Educators often beat themselves up and have the hardest time finding a new role, especially those working in the very competitive higher education industry today. Dr. Erika Jay was no exception. Erika’s experience with Career Coach Dr. Angie Taylor’s workshops on Transferable and Core Skills at KCPL made all the difference in helping Erika present her case to employers questioning her experience. Not accustomed to interviewing, Erika devoured Matthew Marvin’s tome Nailed It!: Ten Keys to Crushing the Interview and put Matt’s worksheet to use before every new interview. Erika completed a mock interview with Volunteer Coach Lisa Denham that built her confidence in being able to think ahead and anticipate employer’s questions. Carolyn Dickerson gave Erika the tools she needed to start effectively using LinkedIn, not just spending time on her profile elements. When Erika scheduled an informational interview for a potential new vocation, Career Navigator Aaron Wilson helped her prepare a list of questions and “pushed her out of her shell” to pull off a successful networking meeting. Volunteer Coach Dave Schlacter kept Erika hopeful about eventually ending up back in the university world. And that she did! Erika is now ensconced at Xavier University as the school’s new Assistant Director, Commuters and Off Campus Living. Congratulations, Erika!

Stuart Engel was an NKYAG Alumnus from years ago, so when he recently lost his job in a reorganization, he immediately returned to us for help. Stuart worked with Career Coach Dr. Angie Taylor to lock down his core skills, creating a powerful written document that clearly illustrated his capabilities. Volunteer Coaches Ken Wocher, Lisa Swanson and John Payton all helped him update various other critical tools, including his resume, interviewing techniques and networking strategies. Stuart took the new class How To Improve Your Efficiency with ChatGPT taught by Rod Lukey and discovered cool ways to use  AI in his job search, especially fixing bulleted sentences under job descriptions to give them more punch. Stuart appreciated the cues he received in multiple classes, including Acing the Interview with Career Navigator Alisha Copley. He reminds everyone to SMILE going into interviews to ensure hiring managers start off liking you! Stuart also got his LinkedIn photo updated by photographer Amy Wilbers in a KCPL photo session. Bottom line, Stuart appreciated the consistent support he once again received from fellow NKYAG members & was particularly appreciative of Candace Strange and Denise Byrum’s ’s time. He also connected with old acquaintances at the 2024 NKYAG Alumni Event (coming up again in April 2025) and was thrilled at how short his job search journey was this time around. Stuart has landed at Privia Health as a Contract Manager. Congratulations, Stuart!

Joe Kavinsky thought he would retire from his last job and was “blindsided by being let go.” Joe immediately jumped on the frustrating bandwagon of applying for jobs online through traditional search engines like Indeed, Monster and Ziprecruiter, getting nowhere fast. Joe was totally puzzled by not getting called for interviews, since his qualifications and experience always seemed to be a good fit. A good friend, (& NKYAG alumnus from years ago) Joe Cox recommended the Northern Kentucky Accountability Group to him. Joe recognized that his resume needed updating, his LinkedIn profile was out-of-date, and his interviewing skills needed polish. In Joe’s words, “I had no concept of the role ATS played in the hiring process, and I had a very small network of people to help me.  I took as many KCPL classes as I could, watched many of the archived NKYAG speakers on the website and attended the Wednesday morning meetings.  A surprise benefit was the relationships I developed with other job seekers.  There's comfort and assurance in knowing there are other people in the same boat as you. We all worked through the discouragement and disappointment that comes with failed job applications and interviews.”  Joe took time to get help from many of our volunteer coaches including Ken Wocher, Jason Nahrgang, Hildy Bonhaus, Peter Landesman, Carol Hemmer, Lisa Swanson and John Yockey.  Ten months into his search, Joe has landed as a Maintenance Technician at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Joe thanks everyone, especially his fellow jobseekers that helped him. Congratulations, Joe!

Lauren Senvisky ran circles around projects, events and people in the television industry as a producer for years. Lauren was ready for a change and strongly desired to utilize her skills in an exciting, but less stressful atmosphere. Her resume was geared towards her original profession, so she turned to the Northern Kentucky Accountability Group for fresh ideas. Starting out at the NKYAG Get Started table one Wednesday morning, Lauren’s exuberant personality immediately helped her start making connections during breakout sessions. She attended our Resume Basics for Today class taught by Bold Career Consulting Coach Nichole Sims, applied the content and then met with Volunteer Coach Hildy Bonhaus to finetune her resume. Hildy also became a source of advice and encouragement throughout her search. Lauren recognized that she needed to update her technical skills and took advantage of refresher classes in MS Excel, MS Teams and CANVA. Lauren enjoyed attending the 2024 NKYAG Alumni Event at The Metropolitan Club in June, where she reconnected with old friend and NKYAG alumnus Nancy Costello. “Nancy was very helpful and kind in setting up introductions to people she felt would be beneficial for me to network with, within my professional wheelhouse.” Lauren devoured resource books including Nailed It! Ten Keys to Crushing the Interview by Matthew Marvin and The 20 Minute Networking Meeting by Nathan Perez. Lauren has landed at the influential Covington Business Council as the Marketing & Events Manager working closely with Executive Director Pat Frew. Congratulations, Lauren! Lauren looks forward to many NKYAG participants attending CBC Monthly Luncheons in the future.

