In April 2001, I launched First Impression Career Services to provide job seekers with professionally written resumes and cover letters. The business was an instant success and quickly evolved into a professional coaching and resume service. Due to the support of people like you as well as my own personal and professional growth,  I am pleased to announce that First Impression Career Services is now MyCareerCoach!

I have always believed the secret to a rich and rewarding career was in having the courage to do what you loved. Over the past 8 years, it became increasingly apparent that I loved coaching smart, hi-performing global executives, project managers and up and coming business leaders.

Inspiration for this transition began 1-year ago when I was challenged to coach an exceptional executive who had the ear of well known world leaders. Despite her elevated status she struggled to make ends meet. Her vision was to leverage her contacts to increase her income.  Her obstacles included spending more than she earned, citing her high-profile lifestyle required her to wear couture and pricey designer wear which she was unable to afford;  difficulty saying no to others; and her inner gremlin (I will speak more about the gremlin in coming weeks) who said she wasn't good enough.

I was excited that this client wanted to hire me. However, I felt ill-equipped to coach her towards her goals. The incident inspired me to register for the Executive and Organization Coaching Certification at NYU. My inner awareness increased as quickly as my skills and before I knew it had embarked on a major rebranding process.

In my new role as Chief Career Officer for MyCareerCoach, I will do more of what I love, which is coaching high caliber individuals and business teams in small to medium organizations in the New York and Westchester areas around their Life Purpose, Inner Passion, and Organizational Performance.  In addition, I am qualified to validate essential assessment tools such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the 360 Degree Multi-Rater.  Professionally written resumes and career marketing document services are available for existing and coaching clients only. For detailed information about MyCareerCoach visit http://www.mycareercoach.net/

Thank you for your support!
Anne-Marie Ditta
Chief Career Officer
MyCareerCoach

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Twice within the past 5 years I have personally met and heard PETER WEDDLE, a recruiter, HR consultant and business CEO turned author and commentator, described by The Washington Post as "... a man filled with ingenious ideas," who has earned an international reputation, pioneering concepts in Human Resource leadership and employment speak at the Kennedy Recruiting Conference, a conference that is widely attended by head hunters, recruiters, employment agencies and representatives from job boards. Both times I was astounded by his breadth of knowledge  and boundless energy and enthusiasm for sharing eye opening information about the recruitment process.  So, when I read WEDDLE's latest newsletter, I immediately got his permission to share the following article with you.

The Olympic Games will begin shortly and, no doubt, treat us to a showcase of some of humankind's best moments. Despite its imperfections, this quadrennial event confirms just how special people can be when they are dedicated to a goal, work hard at its accomplishment and have faith in themselves. For most of us, however, the athletes who compete in the Olympics seem a very different breed. They are more gifted than we, more talented, more able to succeed at realizing their aspirations. So, we assume that the journey of an Olympian holds little of relevance to our gifts and talent or to the aspirations at which we work. And, that assumption is incorrect.

Olympians are the living embodiment of three principles that are as important to each of us as they are to those who are world class athletes. Why is that so? Because every person has the ability to be a world class "career athlete," to achieve career victories that may not award them a gold medal, but will earn them a perfect ten in self respect and happiness at work. How can that happen, especially in difficult times such as these? By incorporating those three Olympian principles into your career. And the key to doing that is to adopt the goals and beliefs of these special athletes.

Most Olympic athletes are ordinary people striving to do extraordinary things. They set out to be the best they can be in their chosen sport. That's their all consuming goal. To continuously probe the outer limits of their ability to perform in archery, swimming, track or judo. They will reach for the outer reaches of what they can do, but at some point that reach will exceed their grasp. With some wonderful exceptions like Dara Torres, most of these athletes will see their push for perfection limited by the inherent aging of the human body. They have a brief shot at their personal best, and then their chance is gone.

