Michelle Riklan

Michelle Riklan michelle@riklanresources.com | linkedin.com/in/michelleriklan | @resumewoman | 908-415-4825 TEAMBUILDING ● CAREER GROWTH ● JOB SEARCH & RÉSUMÉS ● OUTPLACEMENT ● HR CONSULTING ● RADIO, TV & PRINT Entertaining, Charismatic Speaker, Author, Outplacement Advisor, Executive Résumé Writer & Career Coach A renowned speaker, trainer/facilitator, human resources consultant, and author, Michelle Riklan delivers fresh insights and practical real-world strategies focused on attaining professional growth. She has a well-deserved reputation as an inspiring, authentic speaker, and perceptive listener who establishes instant rapport with large groups or individuals. Michelle’s topics span the personal career-marketing spectrum, from creative teambuilding exercises to executive résumé writing and coaching, leveraging LinkedIn, job search strategy, the DiSC behavioral profile, the art of public speaking, interviewing, and career development. She also delivers fun, innovative teambuilding programs with a philanthropic component as a National Instructor for The Leader’s Institute®. Her clients include top corporations and associations. One of Michelle’s greatest strengths is her ability to instantly establish rapport with individuals and groups. Her greatest satisfaction comes from grateful clients who applaud her for making a positive impact on their lives on an almost daily basis. In addition to her vast expertise, Michelle delivers a unique, highly empathetic 360-degree perspective because she has experienced every facet of the employment process, as job seeker, employee, human resources professional, consultant, outplacement specialist, and business owner. She knows from personal experience the challenges in rapidly pivoting from one career focus to another, because she has been through it. It is easy to find a job – but much more difficult to build a fulfilling career that you love. Michelle’s vast network of professional contacts allows her to establish connections between clients and prospective employers with ease. She often reduces the traditional six degrees of separation to just two. After earning her bachelor’s degree in English, Theatre Arts and Speech communications from Hofstra University, Michelle earned a master’s degree in Speech and Communication from New York University. She began her career as human resources generalist and then specialized in employment, employee relations, and training & development for organizations including Fortune 500 companies. In those roles, Michelle often had to assist with layoffs, a draining experience for everyone. Early on, Michelle found herself sitting across the desk from a director over the age of 40 with two children and a pregnant wife who was being laid off. She found herself wondering, “What if he can’t find a job? What if he never works again?” That moment inspired Michelle to create innovative job search tools that could transform a depressing layoff into an exciting new career opportunity, giving dismayed employees new hope. After transitioning to HR consulting, outplacement, corporate training, and executive résumé writing, Michelle was nominated and won several awards by her peers at Career Directors International. Building on that success, she quickly established a reputation as a highly respected thought leader in the industry. Today, Michelle has built a leading career management firm with a dynamic team of exceptional writers and client service professionals who create compelling career marketing tools including résumés, LinkedIn profiles, professional biographies and more. Michelle educates professionals on the job search, giving them the tools to accelerate their career growth. She has taught in the Speech Communications department at NYU and is the author of 5 books including 101 Great Ways to Compete in Today’s Job Market. As founder of the National Career Summit, she hosed an international online symposium featuring more than 30 industry-leading career experts. As an internationally recognized subject matter expert, storyteller, and entrepreneur, Michelle is passionate about educating professionals to attain career growth and overcome challenges, one audience at a time. She is in demand among corporations, the media, and professional associations for her magnetic presentation style. From the challenges of outplacement to the unlimited opportunity for career growth and professional development, Michelle’s intuitive understanding puts all constituents at ease while enabling groups and individuals to attain ambitious goals.