- Introduction by Women of NATE Committee Member Alisa Reed
- WON Profile: Brooke Gary
- Where will you find the Women of NATE?
- Upcoming Events
- Recent Event Highlights
- Feature Article: How to Write a Career Change Resume
- Book Recommendation
Release:
August 3, 2022
Women of NATE Today Newsletter
Volume 4, Issue 8
In July, I had the privilege of co-hosting our Women of NATE Fireside Chat, titled “Work/Life/You Balance”. In it, we discussed how to prioritize ourselves within our work/life balance, how to give ourselves time to do things that feed our soul, and the importance of doing so.
When I first had my daughter and became a working mom, I constantly wondered where the support and resources are for us, and by “us” I mean all of the people who are caretakers in our homes and also have a career. We juggle so much and I’ll admit I never felt that I had achieved a real balance until the pandemic. Ironically, the pandemic forced me to prioritize and set boundaries, and while I felt that I had finally achieved a work/life balance that made me feel I had enough time with my family, I still felt unable to take time for myself. And when I did take time for myself, I felt guilty, because surely there was something more important or productive that I could be doing, right?
The truth is, we all need time to do the things that recharge us and give us life. Even if it doesn’t feel productive or seems less important, it’s crucial that we prioritize ourselves on a regular basis. There is a reason why the airlines tell us to put on our own oxygen mask before helping others…you cannot help someone else if you cannot breathe. Find the space to breathe…and then make it yours. You will be at your best for yourself and everyone that counts on you if you do this.
Here are some tips to help you be more intentional with your time:
1. Have a family calendar in your house and mark your time on it. Put your time in your work calendar too.
2. Get your spouse on-board and trade so you both get time.
3. Take that lunch break. Don’t live to work…work to live.
4. Break the habit of deprioritizing yourself.
5. Learn to be comfortable saying "no" to the things that don’t fit into your current goals for your life.
6. Don’t feel guilty for needing time and taking time for yourself. If you find that’s how you feel, start small.
7. Find the thing that feeds your soul. Try some new things. Self-care counts too!
8. YOU matter. If you find you are not getting the support you need to take time for yourself, talk to someone about it.
9. Start a hobby the whole family enjoys.
10. Get enough sleep! We are more productive when we are well-rested. Set a bed time and stick to it.
It was so nice to have this discussion and I am so grateful for the community we have created here where we empower and encourage each other. To further this community, our annual WON Leadership Summit is just around the corner. Please join us in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 at the Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, where we will define our legacy as a woman. We hope to see you there!
Alisa Reed is a member of the Women of NATE (WON) Committee and Business Development Manager for Valmont Telecom in Jupiter, Florida. She can be reached at alisa.reed@valmont.com.
WON Profile: Brooke Gary
Brooke Gary is a Director of Carrier Sales at TESSCO Technologies, a leading value-added distributor in the wireless industry. In her role, she is responsible for driving sales strategy, execution, revenue generation, and profitability improvement.
Prior to leading the sales team, Brooke managed TESSCO's Program Management and Order Management Teams, leveraging her analytical skills and understanding of the carrier ecosystem to execute on key customer deliverables and internal process improvements.
Brooke graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and recently completed the 2021-2022 Bowe Fellowship through WTCI’s EDGE Program.
How has TESSCO Technologies helped you in your career development?
I started at TESSCO Technologies eight years ago as an intern, so TESSCO has taught me quite a bit. The company made it clear early in my career that it rewards hard work and creativity. It also had great leadership teams in place. They served as a good example of career pathing, helped me to understand my skillsets and how to best use them which pushed me to constantly improve.
Where would you like to go on a dream vacation?
I would love to visit Greece!
How do you define success?
I think it looks different for each person. Success can focus on skills, finances, family, interpersonal, etc. It's a matter of identifying what you want, setting goals that will get you there, and measuring yourself against those goals.
What are your hopes for our industry?
I (like everyone else I'm sure) cannot wait for the supply chain issues to be resolved.
If we went to happy hour, what would you order?
Very basic… Tito's and soda with extra lime.
What's playing in your car right now?
Mostly Indie Rock, but I listen to everything so you never know what might come on next.
How does your education connect to your professional career? What about personal experiences?
There are certainly a lot of fields where education is critical to your success. For me, college was fun and I certainly learned a lot, but as far as day-to-day skills most of that was learned in the workplace.
What do you like most about your job?
This industry never lets you get bored and I get to work with great people, co-workers, customers, and vendors.
Best advice anyone has given you?
Work hard and align yourselves with people that challenge you to be better.
Where is the best place you've traveled to and why?
I would have to say Hawaii; its ecosystems are so unique. You can travel from the beach, to desert, to rainforest in an hour drive. It was so interesting!
Where will you find the Women of NATE?
Take Women of NATE with you!
Are you traveling for work or taking a leisure vacation? Take a creative photo holding a Women of NATE (WON) logo in front of a landmark that lets us know where you are.
(Above) Women of NATE travels to Triglav, Croatia. Croatia may be one of Europe’s smaller country’s but it is actually the 127th largest country in the world.
(Above) Women of NATE enjoy the view in Frankfurt, Germany. Frankfurt is home to the world's largest book fair where an average of 300,000 people participate each year!
(Above) Women of NATE Committee Member Jyoti Ojha from CommScope gazes out a window while in Kathmandu, Nepal where on a clear day you can see Mount Everest.
Submit your photos along with your name and location to nikki@natehome.com for a chance to be showcased in an upcoming Newsletter or social media post.
Upcoming Events
Recent Event Highlights
(Above) NATE Member company, Comstar, LLC owners Kevin Woods and Gina Cheshire visit with NATE Director of Safety, Health & Compliance Kathy Stieler.