Happily, we can adopt the very same goal but without the Olympian's limitation. We can (and should) strive to be the best we can be in our chosen field of work, and with rare exceptions, we will never have to worry about being derailed in that quest by the frailties of the human body. All we have to do is accept the validity of this objective and make the commitment to work at it. We have to:

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About a year ago I read an article in e-Week entitled 10 Ways to Tweak Your Tech Résumé. A more appropriate title would have been How to Slow Down Your Job Search. Although the article make a few good points. I found some of the tips so contrary to what I know works for project managers and other professionals seeking new opportunities that I posted a response on e-Week. With the current unemployment rate holding at 5.5%, I thought it would be worth updating and reprinting my response to e-Week:

The quality of your résumé can have a direct impact the length of your job search. Therefore, the following is a list of effective strategies, used by certified professional writers, worldwide:

• To maximize the effectiveness of key words use both the acronym and full spelling of the phrase. For example, ERP ( Enterprise Reporting Programs)

• The format of your resume can either reflect favorably or negatively on you. To give your resume a profession al look  use a 0.7" margin all the way around. set the point size for your name at 16 point, content at 11 or 12 point and heading at 12 to 14 point. Be sure to balance the white space in proportion to content - generally I use about 80% content / 20% white space. Check out Pat Criscito’s "Designing the Perfect Resume" for more ideas on layout and design.

• Accomplishments are the heart and soul of an effectively written resume. While hiring managers are interested in knowledge and skills,  it is more important interested to demonstrate how you have used these talents. Instead of writing "Used Java to implement a redesign" try "Increased Web Traffic, tenfold, with implementation of site redesign.

• When composing your resume keep in mind it may reviewed by a member of the Human Resource Department or a hiring manager who has limited technical knowledge. Therefore avoid having your resume sound overly technical as it may intimidate and confuse readers. Instead create a section that clearly defines the technologies you have worked with. 

• Cover Letters are IMPORTANT! Not including one is like arriving empty handed to a dinner party. Cover letters can point hiring managers to specific areas of the resume. The following excerpt is from the cover letter of a Project Manager seeking a director level opportunity:

  My track record, which is outlined in the enclosed résumé, fully demonstrates my ability to achieve desirable results. In addition to uniting a disconnected organization I have built a supply chain management system which consolidated purchasing processes for buyers worldwide.

• Writing a top-notch resume takes time and effort. Give considerable thought to what questions hiring managers want answered. Your résumé should answer such key questions as: what have you done to meet the target completion date. reduce life cycles, prevent / mitigate scope creep or risk, salvage failing projects, cut project costs, and drive performance?
  

• In the early 90's  technology grew at a breakneck pace, causing the war for any talent. Today, the war is for the best talent. The most successful candidates have found that defining their personal brand has helped distinguish them for the competition. The following three questions will help to define your personal brand:
1. What do I stand for?
2. What am I best known for?
   
3. What distinguishes me from the competition?
   

Resumes are like technical projects, some are easier than others. You can get off to a  good  start by simply jotting down your greatest accomplishments and the skills and responsibilities you enjoy the most. If there is something that you are experienced with but dislike doing you can either leave it off your resume or place it further down in your list of experience. If you get stuck in the process, seek a colleague, friend, or professional to help you. A poorly written resume can seriously slow down your search while a professionally laid out and written document can significantly cut your time.

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According to the article by Eric Chabrow in the July 7, 2008 issue of CIO INSIGHT, Mr. Chabrow claims that the IT workforce reached a record high in the second quarter of 2008 with nearly 4 million workers being employed. 
At question is the accuracy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting. 

Conventional wisdom amongst readers who responded is employment in the IT sector is anything but thriving.  Overall readers agreed that the jobs posted online don't present genuine opportunities. Additionally the impact of outsourcing and the hiring of those who have an H-1 visa was a frequent cause for concern.

In search of more accurate data, I spent the better part of the evening searching for data to support one position or the other. Nothing I found had contradicted recent reports of rising unemployment figures in the business and  professional sectors. Let  alone IT.

