The Career Coach: Mastering Resumes and Interviews — Wendy Alexander

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Wendy Alexander (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyaalexander/) is the founder and creator of Happy Career Hub (https://happycareerhub.com/), a renowned career coach, and business copywriter. With over 23 years of experience in corporate project management, Wendy has worked with major Australian companies such as Telstra and various banks and consulting firms. She specializes in writing resumes, LinkedIn profiles, cover letters, and negotiation packs for mid-level career professionals, as well as coaching clients through challenging career transitions and interview preparations. Wendy’s unique approach combines her extensive corporate experience with her passion for empowering individuals to find their best career paths.

Episode Summary:

In this insightful episode, Bradley Hook interviews Wendy Alexander, a seasoned career coach and founder of Happy Career Hub. Wendy shares her journey from working in corporate project management for over two decades to becoming an influential career coach, helping individuals at critical points in their professional lives. Through her personal and professional experiences, Wendy offers valuable advice on how to construct compelling resumes, excel in job interviews, and ultimately attain career fulfillment.

Wendy provides a detailed breakdown of how job seekers can better articulate their achievements and strengths on their resumes using the CAR framework (Challenge, Action, Result) and the rule of three. She stresses the importance of investing in interview coaching to avoid common pitfalls such as waffling and failing to provide concise responses. Wendy also touches on her personal journey of overcoming adversity, growing up under apartheid in South Africa, and how she transformed her challenges into success through self-awareness and a strong support system.

Key Takeaways:

CAR Framework for Resumes: Utilize the Challenge, Action, Result framework to make your resume achievements clear and compelling.

Rule of Three: Simplify your action steps and interview answers into three main points for better retention and impact.

Invest in Interview Coaching: Professional coaching can significantly improve interview performance by providing honest feedback and structured practice.

Transition from Victim to Creator: Personal empowerment and success often require stepping out of a victim mentality and taking proactive steps to create positive outcomes.

Embrace Honesty and Community Support: True personal and professional growth starts with self-honesty and seeking support from a community when overcoming challenges.

Notable Quotes:

"The human brain works very well in threes. We remember threes. We like threes. I say always do three little action steps." – Wendy Alexander

"I don't believe you have your full, well-rounded success until you give up the victim mentality and actually go and find your own empowerment." – Wendy Alexander

"Where I've seen people really fall down in interviews is in the waffle, you know, talking too long, not answering the question." – Wendy Alexander

"Love, community, family, honesty, spirituality – these values drive everything I do." – Wendy Alexander

"Go out and live your life to the best and take the actions. One action every day is all you need to do to move towards any form of success." – Wendy Alexander

In this enlightening episode, Wendy Alexander delivers practical strategies for career advancement and personal growth, making it a must-listen for anyone looking to navigate their professional journey successfully. Listen to the full episode and stay tuned for more insightful conversations on achieving career fulfillment and overcoming life's challenges.