Roy Comer had nine years of hospital security experience and a deep desire to advance in his career. However, in 2021, Roy realized he needed to alter his approach to job search.
Working as a security officer at a prominent hospital with a master’s in business administration, Roy believed he would experience different outcomes in his job search. Roy thought he was qualified but was consistently denied on four separate occasions when he went for a promotion.
Roy earnestly sought help to achieve his goals from job search ministries and churches but was simply told to “network.” The lack of practical advice and tangible steps left Roy even more confused about what to do next.
“People see ‘security guard,’ and they’re like ‘security officer,’ ‘public safety,’ and stop there. I was asking, ‘How can I translate these skills?’”
For months, Roy struggled to connect with hiring managers at several hospitals. Recognizing the difficulties ahead of him in transitioning jobs, he had a significant choice to make. He desired a leadership role in the healthcare security profession, but he felt people weren’t taking his resume seriously.
Feeling that his background was a barrier to success, Roy asked his WorkFaith instructors for help. What he received was a profound shift in perspective.
“[WorkFaith] immediately pointed it back to God: ‘You have to pray about this. Figure out where God is sending you.’”
While going through WorkFaith’s Job Search Accelerator program, Roy developed many new skills and grew professionally, but he struggled to identify the next steps in his career.
To help him understand his career trajectory, WorkFaith instructors had him map out his professional journey, beginning with graduating from college. This career map was a beneficial tool that allowed him to examine his job experience differently. In addition, he connected with a career coach at WorkFaith who didn’t just tell him to network but showed him how. The help he received from his WorkFaith career coach and instructors gave him the confidence to believe in his goals and the skills he needed to accomplish them.
Roy is now a Commissioned Security Officer at Texas Children’s Hospital, his first choice. Though still relatively new to the job, he has already acquired new skills, such as adapting to different work environments and receiving feedback from his employer. Roy stays in touch with his career coach, Nate, too.
He credits WorkFaith as the job search organization he needed to reach his goals. His WorkFaith experience has inspired him to help others.
“I have a real passion to help people with finding careers, helping them look at their background in a different way, saying, ‘Hey, you’ve been doing this now, but have you ever thought of niching off in this area—I think you’d be great.’”