The name KEVIN HILL is synonymous with the words HARD WORKER. As James Clear of Atomic Habits notes, “Winners and Losers have the same goals. It is all about the process.” Kevin worked the job search process very consistently and never gave up. He attended the Northern Kentucky Accountability Group and Job Search Focus Group meetings weekly, “making great friends. We shared ideas, leads, and contacts, but more than anything we offered each other support.” Kevin worked with both Brian Holbrook at JSFG and Volunteer Coaches Peg Lewin and Joe Binder at NKYAG on his resume. Looking for a senior level role, Kevin worked with creative Sara Uhlenbrock Heath on designing a high-profile spotlight document. Kevin was a vociferous learner, taking Build Your LinkedIn Profile, Managing ATS, The Fine Art of Job Search Correspondence, How to Improve Your Efficiency with Chat GPT classes, and got a new headshot from photographer Julie Lubbers. Kevin took the time to really discern what he wanted to do, identified his transferable skills, and invested in himself. He read "Workquake" by Steve Cadigan, one of my favorite reads which motivated Kevin to earn his SHRM-CP credential. The certification helped prove he was a constant, lifelong, and fast learner. Kevin commented, “it also helped make me more marketable as it gave me another great skill and qualification.” Following many conversations with Volunteer Coaches John Payton and John Yockey, Kevin has landed as a Regional Sales and Operations Manager for Orange Theory Fitness. Kevin has words of encouragement for others: “At the end of the day, what I would say is…..do everything lol. Pull every lever. As you always say, do the work to get yourself prepared. Then the networking will work. I found my job in the "hidden" job market. My boss wasn't looking to hire someone for this role until he met me. The timing certainly matters. But if I wasn't prepared, I wouldn't have been able to maximize that introduction into a job.” Congratulations, Kevin! Great work!

Seven months into his job search, having been a finalist in 14 separate job opportunities without landing, Steven Clark hit a wall. He could not understand what was going wrong in his interviews. Friends recommended that he seek out the resources available through the Northern Kentucky Accountability Group at the Kenton County Public Library. Steve was ready to listen after attending his first Wednesday morning meeting and committed to becoming a student of the job search process. Steve ensconced himself weekly at the NKYAG interviewing skills table, soaking up guidance from Volunteer Coaches Lisa Swanson & Peter Landesman, and taking Carol Allison’s advice to read “Nailed It! Ten Keys to Crushing the Interview” by Matthew Marvin. Select classes also made a big impact on him. Instructor Patricia Borne taught the importance of “being clear and succinct in the value he could bring to an organization” through the Elevator Pitch program. “Mikaela Brungs helped me understand how to become more efficient in my interview preparation process & by using some of the questions she taught in Mastering the Art of Informational Meetings had a direct impact on my interview process with Aspirant.” Career Navigator Alisha Copley & instructor Steve Tracy helped him master behavioral interviewing skills questions through their classes. The Transferable & Core Skills programs taught by Dr. Angie Taylor, helped Steve tailor his work experience stories to illustrate his core skills in interviews. Suddenly finding himself in the enviable position of negotiating an excellent job offer, Angie and I were able to help Steve think through his priorities both personally and career-wise. After final interviews with the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Legal Counselor, Steve has landed at Aspiriant as Senior Associate-Compliance. Steve notes, “my job search and interviewing process became vastly improved as a result of what I learned from June to August in the NKYAG. It’s an amazing program that has changed my life!” So happy for you, Steve! Congratulations!

Transitions in life do not happen seamlessly. They are a journey affected by not only career choices, but family demands, physical health and world events, often outside of our control (COVID!) With a brain always on fire to problem solve and help others, Carol Allison had a decision to make with her latest job search journey: keep doing what was comfortable and familiar or challenge herself to really understand and balance her career motivators and family priorities. Carol chose the latter, but finding the right position that would be the perfect blend of mental challenge and work/life balance was not easy. Carol’s experience working closely with consultant Matthew Marvin, author of “Nailed It! Ten Keys to Crushing the Interview” helped hone her skills to become a Volunteer Coach for the Northern Kentucky Accountability Group program at the Kenton County Public Library. Carol evaluated all the KCPL job search classes, listened carefully to NKYAG speakers and ultimately got to know and build relationships with many of them. Carol created a reputation in the workforce development village through many hours of community engagement as a volunteer. She took some insightful feedback and encouragement from me, Angie Taylor, and Peter Landesman, made key adjustments to her focus, and kept her head up. She also befriended countless NKYAG participants including Carrie Salo. Carrie heard about a role not ideal for herself, but strongly suited for Carol and passed the opening along. Carol had heard great things about the Talent Magnet Institute, especially its leader, Mike Sipple, who recently spoke at NKYAG. Carol took the opportunity to interview extensively with Mike and his amazing team that literally builds future leaders in our area with their esteemed faculty and curriculum. Carol has joined the Talent Magnet Institute (TMI) as their Client Relationship Manager / Project Manager. She will be working closely with Mike and his team to assure TMI clients have an excellent experience. We could not be happier for Carol! Carol will still attend NKYAG regularly and will continue as a Volunteer Coach focused on the younger generation. Congratulations, Carol!