By Kathy Chouteau
A day in the life of Jessica M. Williams, JMW Career Consultant (JMWCC), might find her working with underprivileged families, incarcerated youth, women advocacy, everyday job seekers and adult students participating in Chevron Richmond’s Regional Occupational Program (ROP).
Known affectionately as the “job snatcher,” Williams has been in the career development field for 15 years, with three of those years working as a “closer” in ROP. Williams comes into the free 18-week program—which is funded by Chevron Richmond and implemented by the Contra Costa County Office of Education—and over its last three days, preps students with resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles and interview skills for potential work at the company or at other industrial facilities.
“I come in and I turn their class inside out,” said Williams, who said she proceeds to debunk resume myths and teach the students that “we don’t do comfort zones.” She tells the ROP cohort that she may be 5 feet, 5 inches tall but her presence is 6 feet 2 inches and that she brings “confidence with energy.” Over a few days, she puts the students on the “hot seat,” helping them become comfortable communicating and advocating for themselves by driving home the power of presence, good eye contact, handshake and body position, and direct communication.
“That is the one thing I don’t take lightly,” said Williams. “I want them to be able to communicate and advocate after they leave or after I leave them.”
She added that a handshake tells you everything about a person, and she teaches her students that between the handshake and the eye contact, you can win someone over…you can show them how confident you are through your handshake.
Williams said that her favorite part about working with ROP students is watching the transition from day one to day three. She’s at Chevron Richmond for an intensive three days helping two cohorts—day and night—so she can see the transformation happen from day one.
ROP instructor Jay Lloyd, called Williams “A huge resource for the county and more so for ROP,” and underscored her work with marginalized communities.
Williams said that outside of ROP, she also supports survivors of sex crimes and domestic violence, so that they can earn quality employment and don’t have to return to a life that they don’t want. Via partnerships throughout Solano County and Sacramento, she’s done six-week Job Readiness Programs where she prepares people ready for jobs interviews, networking events and job fairs.
This includes such work for Mending of Mothers near Sacramento, an organization that—among various initiatives—empowers mothers with the tools to secure employment and stable housing.
“The one thing I will say is that we forget about people who can’t do anything for us,” said Williams. She added that she makes it a point to attach herself to marginalized groups, because they need her and they need these types of services because they’re often overlooked.
So what’s the biggest tip Williams would give any job snatcher? “You need to get visible. You need to get out there and network, because you never know who you’re going to come across that is looking for your talent and your skill set.” She advises job seekers to have their 20 second pitch ready so they can get out there and network.
Those interested in joining the job snatcher tribe can contact Jessia M. Williams at [email protected] or (707) 890-6680 or visit her website.
