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Happy 2023 friends! With January often inspiring work/career changes, we've got a great spotlight on another new member! We loved Dominique's shared great tips and insight into how she approaches networking and job searching to keep in mind as we break into the new year!
Member Details
Name: Dominique Goyette-Connerty
Hometown: Ashby, MA
When did you move to the Worcester area: August 2021 (but I’ve been working in the
city since May of 2019!)
A fun fact about yourself: I am one of five kids!
Local Recommendations/ Hot Takes
Favorite place to wind down and relax: In my own living room–I’m a home body and
have a gorgeous lake view!
Favorite post-work meeting place: Redemption Rock or Greater Good!
New year, one new connection at a YPWA event
What inspired you to join YPWA this season? I was looking for a way to make new girl friends in the area and was also in the middle of changing jobs. Plus, my friend and now co-worker, Catrina Gardner, is on the board of directors.
Do you have any tips for networking during our events? Someone once told me you
should try to meet at least one new person at each networking event you attend, in
addition to chatting with the people you already do know. If you keep this up, you’ll
eventually walk into these kind of functions feeling at ease since you’ll know many of the
people there.
“You are more than your job. You work to live, not live to work.”
Occupation: Marketing Specialist at Vision Advertising
What do you enjoy most about your current role? The work culture! Vision Advertising has created a working environment that is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. Despite being a fully remote company, the team is tight-knit and everyone is sincerely supportive of one another. The freedom to set one’s own schedule, use unlimited paid vacation time, and manage your tasks at your own pace all fosters mutual trust, respect, and what we like to call “a culture of adulting.” It’s a very logical–yet somehow unique–approach to working.
What are three items that are always at your workspace? My planner/to-do list, my
phone, and at least 2-3 different drinks.
What’s your favorite tip that makes work life easier for you? “You are more than your job. You work to live, not live to work.” I’ve always chased perfectionism and been passionate about my jobs. Those two ingredients, mixed with an anxiety diagnosis, resulted in me being overworked and burnt out early on in my career. It was all too easy for me to drown in work responsibilities and put everything else in my life second. Now, whenever I start to feel overwhelmed by work, I remind myself that no job or career path is worth my health. It helps ground me!
Look for your values and believe in the process
What were the top three things you were looking for from a new company/position? I was adamant about finding a job where the work culture would be a good fit for me. I was less concerned with the position title and job responsibilities–my number one priority was finding a company or organization where my voice mattered, my ideas and skills were respected, and I could see my personal values reflected.
Did you have any ways you hyped yourself up when the search got tough? Daily
affirmations and journaling, having unstructured outdoor time, and spending time with friends during which we DIDN’T talk about work! I’m a classic over-thinker, but when it came to the job search and things were moving slowly, I knew thinking about it constantly wouldn’t help anything. I truly trusted the process, knew that everything would unfold as it was meant to, and allowed myself the mental freedom to focus on other things. Believing in yourself really goes a long way.
How did you leverage your personal or professional network when job searching? I posted to my LinkedIn about leaving my job and looking for a new opportunity. Several
people in my professional network reached out offering to meet up for a coffee or lunch
and talk about potential opportunities or help me in my search. Even if they personally
didn’t have open positions, they often knew people in their network who might have been
looking for someone like me. Before leaving my previous job, I continued to attend many
networking events and let people know I was in the market for a new opportunity. In fact,
a local conference I attended in May is where I first met Julia Becker Collins, my current
boss, and Catrina Gardner, my colleague, face-to-face. Introducing myself to them in person and making that personal connection certainly helped me stand out among other
applicants for the job which I have now.
Thank you Dominique for sharing your experience and insight! If anyone is interested in learning more about what made Vision Marketing a good fit for her check out this blog post and she'd love to connect on LinkedIn.
In the spirit of renewal, have you checked when your membership renews? Check it out at any time by logging into to our site and click on the My Subscriptions hyperlink, and you should see a blue Active icon with your expiration date for paid accounts.
Membership is open all season long so there is still time to enjoy our membership benefits and new connections!