past meetings

Introverts, The Whispering Warriors: Understanding & Helping Introverts Succeed in the Age of Acceleration

March 15, 2019

Jane Finkle

Career coach and author, Jane Finkle, MS, NCC, discussedthemes from her new book - The Introvert's Complete Career Guide: From Landing a Job, to Surviving, Thriving and Moving On Up.

In today’s fast paced, unstable workplace, achieving success requires speaking up and taking initiative. Introverts can be challenged by a workplace that is predominantly extroverted. Their natural, ability to reflect and listen can be a drawback but it can also work in their favor. We learned how to work best with introverts to help them appreciate their strengths while coaching them to take risks that will help them succeed in self-promotion and advance professionally.

Jane Finkle is a career coach and a consultant with over 25 years of experience. She has successfully helped clients to envision and achieve careers that are fulfilling and personally enriching. Previously, Jane served as Associate Director of Career Services at the University of Pennsylvania where, for both students and alumni, she designed and administered career programs, and provided career counseling and advice on employment trends. Jane created and led the “Wharton Career Discovery” seminar, a program that is still presented today and served as a liaison to recruiters from major corporations. She is currently an external career coach for The University of Pennsylvania’s undergraduate, Law, and Wharton alumni and for the University of Rochester.

Jane taught a Career Evaluation course at Penn and a graduate course in Career Development at Chestnut Hill College. She served as a Career and Graduate School Advisor for US News and World Report’s Education and Career Forum and was a delegate for NCDA/People to People Ambassador Program in China. Jane is a past president of the Philadelphia chapter of the Association of Career Professionals and also served on the Board of Dress for Success-Philadelphia.

She wrote a weekly column, "Career Blueprints", for Abington Patch and has been published in the Huffington Post and Adirondack Life. She is the author of The Introvert’s Complete Career Guide: From Landing a Job, to Surviving, Thriving and Moving on Up (Career Press). Jane has an M.S. in Counseling from the University of Rochester, and is a National Certified Counselor (NCC).

ACP Talks Tech

January 25, 2019

Matt Rivera

Patrick Callahan

Our annual jobs outlook focused on the exploding Information Technology industry in the Delaware Valley. Matt Rivera of Yoh, an IIT recruiting firm, discussed who gets hired and why, the skills most in demand, and IT and the career changer. Co-presenter Patrick Callahan from CompassRed brought the entrepreneur's viewpoint.

Matt Rivera is Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Yoh, a Day & Zimmermann company. He is responsible for the strategic direction of Yoh's marketing efforts, job-seeker marketing and communications. Yoh is the 24th largest staffing company in the US and focuses on technology areas such as IT, Life Sciences and Engineering. Over more than 27 years with Yoh, Rivera has held various roles, starting out in a branch office, then overseeing Yoh's early internet, eBusiness, branding and marketing efforts, gradually progressing in strategic leadership roles. Rivera also serves on the American Staffing Association's Public Relations Committee and is a frequent blogger, speaker and expert to various media outlets such as HR Executive and HRO Today. In the community, Rivera serves on the school board of the Norristown Area School District. Matt holds a degree in Journalism/Public Relations and has been working in the staffing industry for more than 25 years. Prior to this role, Matt held many different roles from branch recruiting and proposal writing to technology management and online marketing.

Patrick Callahan is the Founding Partner of CompassRed, Inc., a Data and Analytics Lab established with the vision that insights into data transform how organizations operate both internally and externally. CompassRed supports clients in building data driven strategies. Prior to CompassRed, Patrick was the co-founder of The Archer Group, a digital agency in Wilmington Delaware, and held technology positions at Andersen Consulting, Hesta Data Systems, and ProximiTree. Patrick attended Drexel University, graduating with a BS in Business and Economics in 1993 - a pivotal year in the internet industry. He received his JD from Widener University School of Law in 2001. He is a member of the Pennsylvania and Maryland Bar and was a former board member of Girls On the Run International. He is a member of the Governor's Delaware Prosperity Partnership and is passionate on all things Delaware.

Coaching Creative People
November 8, 2018

• What approaches work when providing career coaching to creative people?
• What are the differences in coaching creative people vs. those seeking more traditional positions?
• How can career coaches better understand the creative process and support their clients?
• What kinds of careers do we see creative students and adult clients pursue?
• What are the hurdles to success - both financially and intrinsically - for those pursuing jobs in the arts?

• Ed Hunter, principal of Life In Progress Coaching and former Director of Career Services at the Art Institute of Philadelphia
• Elisa Seeherman, Director of Career Services at University of the Arts
• Charna Flanzer, Independent Artist and Career Coach
• Lesley Katz, Accounting/Financial Advisor

Body Language Tools ​to Help Your Clients Nail their Next Interview!
May 11, 2018

Shelley O'Donovan

Did you know that 60–93% of information is communicated non-verbally? Think about all the effort we spend on words we’re delivering and yet we are totally unaware of messages our body is screaming.

Shelly O’Donovan shared with us how she works with clients to be aware of those messages so that they can illuminate their message to help master their interviews. Most people are missing out on the nonverbal behind the verbal but have the ability to revolutionize the way they present themselves. Shelly is passionate about helping everyone discover their inner superpower through understanding the fascinating science of body language and interpersonal skills. She will provide insights into how body language can provide increased levels of confidence in our clients and optimize their first impression to build rapport with hiring managers.

Shelly O’Donovan is a healthcare executive with over a decade of experience in the corporate world. She gathered expertise in government relations, public policy, lobbying  and advocacy engagement. She has led many matrix teams at GlaxoSmithKline, the University of Pennsylvania Health System, and in state government - all positioning her well to understand team dynamics. After becoming hooked on the impact of body language, Shelly decided to refocus her career to train others about this secret weapon!

She completed a rigorous process -- through the Science of People, a leading behavior research lab -- to be certified as a body language trainer, corporate speaker, and executive coach. She and her company, Illuminate the Message, LLC, help teams learn to use body language to increase effectiveness in sales, negotiations, communication, and inter-office relationships. Shelly has an MPA from the University of Pennsylvania, a Marketing Management certification from the Wharton School (of UPENN), and a BA in political science from Millersville University.