Champion Your Career

Anyone who has faced the challenge of embarking upon a new career knows how important it is to have someone cheering you on and guiding you in developing effective strategies. In this book, seasoned career counselor and coach Halimah Bellows offers you the tools for becoming your own career champion. With empathy and enthusiasm, she will inspire you to delve deeply and honestly into your experience to discover the career path that is right for you. This book is for: – college career planning; – mid-life career changes; and – retirees seeking post retirement careers.

Anyone who has faced the challenge of embarking upon a new career knows how important it is to have someone cheering you on and guiding you in developing effective strategies. In this book, seasoned career counselor and coach Halimah Bellows offers you the tools for becoming your own career champion. With empathy and enthusiasm, she will inspire you to delve deeply and honestly into your experience to discover the career path that is right for you. Aimed toward those struggling to choose a college major, those making mid-life career changes and even retirees seeking new careers, Champion Your Career uniquely addresses the major concerns, methodologies and plans of action applicable in the 21st century for a new generation of career seekers, in a new economy, and in a quickly-changing marketplace. The resource listings are current and include websites, blogs, and forums for the latest career trends in a given geographic or demographic area. Career development is a process. The strategies presented in Champion Your Career can be used throughout your working life. It's never to late to find a rewarding, fulfilling career.

In her life as an educator, a career counselor and a coach, Halimah Bellows has been able to marry her fascination with people's stories with her deep interest in the world of work. After completing her undergraduate studies in Social Science and Education at New York University, she went on to earn an MA in English Language Teaching at the University of Exeter in England and taught English as a Second Language in England and Indonesia. Returning to the United States, she earned her MS in Counseling Psychology at San Francisco State University and received intensive Certified Coach Training at The Coaches Training Institute in San Rafael, California and Retirement Options in St. Louis, Missouri, after which she became a Certified Retirement and Professional Coach. She has earned graduate certificates in Training Systems Development and Educational Drama, holds Washington and California Community College Teaching and Counseling Credentials and is a Certified Dependable Strengths Articulation Process Facilitator. For more than 20 years, she has been helping her clients champion their careers and find their ideal jobs. She is a seasoned workshop presenter and group facilitator and has led many seminars and retreats for a variety of educational institutions, religious groups, nonprofit organizations and corporations. She is the creator of CAREER QUEST CARDS ©TM, a practical, portable career-building tool providing a distillation of 30 key career-coaching exercises. She has appeared as a guest on a number of local radio talk shows in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to assisting people through career transitions and supporting retirees to "retire with fire," she also focuses on helping couples and business partnerships build powerful intentional relationships as well as empowering artists, entrepreneurs and professionals to develop their businesses and achieve their dreams.