Professional Background
One of our longest serving volunteers, Tony Van Gilder, has been helping coach and support job seekers that come to Hudson Job Search for over 30 years! At Hudson Job Search we rely entirely on the service of our volunteers to provide the support, guidance and job search coaching that our job seekers rely on. We take some time to appreciate our Advisors in our Featured Advisor blog posts and provide a little background on each one.
Hudson Job Search Volunteer Advisor
Tony Van Gilder discovered Hudson Job Search back when there was a printed Hudson Hub newspaper and Hudson Job Search posted ads providing free job seeker assistance. After working with an Advisor himself, Tony had direct understanding of the benefit provided by the HJS advisors and agreed to volunteer. He continues to help job seekers through the process 30+ years later and would recommend it to other professionals that have an interest in helping job seekers.
Tony's devotion to helping job seekers and his a lengthy professional background in the fields of engineering, manufacturing and aerospace in sales, marketing, operations, senior management roles are a great asset to Hudson Job Search. This is how Tony answered our interview questions for this month's Featured Advisor blog post:
Q: What do you enjoy the most about your role as an Advisor with the organization?
A: After over 30 years as an Advisor I still get the most fulfillment when the client “lands” as a result of coaxing initiative out of dormancy.
Q: What would you say to someone who is thinking about becoming a Hudson Job Search Advisor?
A: Loss of income will rattle a client (job seeker) to the bone. Hudson Job Search has a basic, human-based, process. This process is simple to follow and is validated by history. It weaves clear, focused, concise communication and presentation into the client's search. On occasion it may take a while, but the process always works.
Q: How did you learn how to advise Job Seekers?
A: I learned from Richard Cordill, my Advisor when I was a client. Also coaching by leaders of HJS, Advisor training classes, and the wisdom of my failures.
Q: What general advice would you give to someone who has just lost their job and/or begun their job search?
A: It will not be a quick process.
a. Determine what you want to do, “I need a job” is not the answer.
b. Outline your demonstrated results.
c. Form your message.
d. Develop targets for where, or in what business, you want to apply your skills.
e. Pursue.
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
Eisenhour, Ruven Frank, Trade Show Floor, and David Ogilvy are the favorite package for Clear and Concise.
Movie clip from “Facing the Giants,” football Death Crawl scene perhaps best describes the grind of seeking a job. “Give me your best, your very best, don’t quit.”