While you cannot control the job market, you can control how you manage your career.  Below are 5 Tips To Survive   a Tough Job Market:

1. Use social networking sites such as LinkedIn to grow your network and locate past employers, colleagues, classmates, vendors, etc.
2. Start your own blog to position yourself as a Subject Matter Expert
   
3. Arrange to have a 360 Degree Assessment conducted to find out what your team, staff, stakeholders and  boss really think of you. Use the results to improve your performance.
   
4. Offer to mentor to someone who really needs your help.
   
5. Boost your Optimism Quotient by reading something inspirational or spending time with people whose attitude you admire.
   

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A Case For Coaching

http://mycareercoach.vox.com/library/...

While walking through the Arts & Music Festival in Hoboken, New Jersey my came across a vendor who sold hand carved desk items that depicted various professions. We searched for one that was appropriate for a coach but were disappointed to find the only items that said...

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While walking through the Arts & Music Festival in Hoboken, New Jersey my came across a vendor who sold hand carved desk items that depicted various professions. We searched for one that was appropriate for a "coach" but were disappointed to find the only items of this nature were for athletic coaches.

If you are on unfamiliar with the field of coaching you might be interested to know that coaching is a rapidly growing, exciting career path that is revolutionizing the field of personal and professional development. It is important to note that coaching is not therapy or counseling and should not be treated as a alternative to such. The goal of coaching is often to help clients reach SMART Goals. Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable / Actionable, Realistic / Relevant and Timely.According to the International Coaching Federation “clients are naturally creative, resourceful and capable of finding their own solutions.”

Coaches may specialize in a variety of areas that include but are not limited to business, parenting, relationships, and leadership. My specialty is career coaching. Over the years, I have coached hundreds of clients in transitioning to a new career or position that is supports  their values, skills, knowledge and interests.  In helping clients move away from the chaos of their minds and into the realm of possibility I draw upon a variety of  skills and models to help coachees reach their professional goals. In order to help you better understand what the coaching relationship  looks like, I have provided the following  case study from my private business.

CASE STUDY
Susan C.
Background

Susan C. (not her real name).,, a young year old female, lived at home with home grandparents  and received unemployment.. She first contacted me to write her resume. During the project I found she had a poor record of employment  However,  she impressed me with her  motivation, and honesty. She completed assignments quickly and called a day ahead to confirm our  meetings. My gut feelings told me that she could benefit from coaching.

Establishing the Relationship

 While the resume was being written I asked if she interested interested in career coaching. To establish the relationship l told her what the coaching relationship involved. Given her personal and professional goals it was an ideal time for Susan C. to accept coaching.

We moved forward to an introductory call. During the call I asked Susan C. to rank on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being couldn't care less and 10 being total and sheer excitement) how committed she was to her goals. She said a 10 and that she had been thinking about this for at least two years. If she were able to  achieve some other goals first it would rank it a 12. Immediately after the call I sent Susan C. a Welcome Packet to complete and email back to me prior to our first call.

These steps  laid  the foundation of  the coaching relationship and provided  Susan C. with clear guidelines as to what was expected of her.

Establishing Performance Goals

During the first call we reviewed  Welcome Packet to clarify Susan C.'s goals.  Out of the 7 areas of the Whole Life Model (this can be viewed online by doing a search for the Wheel of Life) Susan C. chose to work on career, finance and physical environment. It was necessary for Susan C. to reach her initial  goals of finding a job  in order to support her other two goals. In the meantime she would read several books and review websites to anchor her commitment to her financial goals.

This phase of the engagement helped create a road map. that defined where Susan C. wanted to go and what she needed to get there. Clear notes helped me track key points that would act as a guide during her journey.

Ongoing Active Coaching

To establish a clear direction we verbally reviewed a coaching call prep form at the beginning of each call.  Over the engagement Susan C. designed an effective strategy that attracted  job interviews for which I asked thought provoking questions to help prepare her. To address  a personal relationship issue I introduced different models and presented ways to reframe her thoughts and ideas as well as metaphors that allowed her to form her own insights and solutions.   I shared resources such as websites, books and made a referral to a social worker to advance her healing around  personal and family issues.

