encountered, I had the most comfortable conversations with him. He helped me present my profile in the best light to his clients so I could succeed in my job search,” Carla says.
One realisation Carla arrived at during her career break was that she wanted her next job to be a platform where she can keep learning. Thanks to Jayson, she’s found that. In Carla’s new company, she’s learning new systems and processes with the end goal of handling payroll for the Middle East and North African region, enhancing her existing skillsets in payroll for the Philippine market.
Closing out her career break, Carla is all smiles and gratitude. “Jayson’s sincere and authentic approach helped me land my dream job. Although it got stressful at times, I learned a lot during this career break. I gained new perspectives and became stronger through all the challenges. I also learned to trust in divine timing. Truly, the job that was meant for me came at the right time, with the right advocate.”
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