Alumni Spotlight: Matt Lincoln
Matt Lincoln is an experienced healthcare professional. He came to CRC for help and successfully landed a new job as Senior Quality Improvement Project Manager for UChicago Medicine. Matt refers to CRC as a “godsend,” but his story shows that he identified and capitalized on many resources during his job search. He provides a textbook example of making his own good luck.
Matt grew up in Northbrook. He transplanted to Los Angeles for college but returned to Chicago to earn an MBA. He moved back to the sunny skies of Los Angeles, working 23 years for three healthcare companies (pharmaceutical and consulting). When Medicare cut back a major consulting project with his third employer, Matt moved back to Chicago to be closer to his family. He needed a new job.
Matt’s story
Matt heard about CRC from several people and signed up as a client. He participated in group sessions on basics and best practices (resume, researching, interviewing, networking and LinkedIn). Concurrently, he spoke regularly with his one-on-one CRC advisor. Matt also joined a CRC accountability group.
Having been through a similar transition once before, Matt thought he only needed a refresher on the basics and best practices. He was in for a surprise. Technology and social media have affected just about everything related to job searches over the past decade. Matt acknowledges that CRC’s ongoing instructional guidance on basics and best practices allowed him to get up to speed quickly and focus on the latest proven job search strategies.
Matt cites three elements of CRC’s services that were pivotal to his success.
CRC's vast resources. The depth of CRC’s resources wowed him. He used every asset he could, including group workshops, research materials, advisor consultations and peer-to-peer feedback.
Communications with advisor. Matt noted that his advisor was particularly beneficial in three areas:
- Helping him articulate an impressive, cohesive and attention-grabbing elevator speech
- Grounding him on the imperfect realities of the hiring process
- ·Guiding him on interview skills, particularly the need to focus on job descriptions and respond to questions in a way that aligns with the job description
Accountability group. Matt praises the effectiveness and motivational force of the CRC accountability group. He gained valuable insights about his search and enjoyed the camaraderie developed with other job seekers. The group enabled him to realize there were many others going through the same—sometimes frustrating--experience. The group provided motivation, encouragement and feedback when needed. There was a nice balance, he says, between “encourage and nudge.”
Turning lemons into lemonade
COVID-19 added complications to Matt’s job search, but it unexpectedly opened an extraordinary networking opportunity. It started with a notice in his church’s weekly bulletin that the church was looking for volunteers to help with an upcoming vaccination event. Matt signed up. He found the work personally rewarding, and it also provided an unexpected opportunity for perfect networking. Matt signed up as a volunteer for more vaccine events.
Matt connected the dots. Local pharmaceutical and healthcare providers were sponsoring the vaccination events. The sponsors sent their employees to participate. Matt seized the moment to meet and talk with many of them about his background and interests. Using skills sharpened at CRC, Matt characterizes the process as "supersizing" his network.
Matt got job leads and warm support through his new networking hub. As an example, he met the CEO of one of the sponsors. The CEO offered Matt a paid, part-time and short-term position tied to the vaccination program. Once again, Matt seized the moment. He accepted the offer and contends that the resulting change of pace “energized and balanced” him.
Through the use of his updated skills and expanded network, Matt learned about the opportunity at UChicago Medicine. He was thrilled to accept their offer, graciously acknowledging CRC as an amazing partner in the process.
- Interview and story by Tom Ratchford, CRC Board President