To  support her in making a decision whether to attend school this semester, I used the SMART Goals model  and asked what she needed to weigh and who needed to be involved in making this decision. As a result she decided to avail herself of several organizational trainings and revisit attending school the following semester.   

During our first call Susan C. said she  felt hopeful that it was not to late to get her life together. Over the weeks she said she benefited from having me listen objectively and hold a space that helped her make her own decisions. When I asked if there was anything she would like me to change or do less of she said that I was doing fine and she really felt she was benefiting from the relationship.  It was powerful and suprising for me to learn how positive it was for her to be heard.

Completion

Susan C. is a delightful coachee who is deeply committed  to  achieving  her goals despite her difficult home environment. Witnessing her growth helped me to understand how powerful coaching can be. I found myself wondering how her life might have been different had we not entered in this unique and special coaching relationship.

Susan C.'s first day on her new job as an  administrative assistant was a few weeks ago. That night Susan C. excitedly shared with me all about the opportunities for advancement. She has already established new career goals and defined several steps that she needs to take to achieve her financial and physical environment goals.

We reviewed where she had started from and where she was now, which she expressed happiness and gratitude for my helping  reach her goal growth in less than two months. Next week we will speak to determine our next steps.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                  

Noted Career Expert Joins the Center for Women of New York (CWNY) 

The Center for Women of New York, which is based in Queens Borough Hall, welcomes Anne-Marie Ditta, a nationally recognized career coach and speaker to their organization. Ms. Ditta will be leading CWNY’s Job Club, a free program for individuals seeking employment. . The Job Club features topics that include: How to Write a Resume that Gets Interviews, Keys to a Successful Job Search, and Interview Secrets that Will Get You Hired.

Ms. Ditta presented a workshop on “Successful Job Search”¨ on October 2007 at the Center for the Women's World of Working Women’s Conference at the Sheraton- LaGuardia Hotel in Flushing and now joins our staff of professional consultants. Ms. Ditta owns and operates First Impression Career Services, LLC, a career coaching and resume service.  Ms. Ditta is a highly credentialed practitioner who has spoken at the Project Management Institute, the National Resume Writers Association, appeared on local television on radio and has contributed to numerous books on resume writing. 

The addition of Ms. Ditta is part of CWNY’s expansion of its programs in anticipation of its permanent home in a landmark building at Fort Totten, Bayside, New York. CWNY is a non-profit, volunteer organization driven by its mission to be a one-stop walk-in resource center for women.

The Job Club session takes place on alternate Fridays at 10 am-12 noon  in Room 325 at Queens Borough Hall. For an appointment, please call 718-793-0672.

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If you have ever tried to call me and reached my voice mail you most likely were greeted with "It's a wonderful day here at First Impression Career Services..." I choose this greeting because every day that allows me to help people to achieve their goals and stretch themselves is a wonderful day. As I thought back on what I  accomplished over the past year I concluded that 2007, was a wonderful year, too. Here are some of the highlights of the past year.

• Personal Branding - Companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi stand out in a highly competitive market because they have strong brand awareness. Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart and Donald Trump have built empires on their personal brand and you can, too! Over the course of 2007, I participated in a number of workshops and seminars to expand my ability to help people like you tap into their personal brand. I am proud to say many of these individuals have moved on to new and better opportunities where their personal brand and talents are valued.
  

• MBTI Qualified Practitioner - In May I attended a week long training in preparation for the Myers Briggs Qualifying Exam. The class was difficult as it involved an understanding of statistics, not one of my greatest strengths. None the less I persevered  and  in  August I was awarded a certificate. As a MBTI Qualified practitioner I administer and validate the Myers Briggs Personality Assessment, a tool that is instrumental in helping people gain a better understanding of themselves and others. This awareness can be leveraged to assist in making rewarding career choices.
  

