Meet Josephine
Welcome! I’m so glad you visited my website. I would be honored to help you achieve career success.
On this page, you can navigate to any of the following topics below:
- My Commitment to You
- My Move to California
- My Journey to Founding Your Transition Specialist
- How to Work with Me
With the national unemployment rate skyrocketing, career seekers across the board are asking me how to increase their chances of landing their dream job in face of one the worst economic downturns in history. Don’t worry, though, I am here to give you hope, help, and results!
I have been able to make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of driven professionals across industries because of my empathy, authenticity, and 100% commitment to success. I have empathy for career seekers, because I’ve been in your shoes and understand how lonely, disempowering, and uncertain the transition process can be. Therefore, I pride myself on being a friendly face in the often cold and competitive day-to-day process we call “the job search”.
I am also known for my authenticity or what many clients call my “realness”: I always tell career seekers what they need to hear … even if it’s not what they want to hear. I encourage career seekers to think like employers, and since I’ve been on both sides of the table, I will be able to help you master this mentality.
Finally, I am 100% committed to your success: I am confident in my ability to help you effectively communicate, to inspire you to go above and beyond, and to maximize your leadership potential.
Unlike other career experts, my 100% commitment to career seekers is more comprehensive than just helping you find a job. Specifically, I am here to help you make the best of your transition, to help you determine your next steps in accordance with where you want to go with your life, AND to help you develop professional skills that will help you be marketable throughout your career!
I was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 13th and I will never be too old to celebrate my birthday.
I received my Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and my Master’s degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations (MHRIR) from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. I have been certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and have been training, consulting, and publically speaking to audiences at all stages of the employment process for the past 10 years.
In February of 2005, I moved to northern California. When I got here, I quickly made three discoveries:
1) People in California wear the same winter jackets that people in Chicago wear during snow storms, which I think is pretty hysterical.
2) People from California seem to think Illinois is part of the east coast, which I also think is also pretty hysterical.
3) People from the Midwest don’t seem to understand how far away Southern California is from Northern California. I seriously get calls from people vising LA asking me to meet them for lunch the same day.
As much as I thoroughly love Chicago, its skyline and its museums, I must say that California has won my heart. I love being near the Santa Cruz boardwalk, the wharf of San Francisco, the techies of San Jose, and the skiing of Tahoe. I also like having the option of going skilling and then, leaving the snow there. I’m so done with shoveling!
My Journey to Founding Your Transition Specialist
Ever since I got my first job as a Day Camp Counselor, I have been fascinated by employment. I remember going into the interview with no resume, no real experience with children, no first aid or CPR knowledge, and no clear idea on why I wanted the job. When the Director asked me if I liked working with kids, I said, “Most of them are ok… with the exception of my sister and her friends” … and somehow, I still got the job! Until today, I still don’t know how that happened, but it inspired my lifelong quest to figure out the mystery of employment.
Throughout college, I worked at University of Illinois’ Career Center and facilitated employment workshops (which included such topics as resume writing, cover letters, interviewing, job search, etc) for both graduate and undergraduate students. While obtaining my HR Master’s degree, I was certified as a Managerial Development Assessor. Simultaneously, I worked as a Research Assistant for the Center of Human Resources Management.
I’ve worked in staffing/diversity at Anheuser-Busch, as a Consulting Analyst at Accenture, and most recently, as an Employment Specialist at Sensory Access Foundation (SAF), a nonprofit agency. I was really proud of the work I did at SAF, because I was able to assist people with disabilities to find and retain employment through access technology assessment, training, job placement and accommodation services throughout California.
Unfortunately, in March of 2010, SAF was forced to close. What I was told at that time was that although our mission was important, it was not sustainable in today’s economy, and the state of California was not providing the funding needed to get our clients through these times. I couldn’t believe it! How could this happen? How could we give up on people with disabilities whose livelihoods were dependent on SAF’s support?
From that experience, I realized that my passion for helping people realize their career dreams outlived my job. I then started Your Transition Specialist, so professionals could successfully make career transitions. I believe that desperate times don’t call for desperate people. On the contrary, desperate times call for determined people who have a clear transition plan, who are committed to their plan, and who are ready to powerfully transform themselves into their greatest tool for success.
I am available for hire as a Career Transition Specialist, who coaches you on making the most of your transition, or as an employment consultant to your business. Here are details on my transition specialist services as well as opportunities to book me at your next speaking engagement.
I look forward to hearing from you soon! Feel free to visit my contacting page.
Warmest regards,
Josephine Hanan
Your Transition Specialist
P.S. – Make sure you join my Facebook Fan Page too if you haven’t already!
