Pay Forward Coaching

Getting interviews but not getting offers? I had the same problem. I kept talking about myself in a general, story-telling way. Meanwhile the interviewer is trying to figure out one thing: Can this person solve the problems that justified opening this job? Here’s what helped me shift (shoutout to Pay Forward Coaching and Soozy G. Miller, Executive Career Advisor): 1. Read the job posting and look for the real problems underneath the tasks. What are they trying to improve or stabilize? Just 2–3 themes. 2. Go back to your resume and highlight the bullet points that show you’ve handled those kinds of problems before. 3. Use that to shape your “tell me about yourself”: “I understand this role needs someone who can do X. I did that by Y at my last company, and I’m confident I can do it here.” Once I started approaching interviews through the lens of problem-solving, my conversations changed. I finally started getting traction. #jobsearch #jobhunt #unemployment #layoffs

I started a new job! A heartfelt thank you to Navy Federal Credit Union, Zaimah, Rachael, and Virginia for making my first week wonderful. I’m so proud to join a company that truly cares about its employees and has a mission to support military members and their families. Here’s to many years together! 💙 A highlight from onboarding: Katherine (Katie) is phenomenal at helping new hires connect during in-person onboarding. One Day One conversation really stood out — about transitioning from military to civilian life — and how it parallels other life changes, like career pivots or becoming an empty nester. We all experience times when our identity shifts, and reflecting on those moments helps us better understand and support the military members we serve. ❤️🤍💙 Thank you to the many people (and my family!) who helped me become a transitioned teacher: 👟 Aaron Rendos – for jumping on a call early on to talk about what’s possible and cheering me on every step of the way. 💪 Jill Davidian and the Applied Instructional Design Academy team (Tori, Jennifer, Melitta, Hannah, Liz, Rayne, and Taran) – for the incredible program that gave me the skills, confidence, and network to thrive as an instructional designer. #pod89 💡 Tim Slade – for The eLearning Designer's Academy challenges and countless free resources that helped me grow. 🤝 Anna Parker – for inviting me to complete my first eLearning challenge project as part of a team. 💕 Sunita Humagain, Maria Munoz, Linda Ndaki Stroud, and Jess Price – for your constant encouragement and friendship. 💯 Jake Miller – for all the chats, resources, and connections through ATD Central Pennsylvania and beyond. ✅ Mike Connolly – for the opportunities and encouragement through Pay Forward Coaching. 🕶️ Emily Worden 👋 – for so many free, actionable #GreenBannerGang resources. 💃 Sharon Tjaden-Burkes – for the networking and learning opportunities through IDEA (highly recommend for those transitioning into ID: https://lnkd.in/ekAEM3ka). 🎯 Mark Brydges – for the just-in-time, practical advice during each step of this journey. 🤗 Daina Pretus – for always being a message away and opening the door to my first ID role. 🧩 Cindy Grabowski and the Mind Grove, Inc. team – for your inspiration and for letting me play a small part in Mind Grove’s success. #NavyFederalCreditUnion #CareerGrowth #Networking #TransitionedTeacher #NewJob 📸 Image: Navy Federal by the Numbers — capturing where things stood when I started!

I help my clients see their value and impact.  Sometimes, they remind me of mine. Career coaching isn’t just about resumes, job searches, or interview prep. It’s about helping people reconnect with their confidence, see their strengths clearly, and step into opportunities that align with who they are and what they want next. The work we do combines strategy, skill and mindset - which inevitably leads to clarity, confidence and momentum. Watching that transformation unfold is one of the most rewarding parts of my work. And sometimes, a client says something that reminds me exactly why I do what I do. "Andrea went above and beyond to help and be a resource for me. When we first connected, I had been job searching for over a year and was completely discouraged by the lack of response to my applications. I was burnt out, defeated, and honestly starting to question my own value in the job market. From our very first conversation, Andrea had this incredible way of helping me believe in myself again. She consistently reminded me of the strengths and experience I bring to the table and provided tangible, actionable insights for how to highlight that to potential employers. She showed me how to reframe my experience and position it in a way that resonated with hiring managers. Every time we met, she was fully present and deeply invested in my success. It never felt transactional—she genuinely cared about helping me find the clarity and confidence I had lost. She quickly diagnosed where my approach was falling short and gave me practical, high-quality suggestions to strengthen my process. After each meeting, I left feeling re-energized, confident, and motivated—something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I truly cannot recommend Andrea highly enough to anyone going through a tough job search or seeking career guidance. I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with her; she’s an exceptional coach and an even better person." Thank you Sean for such a beautiful testimonial of your experience working with me! If you are ready to experience this kind of confidence and clarity in your career, I would love to help. For the next few weeks only, I am offering the option to book a session to work directly with me. Reserve your spot through the link at the top of this post. #careercoach #careeradvancement #careerchange #careergrowth #executivecoach #careeradvice #careerconfidence #careercoaching

You should not need to spend money to land a job. If lack of transportation to interviews, job-related trainings, or even your first few weeks on the job is preventing you from being able to consider local opportunities, Lyft has a program that will offer you free rides. If you're anxious about interviewing because you don't have professional clothing, Dress for Success Worldwide (they have many local chapters), Career Gear, or your local Buy Nothing group may be able to help. There are also many similar organizations focused on a specific community so do a search for options in your area. If you need some coaching or support in your job search, you can connect with Never Search Alone or Pay Forward Coaching for support navigating your search. The US Dept of Labor has a site called CareerOneStop.org that has links to resources for many scenarios - jobseekers with criminal conviction, those combatting ageism, entry level workers, etc. They link to jobs, training, scholarship opportunities, and more. If you don't have a computer or phone that can handle video interviews, or a quiet space to take interviews, your local library will let you use their computers for this purpose. If you need childcare for your job search, most YMCA of the USA locations offer some form of drop off care while you use the facilities, and they often have quiet spaces for you to work from as well. Your local Boys & Girls Clubs of America may be able to help, and many communities have organizations (like Worksource or Working Connections) which can offer childcare subsidies while looking for work, enrolled in education programs, or starting a new job. And all of these resources are free!!