Occupational therapy

The review
A few days later, Acks gives us the lowdown on the whole experience. The bad: “The personality-test results sounded like a horoscope,” Acks says. “It’s you to a T, but it’s also a million other people.” He’s also not sold on some of Sullivan’s résumé advice. “I still question the self-congratulatory résumé,” he says. “I think the cover letter will be the place I pat myself on the back.” The good: “[Sullivan] and [McCall] agreed on certain things,” Acks says. “Both brought up the fact that I have these two separate parts, and I have to put those forward and make them sound useful in an interview.” But with his hair impeccably trimmed and a top-notch résumé, he looks ready to climb the corporate ladder. Now for the first rung.

So how did we fare in our efforts to turn hapless job-seeker Jerome Acks into a suave, career-ready fellow? We caught up with him to see how this recent art-school grad is fairing after some help from a resume-editor, career coach and a haircut.

“I’d say I do feel more confident,” says Acks. “My resume now makes me look more qualified for the positions I’ve been applying for—I’ve been better able to point out my experience. Like at NASA, it wasn’t just about the skills I picked up, it’s that I picked them up well. [After talking with career coach Rob Sullivan], I’m now more able to communicate that I was a valued employee.”

Acks also feels like he’s networking more, which is something McCall strongly encouraged. “Before [talking to McCall] I networked with people I was close to, and now I’ll [also] ask those who might know of something. For example, I didn’t get a job I applied for at a gallery, but I know I represented myself well. So I asked [the interviewer] to keep me in the loop if she hears of anything. And she said that she definitely will keep an ear out.”

In the end, due to his networking, he picked up a freelance gig doing prepatory installation work at an art museum. “It was all because of networking. I would say it was less about my cover letter and resume,” Acks says. While he isn’t on the full-time career path just yet, he’s optimistic that this job will help get him there: “I’ll be able to meet more people in the art field while working in that facility—it’ll give me a chance to make more connections.”

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