PROOF: Job Seekers Who Did It - Rhona Marr

PROOF is an occasional series that showcases (and celebrates!) people who employed new job search strategies and landed THE job or promotion they wanted. Today, we feature Rhona Marr of Portland, OR. (Story by Emily McIntyre)

No matter your credentials. No matter the circumstances. Straight up: Job searches can be scary.

Rhona Marr found this out firsthand when she left Nike after 15 years there (her last role was as Senior Director for Global Digital Communications) and began looking for a role that would allow her to meet her personal goals while stretching professionally. Oh, and she also wanted to stay in Portland.

"I found it grueling," she said. "Early on, a lot of recruiters called me but the conversation always ended when I said I didn't want to leave Portland. I found some freelance work through the Nike network, and I did all the typical things like signing up to follow The Muse and Glassdoor, and applying for role all around Portland and Seattle … with very little success."

So, in spite of her impressive resume — which includes stints at both Nike and Apple — Rhona was feeling stuck. After a considerable amount of trial and error, she decided to invest in support from the JobJenny.com team.

Why did you decide to make this investment?

Rhona heard about JobJenny.com through word of mouth.

"I had a lot of girlfriends who had left Nike at the same time, and I started seeing a common theme: some of their LinkedIn profiles were amazing! I asked them why, and every single one said, ‘JobJenny!’”

What was working with Team JobJenny like?

"It's so funny!” she said. “Just when we finished Jenny's process, I got the job. I feel like working with her didn't just give me the resume and LinkedIn updates—it gave me confidence. When we talked through what I'd done, I realized how much I'd accomplished."

Rhona found that the way the team asked her questions about her background—why she'd gotten this promotion, or the results of this project—really helped her present herself with authority.

Tell us about how you landed this new job?

Rhona endured multiple rounds of interviewing with a Portland-based company she’d had her eye on for a while, Tektronics, before receiving the job offer.

"I don't know what the magic was, but it just happened,” she said. “They were looking for somebody like me, and I was looking for someone like them. It was the perfect match. My boss and I have this discussion; I claim I found the job and applied first, and she claims she found me on LinkedIn and sought me out."

Either way, the timing was perfect and, with Jenny's help, Rhona arrived at the company's office carrying a bag full of LaCroix and KIND bars, aced every interview and landed the job.

Interestingly, before Rhona engaged the services of JobJenny.com for her Resume and LinkedIn Update, she’d hired another resume writer, but was disappointed in the outcome.

What sets JobJenny.com apart?

"What Jenny does is keep your personality in the presentation. Most other companies just wipe you clean. They are heavy on data and stats vs. breathing life into the presentation,” she said. “So much of a new job is also about culture, and you want to make sure you fit them, and they fit you.

“By putting your personality in your LinkedIn profile and your resume, you can get to know someone so that they aren't surprising."

What are you loving about your new role?

Tektronix is a unique company, said Rhona. It’s more than seven decades old and, at one point, was the largest employer in Oregon. Today, the company is focused on preserving its heritage while modernizing the brand and its offerings for today and the future.

“It was appealing to come to work for a company that wanted to do storytelling, because that's the link between all my jobs,” she said. “Yes, I worked with big, consumer facing brands, but beneath all that is the storytelling. While I’m not an engineer, I do know about engineers and people and their stories. It was exciting to come here and tell those stories!"

During her extensive interview process with Tektronix, Rhona created a product launch campaign on the fly. Recently, she's had the chance to use parts of that launch, which she says is extremely fun.

She's excited about the company's new messaging campaign as well, which says, "We're for the engineer", and she loves wearing a number of hats in her role as Global Director of Corporate Communications & Social Media. It’s been quite a transition from Nike, but Rhona’s loving it.

Do you have any advice for job seekers?

“Connect with people,” she said. "For the first few months I met anyone who would meet with me for coffee. That didn't ultimately lead to any jobs but it was good to put myself out there, especially having been at my last job for so long, I hadn't done any networking, I hadn't updated my resume in almost 15 years."

She also suggests keeping your professional brand—resume, LinkedIn, social media—up to date even if you aren't looking for work.

“Keep making connections and putting yourself out there, so that you have a strong network to lean on if you find yourself in transition,” she said..

Rhona found herself in transition … and she prevailed. Congratulations, Rhona!

Do you have a success story that you’d like featured on PROOF? If yes, be sure and send us a note at info@jobjenny.com. We love hearing about the amazing things you’re doing!

Photo: Provided by Rhona Marr