“The class helped me to break the glass ceiling and to show me that what I was aiming for was not enough.”
Phung was born and raised in Vietnam. When she moved to the United States with her family when she was 10, she didn’t know any English. Being in a new country and not knowing the language was hard. “It was really a damper on my self-esteem,” says Phung. Over the years, Phung was able to learn English and when she was ready to start her career, she landed a job within Human Resources.
Phung continued to work for the same employer for more than a decade, getting promoted along the way. In 2019, the company Phung worked for lost one of their largest clients and was forced to lay off its employees. She was unemployed for six months. “I had a lot of self-doubt,” says Phung. “The longer I was unemployed, the larger my doubts became”.
Finding Support
Phung met a Dress for Success Triangle volunteer who suggested she try out the Going Places Network, a weekly job acquisition class for women. Phung immediately signed up not knowing what to expect. “I found out that I was not the only one feeling the way I was about myself, but that there were twenty other women in the class who felt the same way about themselves--we all felt like we weren’t good enough.” Phung soon learned that her and her classmates were good enough. “We just didn’t know what we needed to do to advertise ourselves to employers.”
Through the Going Places Network, Phung attended five mock interviews with various Triangle businesses. Mock interviews are offered to clients to be able to practice and perfect commonly asked interview questions and answers. It also helps many interviewees to get out any nervous energy before their real interview. Phung shares that hearing her classmates’ stories helped her to be able to open up more, which helped to build her confidence.
“The Going Places Network taught me that if I can do this class, I can do any class,” shares Phung. Since graduating from the class, Phung has signed up for four more continuing education courses to be able to complete her degree. “The class gave me the courage to go back and do a restart on my career to build a solid foundation. I now have a clear view on what I need to do to achieve my long term goals.”
Phung is continuing her job search while also balancing her school work.
Breaking Barriers
“One of the hidden gems of the class is that it breaks down many barriers that women face,” says Phung. Her experience was that she was always second best when it came to careers in technology. “Many people don’t see it, but I felt it,” says Phung. “Being in a class of all women, you are all equal, and you don’t have to feel like you’re competing.” Going on mock interviews with men and women helped to build her confidence and reassure her that she could do it and that she was not second best. “The class helped me to break the glass ceiling and to show me that what I was aiming for was not enough. Now I want more.”
Are you interested in learning more information about the Going Places Network? Read more or register here.