At its core, Pavilion exists to help all types of people, in all types of roles, reach their professional potential. Whether you’re working to climb the ladder or just want to up-level your skills, Pavilion’s Career Services offer dynamic opportunities for networking, education, and career growth. One of those offerings is On The Bench — a full suite of resources available for anyone in between roles, with dedicated support from the Pavilion team.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll share Q&As with the Pavilion Members who’ve used our On The Bench resources to land a new gig. First up is Heather Robinette who just started a new role as Revenue Operations Manager at Asite.
Name: Heather Robinette
New role: Revenue Operations Manager, Asite
(Hired as Marketing Operations Manager and recently changed job titles to match what I’m doing)
Previous role: Director of Marketing, Conexlink
Time on the bench: 2 months
How did you feel during your latest job search?
During my latest job search, I felt more supported than I had in the past. If anything, I am thankful for one aspect of COVID: the rise of communities. I met so many more people, which made this job search feel very different than in the past.
How did our current environment impact your job search?
As mentioned about COVID being a positive aspect, I believe it actually helped my job search. It allowed me to meet many more people virtually and people I wouldn’t most likely have met otherwise. I met even more people while networking On the Bench, both inside and outside of Pavilion. I was able to form connections with people in different states and different countries.
How have you searched for new roles in the past? Where did you look for support?
In the past, I mainly applied through LinkedIn and hoped for the best. Several of my past positions had come from LinkedIn, but that was after many, many applications. I can’t imagine how many roles I missed out on searching that way. I also didn’t have much support in the past other than a few mentors, so I was mostly on my own.
How was this experience different? How did OTB help your search?
This time around was completely different. While I still applied for jobs, I also spent a lot of time focused on my existing relationships and forming new ones, which became critical to landing the role I’m in today. I was referred to the job by a fellow Pavilion member I had met; I didn’t apply for it. This was a first for me, and I now understand your network’s impact on your job search and how you can find jobs without actually searching.
OTB helped me by providing the support I needed when I needed it, whether the weekly calls with Fred (Mather, Executive Vice Chairman of Pavilion) or the candidate deck accessible to recruiters and Pavilion members looking for candidates. I felt like I had an “in” while looking for my next role.
Now that you’re in your new role, does it feel like a good fit?
Now that I am a few months into my new role, it not only feels like a good fit, but it feels like I’m where I need to be right now, and everything else was preparing me for this role. The people I work with are great, and I love the company culture. The role has already grown with me into something I didn’t realize I wanted to do, but it has been an amazing journey. I can’t wait to see where it takes me!
What OTB resources were most helpful to you?
For me, the candidate deck was probably the best-kept secret when it came to OTB resources. Several Pavilion members reached out to me because of it, which helped me get into the interview process much easier. I also really appreciated the help from the team and recruiters. I was blown away by the conversations I had and how helpful everyone was during my time between roles. Fred also did a great job of keeping the weekly calls relevant and ensuring everyone felt supported and had the tools and skills they needed to succeed.
Would you recommend OTB to other members between roles?
I would recommend OTB to other members between roles. I utilized it right off the bat when joining Pavilion, which helped me become familiar with it, but it is a resource everyone needs to keep in mind if they find themselves between roles. I am incredibly grateful for everything it provided me, and I would strongly encourage everyone to take advantage of it.
Are you between roles? Join Pavilion to take advantage of On the Bench.Existing members can request to join here.
