Competitive Advantage

What is YOUR competive advantage?

The job market is a funny thing. One minute it's an employer's market, the next, it's a candidate's market. In either case, you need to understand how to work it to your advantage. Today, in 2008, career development and planning has gone far beyond posting your resume to the internet job boards, scanning newspaper ads and attending job fairs. We work with individuals to create a strategy for advancement in their careers. Work one on one to examine your current career path and identify any current or ongoing obstacles preventing the client from achieving his or her objectives. Let us help you put your best foot forward, make that lasting first impression, and soar above the competition.

Reasons to work with a Career Management Specialist:

* Enhance earning potential
* Articulate your best skills and accomplishments
* Increase interview success rate
* Decrease odds of resume rejection
* Stand out with your personal and professional networks
* Create a bold personal brand and self-marketing materials that get you noticed

We work with you to plan your career, implement action and reap the rewards of your work. There are several critical components to planning your career. Everyone has to start by writing their goals and creating a resume. Of course there is researching industries and companies. But what about after all of that? We work with you to position and brand yourself to stand out from the crowd. The market is tough and it's every woman for herself. We help make that process easier for you.

Career Assessment

The first phase of planning is assessing your needs, haves and wants. Not everyone has a clear idea of where they want to go. That's ok. But not for the long term. We examine internal, external, social, personal and professional influences to help you inlock any blocks in your success. Then we work with you to develop your goals and get them down in print. We assess your current skills and compare them to your ideal career, and help you determine what is needed to position yourself for that career.

Career Portfolio

The career portfolio is a tool you use to organize information about yourself and you professional history. It can be used to help you get a new job or improve your current situation. It is a powerful tool to organize your career that helps you become better organized and gives you a sense of confidence in yourself, credibility and proof of your abilities.

The portfolio will be designed with you to help you present the best of yourself to other people. As a tool in an interview or job review, it can be used to generate conversation about your abilities, interests, and accomplishments, demonstrate your knowledge, provide proof of the things you've done during your career. It can distinguish you from the competition and give you a competitive edge. People tend to be visually focused and believe what they can see. As your career evolves and changes, the portfolio should be changing along with it to document the twists and turns of your career journey. Your portfolio is an extension and reflection of you, and you alone decide what you will make it respresent.

Image & Branding

Who are you and what can you do? Sometimes you only have 30 seconds to convey that message. What will you say about yourself? Do you project a professional image? How do others perceive you in person or digitally (on the web)? It's about more than having a nice suit and a pair of killer pumps in your closet. Everything you do and say leaves an impression with someone you've been in contact with. From mingling at company events to volunteering at the PTA to participating in Myspace, you are always being watched. We all need to be mindful of the image we are presenting. We work with you to create a professional image and in some cases, an image period. If you Google yourself, what comes up? If you're like most women, the answer is nothing. If you want to succeed in your field and position yourself as an expert, you need a digital print. We work with you to develop that web presence and coordinate it with your real time (in person) image.

Network Development

Careers are made through teamwork. It is essential to have a strong network if you expect to excel in your chosen field. No one person can make it to the top alone. With the ever changing and growing connectivity technology on the market, it is easier now more than ever to make connections faster.

Choosing not to network is the equivalent to professional suicide. The old saying "it's all in who you know" carries a lot of truth. works with individuals to coach them to networking success. We can identify networking resources and develop a plan for you to develop your networking skills, build key relationships and introduce you to face to face and internet networking. Through a series of exercises and assignments, you learn how to develop and utilize a strong network of your own.

Packages are uniquly tailored to each individual. Resume development is included with each package.

Your career is nobody's responsibility but you own. You have to be proactive in managing your career like it's your business. Is your career important to you? Contact us today to see how we can help you. Empower Me! Members receive a 20% discount on our services.