My brother said his friend just needed a shot, someone to open the right door. I didn’t expect that helping him could risk everything I’d been working toward.
A few months ago, my younger brother Nate called me out of the blue, begging me to help his friend land a job. Little did I know that call would change the lives of both his friend and me.
“Maria, big sis, I need a favor,” he said, drawing out the middle words like he was already expecting a no.
I sighed, tossing my phone between my hands.
I knew when he called me “big sis” that the favor was also going to be huge. “What kind of favor?”
“It’s about my buddy, Jake. We were in the same program at college.
He’s a super smart guy, I mean, brilliant, but he’s been striking out on interviews left and right lately. I think he’s just nervous or something. Could you…
maybe pull some strings?”
Ironically, at the time, I was leading a hiring panel at my tech firm for a mid-level software engineering role. It was a good role with a competitive salary, equity, and full benefits. It was the kind of job that could really change someone’s life.
And if I made a successful referral?
I’d get a bonus! But not just any bonus, enough to finally cover the deposit for my daughter’s new private school. I was pretty much a single parent because my ex was months behind on support, and without help, I was running out of options.
So yeah, Nate’s timing was perfect.
“Send me his resume,” I told him.
“Thanks, sis!
Anything you can do will be appreciated.”
Fifteen minutes later, I opened the PDF on my laptop and sat back in disbelief.
This guy looked amazing on paper and was perfect for the position available!
He had years of experience, a solid list of companies, glowing recommendations, and a couple of side projects that were more advanced than what half my current team had built.
I called my brother back. “Can you ask him if we can meet up for a little coaching session? There’s a job at my company that he’d be excellent for.”
The story doesn’t end here — it continues on the next page.
Tap READ MORE to discover the rest 🔎👇
