Success Story – Megan P.

Situation:  College application letter and interview

Megan P.: 17-year-old high school senior applying to colleges

I worked with Kelley Gerwig on editing my college application letter to THE ONE College that I really have my heart set on attending.  With her help and guidance, I was able to submit a strong, well-thought out, and true-to-me letter that I know made me a stand out applicant.  Through her insights I was able to understand my core personal values, how to convey the values in the context of my college application letter, and prove it with actual events in my life.  In fact, prior to my phone interview they told me how well written and informative my letter was in telling them about me.  It was the key in putting me on the short list of applicants they needed to interview.  Out of the thousands of application letters, my letter made a very positive first impression.  

The application letter was the first step in the process, next came the phone interview. Because of my work with Kelley Gerwig I was absolutely ready.  Funny, but they asked me the one question we worked on during our mock interview session.  I can absolutely tell you that I would never have been able to answer that question confidently and succinctly without her help.  

Through this process, I better understand how to communicate my brand, who I really am, and support it with events in my life.  By using this process, I know I can easily tell others in future job interviews or post-graduate applications why I am a top tier candidate to fill their openings.

 

Footnote:  I have been accepted to my first choice college and will start as an incoming freshman in their Exercise Science program in the fall 2011.  Thank You! 

"Tell me about yourself". Glad I was prepared!

I had you last semester for "How to Get a Job" I will admit when I first signed up for the class, I was irritated to have to take another class that I "wouldn't use". Boy was I wrong. This class and your help proved to be one of my most beneficial courses. In an attempt to just "pass the course" I met with you to write a resume. You helped me create the perfect resume and cover letter which was specific for my new employer. I want to take this time to say THANK YOU. You have really made a difference in my life. I haven't even graduated yet, but I have managed to land my career job with your help. I hope this good news makes you feel like you are on top of the world.

PS The first thing that was said in the interview was "Tell me about yourself". Glad I was prepared!

Preparing for the job hunt pays off!

I wanted to take this opportunity to say "thank you so much" for all your dedication and support in preparing me for the job hunt.

I have been accepted for a Sales Position in the Health and Life Insurance industry.  Thank you for being the mentor that you are.
T.C.

Back up your value statements with relevant examples

I would like to thank you for your dedication and support for your students.

After taking your class and learning the process of having a successful interview, I am glad to inform you that I have landed a better job. You told us to back up statements with examples, in following this procedure, I was ranked in the top three for a position that 56 people applied for. Thanks to your great instructions I landed the job.

J.H.

Be ready anytime, any place to communicate your Unique Professional Selling Proposition

I just wanted to write you to thank you for your help on my resume last fall.  I was a student in your Career Management course, and took your advice to heart. 

I have had the opportunity to use my elevator speech in real life and I can testify a lot of times you only have a minute or so to make an impression, good or bad.  Several months ago, my wife's boss, who is a very successful businessman in Dallas, invited us to a dinner party at his house.  At a dinner party, you never know who might be there.  After a little while, a woman came over and sat next to me and we began casually talking.  She basically gave me the "tell me about yourself line," which thanks to you, I was prepared.  We also talked about my plans to start law school in the fall. 

It turns out she is the Human Resource Director for a highly successful civil engineering firm.  She has taken an interest in my career and wanted to see my resume to see if she could polish it up for me.  I then sent the resume to her; within a few days, she returned it and said there was nothing she would change and she was impressed.  I don't know if this encounter with her will lead to a job someday but it couldn't hurt.

M.F.

Being prepared to "nail" the elevator speech!

I am not sure if I told you this over the phone, and I think it is worth directly or indirectly quoting as a proof statement for Personal Branding and/or Career Management Strategies.

During my interview with [a national insurance organization], the District Manager leans back in his chair and says, "I am going be quiet now and give you an opportunity to tell me more about yourself."   Without hesitation, I started my elevator speech.  It flowed with ease because we had worked on it repeatedly in your class.  From there, I showed a [relevant project example], including the poem, that I referred to in my example backing up my "unique professional selling proposition" (UPSP).

From that point on, I felt a profound sense of euphoria in being myself, saying this is who I am and what I am about.  I think I had lost focus on my conviction that I do not want to trick people into liking me as a friend, student, or employee because I am certain that I would be temporarily fooling myself into thinking that this is the right position for me.

Thank you for helping me to discover how to share with the world who I am and who I want to be with confidence.  I hope that when you feel that your students are not listening or that they do not value their education, it is not because you are sharing useless tools and information.  It is truly their loss if they do not utilize these tools for their benefit.
 

You are one of the teachers that has made a positive impact on my life.  And, I feel confident that you already knew this. 

A.B.

Reorganizing my resume to fit the organization - got me the job!

"Thank you for the time you took out of your day to meet with me and help me reorganize my resume. I really appreciate that you were willing to sit down with a former student to help tweak my resume to be accurate for a new job. I just wanted you to know that the resume did help, and I was given the job. So thank you for all your help!"