Situation:
An LA-based actor, stand-up comic, barista, copywriter, poet and nanny, 26-year-old Kate came to us when she was at a career crossroads, looking to answer the “what next” question. Highly ambitious, creative, and with an extensive yet eclectic resume, Kate was, quite simply, all over the place. She had realized she needed to up her game if she wanted to stop living hand-to-mouth and prepare, financially, for her future.
Strategy
Kate needed focus, a way to cogently convey her diverse abilities and help packaging her story for a more traditional career while remaining true to her creative spirit. We put her through the Find Your Story, Own Your Voice program, which she tackled with enthusiasm, and helped shape her resume so that it accurately reflected her accomplishments, skill-set and interests, but in a more mainstream way. When she saw a job posting that excited her, she was primed to pounce. The challenge? It was a position, at a public company, that she had minimal experience in. Kate and her coach identified the skills needed for the job and quickly matched Kate’s experience, in other jobs, to the skills required at the posted job. And then they worked together on a cover letter. After passing the first hurdle, which led to an appointment for an interview, her coach prepped Kate, who took notes and role-played answers to possible questions, for the initial interview. And then the next one, and then four subsequent interviews (some were via Skype). After each interview, Kate checked in with her coach to brief her and to prepare for the next round, if it arose.
Outcome
Finally, after two seemingly endless months, Kate’s sixth and final interview (which included a carefully rehearsed 15-minute presentation) yielded a substantial offer that has shifted her career path, draws on many of her strengths and gives her great hope for the future.