Stories by Women for Women:"Hello, here I am"

To celebrate International Women's Day and Gender Equality Month, we're sharing stories from Women at Monster who are inspiring change and working to #BreakTheBias.

First up is our European General Counsel, Kira Protoschill. We hope her story inspires you to spark change everywhere!

“Hello, here I am”

I still remember hoping and praying to get my first job. Even during my law studies, professors in our law school agreed: there were "far too many" of us with "far too few" open positions on the market. That doesn't exactly boost confidence when you are job hunting. No wonder that, of the 200 fellow students, more than half threw in the towel in the first few semesters of school!

So, there I was in the early 2000s, a newly graduated lawyer. Talk about a "war for talent!” Wringing my hands and full of self-doubt, I looked at how I could start my career. I started with a fancy application portfolio. And quite honestly, I secretly prayed to the heavens: "Hello, here I am. Please, please, make them hire me!" Not only was it anxiety-inducing, but it was also existence-inducing. So why not try an online job board and post my CV? It couldn't have worked out better for me. For the first time, I was contacted by an employer. "A company really wants to get to know me," I said happily. My first experience with an online job board elicited an indescribably good feeling – and an interview!

All of this was made possible by technology that puts applicants on the same level as employers. At Monster, we help people find the right fit, easily and quickly. I am proud to work for a company with this worthwhile purpose, and I wish everyone a similarly awesome experience with their job search!