(Left) NATE Members John Lamond, Jeremy Buckles, Stephanie Brewer, and Ben Bowman enjoy a day on the links at the 14th Annual Illinois State Wireless Association Charity Golf Outing.
(Right) NATE WIN Great Lakes Regional Ambassador and Women of NATE (WON) Committee Member Diane Mueller and Women of NATE Committee Member Stephanie Brewer took time out of their busy schedules to network and play golf. NATE WIN was the Snack Shack Sponsor at the Illinois State Wireless Association Charity Golf Outing.
(Above) Dianne Mueller and NATE Board of Director Chris Mallon enjoy the Illinois State Wireless Association’s Charity Golf Outing.
(Left) Kathy Stieler spent the morning at the Elk Rivers Athens facility where Elk River started production in 1988 and remains a production facility today. A lot of harnesses are stitched by this incredible team!
(Right) Kathy Stieler takes a turn practicing a tack, not as good as the Elk River experts.
(Left) NATE Director of Safety, Health & Compliance Kathy Stieler spent some time with NATE member, Noash Construction, Inc. and their team, before they started their week.
How to Write a Career Change Resume
How to flex your transferable skills
by Noelle Johnson
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Ready to change careers? When making a transition into a new role or industry, your resume needs to show that despite not having the title or past work experience they’re looking for, you still have the transferable skills for the job.
Here’s how to tailor your resume when you’re changing careers to highlight the skills your future employer is looking for.
Choosing your resume format
Most resumes are chronological resumes. That is, they list work experience prominently and in reverse chronological order. However, when you’re changing careers, it’s not necessarily your past job titles that show a hiring manager you have the skills for the position.
For a career change, use a hybrid resume, which combines elements of a functional (or skills-based) resume and a chronological resume.
After your contact information and objective statement, list your skills and a brief description of how you applied those skills. In the next section, include your work experience in reverse chronological order with brief descriptions of your responsibilities/contributions.
We’ll talk about how to write the skills and work experience sections below.
Writing your objective statement
The first part of your career change resume is your objective statement. While an objective statement is not necessary if you’re job searching in your current industry, it’s essential if you’re changing careers. You need to make it clear to the hiring manager why they should read your resume despite the fact that you don't have a traditional background.
A strong objective statement for a career change resume is a short explanation of why you’re seeking to switch positions and the applicable qualifications you have for this new job.
I’m a registered nurse with 10 years’ experience in clinical and ED settings and five years' experience managing staff. I've coauthored 10 published articles about patient care. I'm seeking a new position in public health administration when I can apply my medical and research experience.
How to talk about your skills on a career change resume
Tailor the skills section of your resume to the job you’re applying for. Note the skills listed under the responsibilities and requirements in the job description and highlight the ones you have.
You may not have all the skills they’re looking for, and that’s okay. Include skills that would be valuable or a bonus in the role that you’re applying for.
Skills
Patient care
I have worked for 10 years in the cardiac clinic at Duke University, supporting the emergency department during busiest times.
Personnel management
In 2015, I was promoted to floor lead, where I was responsible for more than 40 nurses, CNAs, and support staff.
Research
Coauthored 10 papers on patient care research, with publications in major journals.
Complementary skills: Office administration, staff onboarding, and training program creation
Listing your work experience
On a career change resume, you may want to keep your work experience section brief if, highlighting the responsibilities you had that most apply to the positions you’re interested in.
These bullets should be results-oriented, not just a list of your daily tasks. They should include powerful action verbs and share what you contributed and how the company benefited from your work.
Duke University Cardiac Clinic, 2010–Present
Staff nurse 2010–2015
Floor lead 2015–Present
· Responsible for onboarding all staff, created training program that increased average patient satisfaction by 20%
Whitmore Family Medical Associates, 2006–2010
Staff nurse
· Worked with marketing team to create patient guides for preventative care, which increased preventative care visits by 40%
Some career changers will have worked in volunteer roles or as freelancers in their new field. Include this in your work experience section, but flag it as unpaid (or freelance, etc.).
Orange County Care-a-Van, 2018–2020
Cardiac patient counseling volunteer
Counseled patients in at-risk communities on heart-healthy diets, lifestyles, and practices
Education and certifications
Your degree doesn’t feel relevant to the positions you are applying for? Don’t worry, that’s pretty common and will not hurt you on your job search. Most employers simply want to know whether you went to school.
If you have any licenses or certifications that don’t align with your new career path, you can remove those from your resume.
If you got a certification or license to support you in your new role, be sure to add information about your concentration and highlight projects that are applicable to your new career path.
Accomplishments and volunteer experience
Feel like you need a little more to beef up your resume that helps showcase your transferable skills? You can add an accomplishment and/or volunteer experience section.
Under accomplishments, add any awards/accolades you've received that either showcase your skills that apply to this new role or highlight your work ethic.
Awards
Recognized for outstanding contributions to patient care processes, Duke Cardiac Clinic
About Noelle Johnson
Noelle Johnson is the owner of a career services agency and is a writer and speaker. She speaks and writes on career topics specifically aimed toward women and marginalized communities. She is a comic book aficionado and has yet to meet a bad action film that she hasn't loved.
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This article was originally published on the InHerSight blog. InHerSight is the career navigator for working women. Founded on the belief that data measurement leads to advancement, we manage the largest database of women-rated companies, and we use those insights to match our users to jobs and companies where they can achieve their goals. Anonymously rate your current or former employer now to unlock our one-of-a-kind resources. https://www.inhersight.com/blog/how-to/career-change-resume
