As Jaclyn Selewski approached her graduation from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she started thinking about where she wanted to go next. “At first, I was looking out-of-state and figured I’d just land where the job opportunities took me,” said Jaclyn. “My focus was on finding the right job and an encouraging boss and I didn’t want to limit my search.”
Despite graduating early and the experience of four internships, Jaclyn found searching for a job during a pandemic proved extra challenging. “I probably had about 50 interviews without a ton offers, and those I did get didn’t meet the criteria I had established for my first job. I was really determined to find the best fit for my career goals.”
She quickly identified that leveraging networks would provide better results, explaining, “I had the most success during my job search with referrals that came through word-of-mouth.” One day, a college friend who works at SafeSend — a SaaS fintech company headquartered in Ann Arbor with satellite offices in Boise and India — posted on LinkedIn that the company was growing. Jaclyn immediately felt a connection, remarking “the job description couldn’t have been more perfect if I had written it myself.”
After she got an interview with SafeSend, Jaclyn started exploring the city more. At the same time, her brother-in-law — who is a software engineer in Ann Arbor — was touting the city’s benefits. “He was a driving force when it came to me discovering Ann Arbor,” she said. “Even his coworkers emphasized that it’s the best place to be if you want to work in Michigan’s tech industry.”
In January 2021, Jaclyn joined SafeSend as a marketing specialist. “I have a great mentor and leader which as a fresh graduate was so important to me. The entire team is very engaging and welcoming. We’re all very passionate about helping one another learn and grow.”
Jaclyn finds that energy mirrored throughout the region, noting “Ann Arbor is a very friendly city. There is a natural camaraderie here and everyone is always meeting new people. I’m a very growth-oriented individual and I know because the region is a tech hub, I’ll have lots of opportunities to advance my career over the years. I plan on staying in Ann Arbor for a long time.”
