Career Center News
A Realistic Look at Job Searching with GVSU Alum, Fletcher Zebell
October 09, 2023
By Tina Milosavljevic, Career Center Writing Intern
Starting the job search process can be a daunting task, but actually applying and interviewing for positions can get even more intimidating. No matter when a student begins looking, they’re bound to hit lows and highs throughout the process.
Fletcher Zebell graduated from Grand Valley State University in April 2022 with a degree in Supply Chain Management. He now works at Invio Automation as a Procurement Agent, but the position didn’t come easily. Fletcher began looking for a job 6 months before graduation to hopefully land somewhere before he was done with school. He had hoped to work in logistics at a company with a big name, which were the driving factors for the different positions he applied to.
Job Searching and Rejection
The job search process started for Fletcher at the GVSU Career and Internship Fair in the fall semester. Though it was a virtual event, he still met a couple prospects and was hopeful about landing a job. Over the entire process, Fletcher filled out 20 applications, heard back from about 10, and was offered 3 interviews.
One of these interviews was with a large West Michigan company. He made it through multiple rounds of interviews. Fletcher was confident that he had the position in the bag, but when it came to the very last round, he ended up not getting the job. Fletcher also interviewed with another big company, but it took longer and longer to hear back from them each time he reached out. After these not-so-great interactions, Fletcher felt discouraged from job searching. However, he did the only thing he could: Accept the rejection and continue the process.
“It's not a good feeling getting rejected by a company,” Fletcher said, “but it is important to use what you have learned through the interview process to better prepare yourself for the next opportunity. Don't feel like it was a waste of time if you get rejected by a company, there is always a takeaway and something to learn from it.”
Finally, after about a month and a half, Fletcher heard back from the second company he interviewed with. But by that time, Fletcher had another opportunity brewing.
Receiving an Offer
Invio Automation was not even in Fletcher’s top ten when he started applying for jobs. He applied for the position through LinkedIn on a whim, and ended up hearing back from them the very next day. He received a call that actually turned out to be a phone screening and by the end, he already had an interview set up. When he went in, Fletcher was surprised because he wasn’t just getting an interview, he was getting an interview with the Site Director. Because of this, Fletcher was able to understand the ins-and-outs of the company before he began working there.
Even though it was a smaller company than he’d hoped for originally, Fletcher was pushed in the direction of Invio because there were no weird hoops he had to jump through and no long waiting times between contact. Invio emailed Fletcher the very next day after the interview with a position. “It was such a positive experience,” Fletcher said, after dealing with all those bumps in the road.
Workplace Culture
Zebell only had one week off of school before he started at Invio as a procurement agent. Throughout his time at Invio, he moved to multiple positions in different areas of the company, such as shipping and receiving. This was helpful for Fletcher because it allowed him to grasp many aspects of the company and learn first-hand what they were all about. When the company became short-staffed and needed a fill in for a Field Service Supervisor, Fletcher was the perfect candidate and fit the qualifications swimmingly.
Looking back at the struggles he faced during the job searching process, Fletcher’s actually happy things went the way that they did.
“There is something out there for everyone,” he commented, "it may take more time for you to find than it does for others, but don't get discouraged! What's meant to be will be.”
During the process, he thought he wanted to work for a large company with a big name in the industry, but after working for a smaller company, he realized that it's more enjoyable with a super close and tight-knit group of people. Zebell wishes he took workplace culture more into consideration when he began searching.
Resources and Advice
Fletcher tells students who are about to find themselves in the job searching process, “Students should utilize the services GVSU offers as early as possible so that they know they are on track to accomplish their goals. Take advantage of the Career Center and resume building resources. I found it helpful throughout the entire process, from figuring out what would be a good career path to even negotiating my final offers.”
Zebell also felt informed about different elements of the job searching process because he took US 301 - Internship and Job Search Strategies with Grace Joaquin.
Joaquin describes US 301 as a “one-credit course designed to equip students with the tools they need as they embark on the next steps in their career journey. We often get feedback that it should be a required course because of the valuable skills students will learn on relevant topics like resumes, interviewing, networking, and more.”
Another piece of helpful advice Fletcher received was from Troy Farley at the Career Center. “Troy told me it was a job-seeker’s market and that I should be interviewing the company as much as they were interviewing me. Make sure the company fits your needs, as well.”
When Fletcher interviewed with Invio, he felt more confident he could succeed in that environment than he did with the other companies. Using advice from the Career Center and his own deductive reasoning, Fletcher found the job best suited for him and his skills.
Key Takeaways
Overall, the job search process is just that… a process. Rejection will happen but it's important to not get discouraged. Learning from the rejection and challenges faced during the process will increase the likelihood of finding opportunities in the future. It’s also important to expand searches to smaller companies, related positions, and environments students think they’ll enjoy. There are plenty of resources available to students who are ready for the job search through Career Advising and CareerLab, as well as additional resources at the Career Center website: https://www.gvsu.edu/careers/