I just want to make sure I'm doing all the things I can

'cause I'm looking for a job.

(upbeat music)

- Not only has he long ago paid his debt to society,

but he continues to work on himself.

(upbeat music)

- I want to be proud of myself.

I'm Roel Villamayor, unemployed but not unemployable.

(upbeat music)

- Landing interviews is fantastic.

It's a sure sign that you're marketing yourself

in the right way, toward the right positions

and with the right people.

Now it's time to shift into that "slay the interview" mode.

- So what you got going on now, man?

- I got a job interview.

Really good job that, I want to make a good impression.

I don't know, it's kind of like

coming full circle with this place.

They trained me, they trained me to become

a drug and alcohol counselor when I was in prison.

- So that's what you're passionate about,

that's what you really want to do?

- Yeah, I love the mission of the company,

the people it serves, and the community they build.

It uses all the skills I've developed out here,

it uses the skills that I've developed in there,

and it doesn't look at my past, you know?

- Yeah. That's awesome.

Now you'll be practicing those skills you learned,

you know what I mean?

They won't just fade away.

- They can't see all this.

- [Interviewer] Hey, it's nice to meet you.

Thanks for being with us today.

- Well, thanks for having me here.

I appreciate it.

- [Interviewer] Yeah, of course.

I just wanted to start off

by learning a little bit about you.

Can tell me a little bit about yourself?

- Well, I'm kind of a Jack of all trades.

- [Instructor] "Tell me about yourself?"

What? What kind of question is this?

Is it even a question?

Technically no, but it's considered one

in the wild world of job interviewing.

And while you may dread "tell me about yourself,"

you've got this tremendous opportunity

to kick the meeting off strong if you get it right.

- [Interviewer] So Roel,

what sets you aside from other candidates?

- [Instructor] Make sure your answer is

succinct, honest, and engaging.

Resist the urge to start going

line by line through your resume.

- I pride myself on my organizational ability

and finding the patterns,

and being effective at knowing my workplace.

- [Instructor] Before the big day, grab the job description

and highlight a few of the most prominent required skills,

skills that you possess, and then brainstorm

how you can describe yourself as a person

while also showcasing your strengths

in those very things that the employer is seeking.

- I love taking my counseling skills

and using those to help build rapport

with clients and customers

because after we were trained to become counselors,

we were counseling inmates in prison that we lived with.

All right, so I finished the interview and it felt good.

Got to be honest with you, I tried to hold back tears,

but I was like, I do feel solid about this program

because I've lived it.

And I started getting more and more into the details

and I was like, wow.

No, this is too good to be true.

I felt pretty good about the interview in general.

I hope I hear from them soon.

(upbeat music)