Testimonials

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 I am eternally grateful for all the activities the Job Seekers' Garden Club of St. Louis does so that one can meet people and find multiple job opportunities. 

Sofia became a member of the

Job Seekers' Garden Club of St. Louis in July , 2021.

"I would like to thank Bob and his group for their amazing job! 

Last year, I was looking for my first job, here in the United States. 

I attended one of their job fairs and everyone was very attentive and warm. 

The best thing was that, after the fair, I finally got a job at Catering St. Louis. 

I am eternally grateful for all the activities the Job Seekers' Garden Club of St. Louis does so that one can meet people and find multiple job opportunities. 

I recommend that if you are looking for a job, contact the Job Seekers Garden Club! "

 ...being able to give an elevator pitch to a recruiter face to face at a JSGC networking event instead of relying only on the  standard cover letter and resume helped distinguish me from most applicants...

Vito was one of the original members of the 

Job Seekers' Garden Club of St. Louis.

 "I attended Job Seekers’ Garden Club (JSGC) events beginning in August 2020. Their networking events were a game changer for my job search because of the in-person connections that I made. The opportunity to meet recruiters face to face along with other job seekers makes the experience more humane and meaningful. A staggering statistic that I faced as a job seeker is that 80% of jobs are found through networking. 

My strategy of applying to job openings through online applications was not giving me the traction needed to land interviews. On the other hand, being able to give an elevator pitch to a recruiter face to face at a JSGC networking event instead of relying only on the  standard cover letter and resume helped distinguish me from most applicants. Through an in-person career networking event in April 2021, I was able to meet a recruiter that offered me a short-term contract human resources role at St. Charles Community College in May 2021. In June, I interviewed for a role in human resources at Bayer and started my current role at Bayer in July as a Human Resources Data Management Associate. An existing relationship with a recruiter is how I was able to land an interview and receive the job offer at Bayer. 

Networking and finding ways to distinguish yourself from others are my recommendations to job seekers and recruiters alike. The in-person connections are far more meaningful and humane because it allows you to have a natural conversation and get better acquainted with others. The Job Seekers Garden Club has proven that networking can be done safely during a pandemic. In addition to career fairs, they offer Happy hour Thursdays which enable you to network with others in a casual environment on a monthly basis. You could also volunteer to help with events to open up greater networking opportunities. There are so many ways to enable networking to lead to a job leads, interviews, and job offers. The Job Seekers Garden Club is a promising start to new employment opportunities."

 I would like to thank Bob Kolf and his team 

for all of their support during my job searching effort...

Kiymet was one of the original members of the 

Job Seekers' Garden Club of St. Louis.

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"I am an immigrant professional in the St. Louis area who moved to St Louis from 

Milan, Italy 3.5 years ago. As of today, I have been working in my new role in the USA 

for a month within in my professional area, Purchasing Management. The reason to share 

all of these details with you is that I would like to thank Bob Kolf and his team for all of their support during my job searching effort over the past 3 years.
 

Bob and his team supported me by introducing me to new business contacts 

in their business events which was very useful for me. They also provided to me a good understanding of the job market in the St. Louis area, as well as updating my resume.
 

Thanks again Bob for all your effort during my job search."

I made so many connections, gave and received encouragement, 

and most important, it's how I landed my current position.

Melissa was one of the original members of the 

Job Seekers' Garden Club of St. Louis.

 "I wanted to share my testimony about this group with you - 

especially those of you who need encouragement today.
When I joined the group over a year ago, I was in the middle of a huge life change. I was leaving 20+ years in public education behind and anxious to begin my new career - to even see if I could do it. Daunting, yes, but in the face of the pandemic, and while competing against so many experienced job seekers in the field of Talent Development, my situation felt a bit impossible. 

It was around that time I became acquainted with the amazing Bob Kolf and he told me about the group he was starting – one that would bring together the dream team – job seekers, connectors, and recruiters in a supportive, encouraging, and mutually beneficial way. It worked! It wasn't easy. I searched, applied, and was rejected (sometimes not even acknowledged) for over a year. But, as a member of this group, I made so many connections, gave and received encouragement, and most important, it's how I landed my current position. I took a very scary step and posted my resume for all to see. The VP of my company saw it and reached out to me. The rest was literally "history".
Job Seekers, no matter where you are on your journey I want you to know what a great organization and community you are part of. Bob is one of the most encouraging people I have met. He believes in you and helps you to believe in yourself. By the way, I am now working as an employment skills specialist and coach so I've been able to bring it full circle. 

Hang in there. You got this!"

Sending a big shout out to the Job Seekers' Garden Club

April joined the Job Seekers' Garden Club of St. Louis in January 2021.

  "Sending a big shout out to the Job Seekers' Garden Club and especially to Bob Kolf for all of his hard work turning this group into something very special. I joined back in January 2021 and have seen this group grow into a place where job seekers and recruiters can gather and share information to help each other succeed! I'm happy to be a part of it and appreciate all of the many posts and messages from Bob and those in the group. I searched for a new position for nearly 8 months after being laid off and this group was a great place to come for inspiration, leads and most of all support and encouragement. Best of luck to everyone in the group!"

After 1 year of actively looking, many applications and interviews, I am happily employed...

Cindy was one of the original members of the

Job Seekers' Garden Club of St. Louis.

"I joined the Job Seeker’s Garden Club LinkedIn group after being laid off April 30th, 

2020 due to the pandemic. 
This group provided me the opportunity to network with others in the same boat as me

 as well as providing a host of additional resources. I had been at my previous job for 27 years, so needless to say, I was embarking on a whole new world. From navigating unemployment, establishing my LinkedIn profile, drafting a resume and writing cover letters, 

it was a lot to navigate and at times very overwhelming. 
Having a group of people I could go to, to provide guidance or best practices on utilizing LinkedIn etc. was extremely beneficial.  At that time I joined, it was a smaller group, but it quickly grew to ~3K members made up of other job seekers, recruiters and those that were there as ‘connectors’ to network with, provide mentorship etc. It’s all about who you know in this world and this group allowed for the opportunity to meet and network with lots of different people all which provided me with an introduction to a new connection, which is the name of the game when you are trying to get your foot in the door at a new company.  Whether you are the person that can open doors for others and provide an introduction, the cheerleader providing the positivity and encouragement to keep others pushing ahead or the mentor who provides a listening ear and great advice, this group needs more connectors like you! Of course this group wouldn’t exist without the job seekers and all the recruiters who are working so hard to help get everyone back to work. So please consider being a part of this great organization. 
I am thrilled to have ‘graduated’ from job seeker to ‘connector' after an unintentional gap year. After 1 year of actively looking, many applications and interviews, I am happily employed as the new Director of Guest Care for Panera Bread."

Keep Your Spirits Up, Your Time Will Come.

Murat was one of the original members of the

Job Seekers' Garden Club of St. Louis.

“I attended almost all the virtual career fairs, STL Job Seekers’ activities, reached out to anybody that I can reach, and told almost everybody I know that I was looking for a job. In short, I kept knocking on doors and finally I found a job. I really wanted to work for this company and it was my seventh application to them. So, please keep your spirits up. Your time will also come.”