Career Coaching and Resume Writing

07/03/2023

INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWING: There are many ways to explore jobs, career fields, and organizations. An effective method is informational interviewing: asking questions of a person who works in a job or career, or for an employer you are interested in.

How do you find a person to conduct an informational interview with? College career services offices are a great resource to find appropriate people to talk to. Family, friends, previous coworkers, and acquaintances may also know people working in a field, or for an employer, you have interest in.

Informational interviews can be conducted in person, virtually, or over the phone. I recommend meeting in person because it will give you a better opportunity to establish rapport with the person you are talking with. When requesting an informational interview, be respectful of the person’s time and schedule and ask for only 15 minutes. Politely tell them why you are contacting them. “Joe Smith suggested I contact you. I’m exploring career fields and have a strong interest in Real Estate. Joe said you are very successful and might be willing to spend 15 minutes with me telling me about your work and answering a few questions.

Approach the informational interviewing with professionalism. Dress in business attire. Be on time for the appointment. Don’t sit down until the person you’re talking with invites you to take a seat. When the 15 minutes you requested has passed, politely thank the person for their time and prepare to leave. If the person you’re talking with, encourages you to talk with them longer, it is appropriate to ask a few additional questions. When your meeting is finished, courteously thank your interviewee, and request a business card. Extend the courtesy of sending a thank you letter within 48 hours of your meeting.

Some questions you may want to ask include:
Can you tell me what a typical day is like?
What kind of experience is needed to get a job such as this?
What skills are most important in your position?
I’m very interested in talking with people in this field. Is there anyone else you suggest I talk with?

07/02/2023

You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job and not get paid for it. ~ Oprah Winfrey

05/05/2023

Help Yourself By Helping Others

Many of us may overlook the value of community involvement, often termed volunteering. Not only can you make lives of others better by giving of yourself, but you just might also make your own life better as well. Helping other people can help us feel better about ourselves.

Volunteerism can also help us develop new skills, skills we will perhaps use in a paid position one day.

Volunteerism is also a way to meet new people and make connections. You may find yourself being offered a paid position for an organization you originally did volunteer work for. To that point, volunteering can be a way to try out a job or career.

Speaking of jobs and careers, community involvement looks great on a resume. Many employers respect and value candidates who give of themselves to improve the lives of people less fortunate.
Volunteering: one more way you can make a difference. An important difference! Another way you just might make the world a little bit better place.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” From Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse.

04/21/2023

Your life is your story.
Go write it.
~Clare

01/07/2023

Find out what your gift is and nurture it.
~Katy Perry

12/03/2022

12/03/2022

🔥 🔥 🔥

08/23/2022

Person of Interest: Tami Wagstaff

I’m fortunate to have known Tami Wagstaff since she was in high school and we were neighbors in western Kansas. After high school, Tami earned a nursing degree from Ft. Hayes. The people she has helped and the accomplishments she’s made in her career are amazing to me.

Tami has worked for medical practices, in home health care, at The Wichita Children’s Home and The R**e Crisis Center. I’m sure there are probably other positions she’s held and other organizations she’s contributed her talents to.

Tami is currently the Director of Raise My Head Foundation, a safe, structured two-year residential program for women over the age of eighteen who are breaking free from s*x trafficking. Raise My Head gives these women the opportunity for recovery, growth, and transformation by providing housing, food, medical and dental care, counseling and therapy, and education and job training. “Most importantly, Raise My Head says, “we show these women that they are loved and valued by restoring their identity and their voice. Through an online cottage industry selling skincare, the women develop job skills and build their resumes to gain employment after graduation.

I can’t imagine the number of lives Tami has made a monumental difference in. Tami Wagstaff is definitely a person of interest in our city and surrounding area. She will always be in my heart because of the many ways she’s helped me and my family.

“People can make a real difference. One person at a time, one job at a time, one life at a time.” — James Packer

Tami Wagstaff makes a difference!

Note: Raise My Head is funded entirely through the support of generous donors. The Foundation receives no government funding and the women who heal with Raise My Head are never charged for services. To learn more about Raise My Head, https://raisemyhead.org and/or to shop their products https://raisemyhead.org/shop/

08/09/2021

Food for thought. What job or type of work, paid or unpaid, would give you joy and a sense of purpose? Include details.

07/23/2021

Reading Shocker News a few minutes ago, I came across this amazing informational interview conducted by Stan Longhofer, Professor and Director of the Center for Real Estate at Wichita State University. Professor Longhofer interviews two WSU graduates regarding their work in Real Estate. Take a look and a listen if you have an interest in Real Estate.

The WSUAA and Shocker Career Accelerator partner on this Shock Talk Career Chats: Real Estate Pros video featuring Abby Kelly '11, David Grard '14 and Stan L...