ProNet Charlotte Good News/Testimonials

We are proud to post these Good News Testimonials from participants in ProNet Charlotte.

Let me start by saying how much I truly appreciate ProNet. My path to ProNet was slightly different from most of the folks that take advantage of your services. I left the work force 10 years ago to raise my family. I returned to work part-time five years ago. Last summer, I decided to return to work fulltime. While excited about the prospect of returning to work, I also felt overwhelmed as I hadn't looked for work in years, my resume was dated and the economy left a lot to be desired. I came across an article about ProNet in The Observer, got online, immediately signed up for the orientation session and the rest, as they say, is history! ProNet has been an invaluable resource. The instructors, coaches and fellow job hunters helped me create a plan, gave me support and helped build my confidence. I am eternally grateful to ProNet. I look forward to beginning a new career with Clipper Magazine on March 21st as an Account Executive. I think it will be a good fit for me and my family. I am going to work from home and visit customers in a geographically convenient territory. I'll work hard, but also have one of the best benefits, flexibility!

All my best,

J.K.

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At the beginning of May, 2010, I was frustrated and out of ideas to break through the seemingly impenetrable walls dominating todays job market. I ran into a friend who had just gotten an offer after months of searching. She opened my eyes to the reality of the current market& and the wonderful free resources available through ProNet Charlotte.
She first assured me that my experience and qualifications were not the issue  what a relief! In todays market, however, being an excellent candidate is no longer a guarantee of placement. The entire strategy for job seeking has changed. I came to ProNet eager to learn what I could do differently to move towards my next position effectively and at a quicker pace than I had experienced thus far. What I found was an incredibly helpful group of volunteers catering to the experienced, well-qualified professional in transition.

The Job Search Team was my first stop and I looked forward to meeting with them each Monday to get the week off to a good start. The accountability and encouragement found within this group has been invaluable for the highs and lows we all experience during this process. The workshops and seminars enlightened me to new strategies to try and gave me practical tools I could put into effect immediately. In the first 3 weeks I spent at ProNet I made more progress than I had in the previous 3 months on my own.

While networking has always been an important component of any effective job search, it is now THE most important. That was intimidating to me at first but I was given the tools to become a confident and effective networker and it paid off quickly. We are encouraged not to spend more than 20% of our job search applying to positions online& the remainder being devoted entirely to networking and job search support. This was completely backwards from the approach I was taking!

The classes I found especially helpful were Resume and Correspondence, How to Sell Yourself in Record Time, and Interviewing Strategies. I took away something helpful from many other classes as well and spending time at ProNet in workshops or in the available office space, helped give structure to my search.

At the end of June when things started picking up for me in the IT arena, I was able to land some promising phone interviews through networking contacts. I put Robert Ortiz Phone Interview Techniques into practice two days after his class and I landed the face to face interview. For the interview I was able to use Gwen Fergusons suggestions from the Interviewing Strategies class. I was thrilled to have an informal offer before I left the interview and will start the new position the last week in July! I cannot speak highly enough of the practical resources available at ProNet and of all the wonderful volunteers and sponsors who make it all possible.

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I am excited to let you know that 2010 has started off fantastically as I begin my new job in the Core Finance Group with Bank of America. The success I have had in transitioning my career is due in large part to ProNet Charlotte and the resources it has to offer, which enabled me to obtain not just 1, but 3 offers for employment!

Prior to my involvement with ProNet Charlotte, I had been actively searching for a position for a few months. However, once I started attending the ProNet courses, I gained a lot of momentum. The variety of resources, including the Resume Workshops, Network, Marketing and Social Media, Personal Branding and Career Development, and many others not only helped in my job search, but also equipped me with strategies to use as I continue to develop my career and look forward.

The greatest benefit of the Resource Center, however, was the opportunity to further development my professional network. Meeting with and sharing experiences amongst fellow job seekers, and the opportunity to network with instructors and HR representatives from a variety of local businesses enabled me to develop personal relationships, rather than simply being defined by my resume.

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I wanted to thank ProNet Charlotte for being instrumental in my obtaining a job in my career field. I hadnt looked for a job since I got out of college, some 25 years ago. I had obtained all of my jobs through business associates and when I relocated to Charlotte in tough economic conditions, I had no business contacts. I quickly realized that my understanding of how to get a job in this environment was lacking. After finding out about ProNet, I attended a number of classes from networking, resume writing and interviewing techniques to meeting with a career coach, all classes taught by professionals in their fields. I interviewed at one of your job fairs and gathered valuable experience which served me well in landing my new job. ProNet was exactly the resource that I needed at the time and I will be forever thankful.

