Like most of the job seekers I work with, the story of my career extends beyond Plan B. The common thread: I've always enjoyed connecting job seekers with opportunity and studying hiring trends.
You can check out my full bio over on LinkedIn. (Or this inteview I did with Glassdoor or this one with CNN.) Here's my unofficial bio.
First Job in High School: Frame Shop
Cutting glass and metal was not my forte, but I learned that the frame you put around something often helps make the sale. (This also works in job search.)
First Internship: Editing a Phone Book At the end of the summer, my boss was kind enough to point out that the phone book was the Corporate Telecommunications Directory for a Fortune 100. Sounds more impressive, doesn't it? See the value of framing?
First Job Post College: Editing Rocket Science with the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics. I wanted to write books, so I pursued a career in publishing and took the first editorial assistant job I could find, only to discover that attitude was different from altitude. I transferred to another department where I helped organize professional development programs for rocket scientists. I liked it so much I applied to grad school to study career development. Lesson learned: Sometimes the wrong first job can still lead you in the right direction.
After Grad School: Ten years in college career offices + a year as a recruiter
Worked as a career advisor to students and alumni of Ivy League schools, collaborating with amazing colleagues and visiting very cool employers -- from the Supreme Court and the State Department to the likes of Google, Boeing and Apple.![]()
Never tired of asking employers what they look for, and worked briefly as a recruiter to get the inside perspective of how hiring works inside companies.
2008: Founded Best Fit Forward after earning certification as a professional resume writer from the Professional Association of Resume Writers (2006).
Launched a full time private practice serving individuals and corporate clients in July 2008.Got certified as a Career Management Coach in 2010.
Spent much of the first year learning from my peers, and offered the opportunity to write a book with two of my mentors, Deb Dib (career coach to CEOs) andSusan Whitcomb (author of top-selling book) Resume Magic.
The Twitter Job Search Guide was published in March 2010 (JIST 2010).
2008 - 2011: Continue to keep a close ear on understanding job seeker needs and how people hire:
- Since April 2008, I've served as one of the organizers for the NYC Job Seekers Meet-up group of over 1400 job seekers.
- In 2009, I reviewed over 200 resumes from across the U.S. as the only "Resume Specialist" for Microsoft Office Live's 'My Resume Talks" campaign.
- I've am a part-time Community Manager for StartWire, a free service for job seekers founded by recruiting industry veterans. Every week I interview a recruiter for a company with over 1,000 employees. You can see the interviews here.
I also serve as a consultant for colleges, non-profits, and companies on hiring and career management.
Speaking engagements for 2011 include The Career Management Alliance, RiseSmart, The Academies Career BootCamp, Women for Hire, and Career Directors International.Outside of work, I enjoy listening to -- and telling stories.
That's my story. How can I help you shape yours?