Sales Representative | Accessibrand |May 2023Drive sales growth for a leading social enterprise agency specializing in accessibility and inclusion.Prospect and nurture relationships with clients, showcasing the value of accessible marketing and communication services.-Conduct presentations and product demonstrations to educate prospective clients on the benefits of accessible communications.-Collaborate closely with internal teams, including designers and accessibility specialists, to develop tailored solutions for clients' needs.Build a strong network of industry contacts and leveraged market insights to identify new business opportunities.-Contribute to the growth and success of the company.-Champion the mission of promoting accessibility and inclusion in all interactions with clients and stakeholders.-Develop and maintained long-term client relationships through exceptional customer service and ongoing support.

As a Job Developer with CCRW's Kitchener office, I advocate for equitable employment opportunities for people living with disabilities. Using a strength-based approach, I establish strong connections to job seekers, and support them in navigating the labor market. Through selectively seeking out meaningful employment opportunities, together we foster an inclusive environment that allows candidates with disabilities to fully participate in the workforce.By partnering with local employers and other agencies, I seek to have honest discussions surrounding disability in the workplace and I work to eliminate the narrative of disability as a problem in need of a solution. Rather, I advocate for diversity within the workplace as something to be desired. With frank conversations relating to advocacy and accommodation between employer and employee, together, we become a catalyst for positive change.

In my role as the Community Relationships Manager, I was responsible for rolling out various fundraising campaigns to secure donations, which in turn, make Sunbeams programs more accessible to the people who rely on them. I was responsible for maintaining the donor management database and connecting with donors to either establish or maintain a positive relationships with them.Through the use of LinkedIn and Facebook, During the pandemic, I increased our visibility in the local community, where we weren't able to engage in person. I successfully utilized our social media platforms to create engaging social media posts to drew attention to what life at Sunbeam is like for the population of people we support. With the help of our communications lead, I worked through a communications strategy designed to raise local profile of Sunbeam's services and to help foster a more inclusive community for people with Developmental Disabilities. To create meaningful communications activities, I compiled information from various departments to create an annual report and newsletters that reflected what was happening within the organization and is in line with our mission, vision and values. While gathering media for the newsletters and reports, a photo cataloging system was devised to make photos more accessible to staff across the organization.To foster a safe and discrimination free workplace, I acted as the Co-Chair of our Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee. The committee created a list of recognized days that celebrated the diversity of the agency. Focus groups were created to help us further identify opportunities for improvement so the leadership team could take actionable steps towards embracing diversity, inclusion and equity in the workplace.

As Customer Care Specialist I acted as Student Success Services first point of contact for faculty, staff, students, and parents, via in-person, email, and telephone, and triaged inquires appropriately. Supported students by answering preliminary questions and educating them on eligibility requirements for Accessible Learning. I verified that student medical documentation was complete and scanned documents into Clockwork appointment scheduling system. I booked appointments with accessibility advisors, counsellors, and learning services and reviewed the accommodation process with students, parents, and school board staff, and offered assistance with accommodation-related tasks. I have a proven ability to excel in a high volume work environment under strict timelines (I booked over 1100 advisor appointments in peak month while responding to other customer care inquires). I monitored/managed inquiries for multiple email accounts (Accessibility, MyLearning, personal). Utilizing my extensive departmental knowledge, I managed inquiries and made decisions regarding nature and urgency, while problem-solving time-sensitive and/or complex situations. I streamlined processes to ensure smooth, accurate, and efficient front desk operations and assisted with administrative tasks and functions of the department while making sure to approach sensitive confidential information with care in order to preserve student dignity. I was recognized for my approachable, helpful, and outgoing disposition towards students and faculty while providing tailored customer service solutions.

Provided support to individuals with dementia in a golf program to encourage physical activity and socialization with others in a safe and respectful environment. Fostered trusting relationships and offered encouragement to those struggling to integrate with the group.

Directed international, domestic students, faculty, visitors and staff during busy registration periods towards appropriate departments which would best support their needs. Had the opportunity to support the International office with monitoring student volunteers and ensured they knew expectations and were performing duties assigned to them. Became very familiar with the function of the registrars office as well as all other departments within Conestoga College and was able to provide accurate and timely information to all visitors to the Welcome Centre. Managed Q-Nomy queuing system and ensured that visitors were all supported and not inadvertently waiting unnecessarily.

Provided coaching to international and domestic graduated students facilitating their education to-employment transition with effective job search coaching strategies, interview preparation, self marketing, application guidance, and identifying personal challenges that could impact placement as well as future employment.Counselled clients on matters impacting effective job search such as disabilities, mental health and other personal matters and collaboratively problem solved solutions to complex problems with clients.Conducted career assessments and reviewed results with clients to explore career paths, training opportunities, and labour market research.Discussed possible career options with clients including funded retraining opportunities by verifying suitability, eligibility and program admission criteria have been met for clients wishing to access Second Career funded training.Made strategic recommendations to Employer Liaisons that increased odds of successful placements.Coached clients on effective behaviour strategies, created daily schedules, and organized application tracking systems.Supported unemployed clients by leveraging relationships within the Employer Liaison and Career and Work Coach team.Conducted classroom visits to educate graduating students about employment services and encouraged them to register for support upon graduation. Also, regularly explored creative ways in which to generate new employment opportunities for clients with employer network.Worked closely with International Student Advisors and was able to learn about the obstacles that our international students face pertaining to study and work permits.

Supported groups of up to 20 mature job seekers in class as well as individually who have lost employment and needed support to overcome challenges pertaining to securing meaningful employment by assessing needs and systematically addressing those needs to increase success of finding work in their chosen fields.Performed on-site inspections to monitor job satisfaction, troubleshoot issues, and negotiate challenges impacting placements (e.g., safety concerns, etc.) and assessed circumstances preventing employee success while on placement by routinely visiting the employer location to suggest solutions to help maintain client employment.Coached clients through interview preparation using interview stream and mock interviews then offered suggestions that would make their responses to interview questions more impactful.Created a pleasant and supportive environment for clients which helped increase motivation and alleviate some of the barriers to employment my clients were facing. By facilitating employment readiness workshops for groups of clients looking to improve self-marketing skills I was able to offer suggestions on ways in which they could expand their network by conducting informational interviews and making meaningful employer connections. By generating employment leads for clients seeking employment, I was able to expand my employer networks and market my clients utilizing my individualized employment skills profile. When marketing my clients to employers, I explained program objectives and expectations to all parties which encouraged successful employment outcomes.