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I want you to be the first ones I give thanks for helping me and supporting my successful job search.

I have received a verbal offer of employment from the HR VP of Meridium, Inc. that seems to me like the answer to many of my dreams of late.

Since November when I began attending many seminars and meetings at the Charlotte ProNet Center, I have learned so many things and especially the personal networking skills that I did not have but that have proven to be essential to my obtaining the professional job that I was searching for.

I firmly believe that without your tireless work and dedication my efforts would not have been as successful and fulfilling.

Receive my sincere thank you very much from the bottom of my heart which is echoed by my family that lived with me all the anxious moments of my job transition of the past two months.

Whenever it may be appropriate, I would like to give our Governor Beverly Perdue my personal written recognition for her brilliant idea to fund and support career transition centers such as Charlotte ProNet.

I plan to visit the Center on Wednesday, January 13, probably for the last time since I will soon be working in Roanoke, VA.

Again, please receive my heartfelt thanks for the great work that you do.

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On January 4, I will start the New Year in a sales and marketing position with Saebo, a Charlotte based manufacturer of stroke rehab orthotics. This is wonderful news for me personally and I want to thank you and the entire Professional Career Center Team on Tryon for all of your support during my search.

The programs I attended at The Career Center were highly professional and fun too. Of particular note was the support given by Gwen Ferguson in her session covering topics such as assessments, resumes and correspondence. This was followed by a weekly networking group lead by Gwen focused on the development of personal marketing plans. Innovation Institute was also memorable giving me an opportunity to think creatively while participating in a project with my colleagues.

Wishing you a Happy Holiday and many thanks.

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Hello again. It is with great excitement that I inform you of my new job position, as a senior consultant with Public Consulting Group - a private consulting group servicing state and local health, education and human services programs. First of all, let me say that your assistance and that of the Professional Career Center in downtown Charlotte was instrumental in me landing this opportunity. The varied mix of speakers, the facilitated assistance from various recruiters and thought leaders around job search, and of course the opportunity to network with fellow job seekers as well as hiring managers greatly expedited my search process. Let me also say that the personal attention provided by you and Steve made me feel that succeeding in my individual job search was as important to you as it was to me - which is a unique characteristic considering the hundreds of folks you are helping in this arena.

It is very encouraging to see that the State is committing resources to this valuable service, which in turn helps thousands of people just like me who are encountering a unique and potentially overwhelming career challenge in the midst of an unprecedented market downturn. Of course, I will continue to refer colleagues and folks in my network to your center as I come across individuals who are in the search process.

Have a great holiday!

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Thank you everyone at ProNet Charlotte and the Professional Career Center in Uptown! I am now employed at TIAA-CREF!

The response I received after attending Gwen's "Resume and Job Search Correspondence Development" class and rewriting my resume was amazing.  I was getting responses to my first resume, but not exactly the types of jobs I was looking for. After rewriting my resume, I had several phone interviews, and then a recruiting company opened the flood gates for me.

I want to personally thank everyone at the Professional Center for offering classes and other resources that allowed me to update a few rusty skills sets needed for this changing economic environment. I've met and networked with a lot of great folks during this time of unemployment and hope that I can be of assistance to other ProNet
Charlotte members at ProNetCharlotte.com and on LinkedIn!

Thank you again,
J.S.

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We Did It!! Tomorrow I begin consulting with Bank of America and fulfilling the role of Senior Program Manager in the banks Marketing and Associate Enablement Technology organization. ProNet partnered with me to make this perfect match possible.

ProNet and the Uptown Professional Center were critically instrumental in facilitating the connections I needed to secure this next step up in my career. It provided me with significant networking contacts whose recommendations gave me a definite leg up on the competition. It was the enabler of success!

In addition, the Center provided me with valuable job search resources that helped me better position myself in the new job market. I attended sessions on; interviewing, resume writing, using social media, Charlotte market overview, and networking, and enjoyed "face time" with recruiters willing to share key information about their companies and the recruiting process - VERY insightful!

Thanks ProNet and everyone at the Professional Career Center for your partnership - another perfect match and another life changed!!

D.R., PhD-C, PMP

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You guys have done a magnificent job in creating ProNet Charlotte Uptown.  The programs are very timely and useful. The Career Center is top flight. Thank you for your hospitality and professionalism. Kudos to everyone and every group that brought this shining light to Uptown.

A.S.