The other discovery I made was that professionals would never walk into a business meeting without their notes organized and in hand. A job interview should be no different. And yet almost all candidates unfortunately treat an interview like a closed book exam. On the long drive home back to Richmond, Va., I developed the concept for an interview padfolio that candidates could customize based on their own goals, stories, and research. Then, candidates would use the completed padfolio during their interviews to remain organized, focused, and confident.
My goal was to keep my business costs at a minimum so that the product itself would be available for under $100. Starting a business during a recession has been a challenge (banks do not give loans to new entrepreneurs). The bank of Visa and Home Equity has bankrolled the company to date. What has really driven the start of this business has been the incredible generosity of so many people who have rallied around the concept of Interview Angel. It is also very rewarding to build a business model that has now created income and jobs for hard working Americans at a time when all you hear about is job layoffs, not job creation.
My sincere thanks goes out to all the professionals who have shared with me their inspirational stories and kind words about Interview Angel (some of which are included on this site). Your feedback keeps me going late at night. The interest we are now drawing from universities and other companies gets me up very early the next day.
In my "free time", here are a few of my favorite things:
1. Being a source of inspiration for somebody every day
2. Making people laugh
3. Pitching for my church softball team
4. Reading a great book on a warm day
5. Speaking in front of a large audience
6. Watching college football in person (Go Dukes! Go Hoos!)
7. Playing pirate ship with my family
8. Watching one TV show a week (Lost)
9. Cycling in the countryside
10. Walking with friends and family
If you have lost faith in the American dream to get a great job or start your own business, give me 30 minutes of your time. Meet me for a cup of coffee or tea in Ashland, Virginia (the Center of the Universe as we call it), or let's talk long distance over the phone. I have amazing stories to tell.
I would love to hear from you!
You are welcome to contact me at feedback@interviewangel.com.
I am also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/InterviewAngel and on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/brentpeterson.
Warmest Regards,
Brent
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