I was fired, let go, downsized, call it what you will.  It felt like a punch in the stomach.  I was fired on the Fourth of July in the middle of one of the worst economic downturns in history.  I was a recent college grad with two years of bartending experience under my belt and nothing more.  You’d be hard pressed to find a more desperate case when it came to the field of job searching.  That was what I thought anyway, I saw in myself only my short comings and inadequacies.  I thought I would have been lucky to find another job in the restaurant industry if anything.  Then I met Shell.

She asked me questions about myself that I never even considered asking.  What would my ideal work environment look like?  What kind of structure would there be?  Would I like to work in groups or as an individual?  Would there be windows in my office?  These questions almost seemed silly.  Shell got me to think differently about my goals and what they would look like.  What do you think about when you look for jobs?  The pay? The benefits? The commute?  She got me to think about what I wanted out of a job down to the detail, and because of that the big picture got brighter, more focused, and became more of a tangible reality.

So I went from sitting in my basement playing video games all day long to a structured lifestyle where I had a job.  My job was of course to find a job.  That meant getting up and starting my day before typical business hours, dressing professionally, and setting small goals and projects for myself to achieve.  You have to really give yourself over and trust the process.  Shell and I worked together to understand and map out my career goals.  We figured out those details I mentioned before and I began to actually see myself in the job I wanted.

The process took a lot of hard work and yes at times I did get frustrated and even upset, but Shell was there every step of the way to encourage me and keep me on the path towards my career goals.  Some of my career goals were as follows:

·         To work in a creative/ marketing position

·         To work in an environment that was a fair mix between team and individual structures

·         To work with kind people who kept their work and personal lives separate

·         To have an office with big windows

At the end of my work with Shell I got a job.  I am an internet marking specialist.  I am allowed to write and be creative.  I work in groups and by myself, and my office has plenty of windows.  None of this would have been possible without Shell.  Her support and guidance helped me though the darkest moments of my job search, she constantly reminded me that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and the only person who could make it brighter was me.  I thank her from the bottom of my heart.  I. Magwire, Seattle, WA

Shell Mendelson saved my son’s life.  That is not an over-statement.  My son went into work on the 4^th of July and called me to pick him up a few minutes later.  I swung back on to the freeway and when I got there, he was standing on the sidewalk looking like he’d been punched in the stomach.  He was in shock as he got back in the car and couldn’t really talk for a while.  The truth is that was HIS emancipation day too.  Now he was free from the degrading and abusive world of restaurant work, and free from the fruitless job seeking he had been doing in his off hours.  Free from the rejection and self doubt caused by not doing what he loved, and certainly not doing what he hoped he would be doing after college.

Ian graduated with a degree in creative writing, and is a stand up comic at heart.  Shell began working with him the very next day and never let him down.  She challenged him when he needed it, motivated him when he felt like giving up, and kept him on track with great books and tools.  She taught him how to do informational interviews and worked with him to schedule them and keep going when he wanted to just settle for the next job that came along.  After three months of working with Shell and really using her tools and expertise, Ian got his dream job.

He’s now working for a company which was voted the best place to work in Seattle, two years in a row.  He’s doing creative writing every day, learning a tremendous amount about his industry, internet marketing, and the world of work.  He earns a good wage, has excellent benefits, and a boss he really likes.  He is valued by his company and continues to grow in his new job.  He went from dejected college grad doubting himself to successfully employed in a job using his passion for creative writing.  Thank you Shell!  Margaret Magwire, Seattle, WA

"I was at a crossroads career-wise, and realized I was tired of not doing a job that I thoroughly enjoyed and that lined up with my passions. After being referred to career counseling with Shell, I immediately contacted her and started my first session that same week. It was very nice to talk to a professional counselor about my passions and wishes and to see how they lined up with finding a new job. Shell was very encouraging and supportive throughout my sessions. I was able to leave with a clearer picture of what I should be doing and how I should go about making it happen. I am excited about what is next for me in a career and I have a lot to thank Shell for that."  Thank you, Brittney Feltmann, New Braunfels, TX