• Professional Speaking - This was the year that I got out from behind the desk and got in front of people. I delivered several presentations to the The Center for Women of New York, The American Association of University Women, Project Management Institute in New York and Westchester County. The most recent one being "What Do You Say After Hello? How to Network Your to Job Search and Professional Success!" In addition, I joined Wendy Enelow and several colleagues who volunteered their time to conduct resume reviews at The New York Times Support Our Troops Job Fair.
  

• Professional Advancement - In November I enrolled in  a Coaching Certificate Program at NYU. The first class Foundations of Coaching I was very enlightening. We explored the underpinnings of coaching which are rooted in the disciplines of learning, change and systems theories, philosophy, positive psychology and contemporary neuroscience.  I have already begun to implement what I learned with favorable results. I am looking forward to   Foundations of Coaching II, which begins next month, as well as the subsequent classes.
  

• Job Club Leadership - Last month I joined The Center for Women of New York as a Job Club Leader. Twice a month I am conducting classes in Resume Writing, Job Search Strategies, Interviewing Skills, Salary Negotiations and Career Exploration for underprivileged women returning to the workforce. Currently I am assisting 2 very bright and capable women. It is personally rewarding to make a real difference in the lives of people who don't have readily have access to private services. 
  

• Giving Back - Over the weekend of October 9th, I joined over 2000 women and men who walked 39 miles on behalf of the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. To participate in the walk I had to raise a minimum of $1800. With the help of my family, friends and congregation I raised over $2100. This event taught me a lot about myself and what I could accomplish when given the right conditions. Without the support of others, proper  nourishment, rest, and the drive to succeed I could not have walked through the finish line.
  

I am proud of what I accomplished  over the past year and hope that when we ring in 2009  the above highlights will  have paled when  compared to what I plan to accomplish this year.

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Several years ago I read "The Accidental Tourist." The book's main character Macon Leary found he had to learn how to live on his own after his wife left him following the loss of their son. Macon struggles to adjust to his new status He sews his sheets into one big pillowcase  to make changing the bed easier. He wears sweat clothes to bed so will not have to have to change his clothing when he wakes up. These shortcuts result in an injury, which forces Macon to move in with his siblings. Once again, Macon has the comfort of a family structure.

Like Macon, you might find yourself thinking there is a shortcut to making a career change.  The first thing you will probably do is prepare a resume, click on to Monster or Hotjobs and start responding to anything that looks good.  However, the most effective method for making a career change is to conduct an analysis of your skills, interests, experience, values, likes and dislikes. You may be thinking this approach will take too long. While it could be lengthy, it could  also save you precious time and money. Why insist on looking for job when you really want to make a change?

The reason probably dates back to the messages you received while growing up. Habits are hardwired into our working memory. Such messages include "there's good job security working for  the government" or "have you looked in the paper?" A few decades ago, television and radio commercials touted "I got my job through the New York Times."  , 

Agreed, you cannot make a career transition without conducting a job search. However, skipping important steps can actually prolong your transition. I have known people who have left secure jobs to try something new and wound up regretting their choices before contacting me. Others posted resumes online with little or no success.

*My client Karen graduated from medical school as a plastic surgeon. She has had several positions since she graduated from medical school two years ago. During our first meeting she confessed that she disliked performing surgery. In fact, she disliked it so much that she frequently found herself getting sick on the way into the office. When I asked her what made her decide to enter medical school, she replied "I wanted to own my own beauty salon but I was afraid I wouldn't make a good living. Now I am paying off loans from medical school and I hate being in the medical profession." Had Karen taken the time to explore her choices she would have never entered medical school. 

Creating a rewarding career presents new and exciting opportunities for increased self-awareness and increased self-esteem. Do you have an idea of what you would love to do? If you answered yes, what are you next steps? Perhaps you are unsure at this point. If this is the case, what then, do you need to do to begin the journey?  

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