2 posts tagged “resume writing”

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.

While walking our dogs the other day, my neighbor, Nancy (not her real name)  an extremely talented and experienced graphic designer, mentioned that she wanted to increase her business. Nancy explained that she was never big on networking but now realized she needed to get actively involved in new business development and target organizations that were willing to pay her what she was worth. Her challenge was in competing with young professionals who were available in considerably lower rate.

Nancy has considerable experience in magazine layout and design. Prior to  my career transition into career coaching and resume writing, I had sold advertising space in newspapers and magazines. I had worked directly with the publisher of one of New York's largest and trendiest city magazines and mentioned  that I would be willing to make an introduction.   Nancy's response spoke volumes about how she feeling, went somewhat like this: "thanks for the offer, but magazine's like that want to hire younger people, who they don't have to pay a lot. Besides they wouldn't be interested in someone my age."  I don't know if Nancy was having a bad day or if she had lost too many jobs through the years . What I do know is that her attitude was impacting her business growth. .

What if instead of blaming her lack of business on factors that were out of her control she invested in sales training and learned strategies for overcoming objections? What if instead of rejecting my offer, she took advantage of the opportunity to increase her network and maybe gain some insight as to how she could competitively position herself in a changing market? Perhaps, it would help Nancy to begin to identify the market demographics that she would like to work with.