I had the pleasure of working with Christine, a bright, artistic woman in her early-50’s, who is a back-to-school mom.  She received an associate’s degree in the 80‘s and now that her children are grown, is currently working towards her bachelor’s in consumer economics/ fashion design. She quickly needed to come up with a resume to apply for a paid internship position at TJX Companies, Inc. Working at an internship is a required part of her degree program, and Christine realized she hadn’t written a resume in ten years…..

That’s when she called me. Together we reviewed her old resumes, discussed her work experience since that time, and organized the information on paper. It was important to highlight her strengths and interests as they related to this particular position in the world of fashion. As in all resumes, presenting a readable layout is key, as is including the appropriate sections with description that is concisely informative.

As a career coach, I have the opportunity to learn about the various gifts and talents that each client has. Christine is the creator of soft furnishings like pillows, slipcovers, etc. as well as a muralist, faux finisher, and decorative art painter. As one who is timid about drawing stick figures, I was impressed as I am in different ways with each client.

Christine sent off her application and then practiced for the interviewing process. A few weeks later she was called, had a successful interview, and is currently enjoying her internship. Christine has had an on-going small business in her field, but this paid internship holds the potential opportunity of working for a large company where there is plenty of room to grow for creative and hard-working individuals. If not hired internally, Christine can take this experience, include it on her resume and have more to offer the next prospective employee. In a few years, we may find Christine’s logo on our clothing, and you may even remember where you first heard about her.