Themes

Work 101: Learning the Ropes of the Workplace without Hanging Yourself--Based on Elizabeth Freedman’s book, this program tells your New Professionals everything they need to know in order to be successful on the job. From getting a seat at the meeting table to dealing with a demanding boss, from talking salary in a performance review to what not to say at a business function, Work 101 covers the rules – spoken and unspoken – of what it really takes to succeed on the job.

Your Fork is Not a Shovel: 21st Century Business Etiquette and Know-How for New Professionals--If your employees think a fork is a shovel and a knife is a saw, then this is the program for them. Here’s the dining etiquette seminar that gives all the do’s and don’ts of what it takes to be successful in any type of social business setting. This interactive, hands-on dining program tells employees everything they need to know so they’ll never be caught off-guard or unsure in any type of situation.

When Bad Wardrobes Happen to Good Employees: The Real Rules of Business Casual and How to Dress for Success in Any Situation--This is the seminar that will put an end to flip-flops, low-rise jeans and plenty of other business casual disasters. In a fun, highly interactive format, this program outlines what to wear, what not to wear, and why appearance really does matter in the workplace, no matter where you work. Includes plenty of information about wardrobe in job interviews, career fairs, networking events and other situations where job-seekers find themselves.

Boldly Go Where No Job-Seeker Has Gone Before: Standing Out in a Crowded Marketplace through Intelligent Risk-Taking and Courageous Creativity--Once upon a time, submitting a great resume or networking may have been unique platforms on which we could differentiate ourselves in a competitive job market. However, today’s economy is a crowded one, making it even tougher for savvy job seekers and enterprising individuals to stand out, get noticed, and make an impact in the marketplace. In this program, you’ll learn why taking the safe road isn’t necessarily the smart road when it comes to our job search and professional goals, and how to raise your visibility and increase your presence in a competitive market. You’ll also discover the secrets of job-seeking masters—and avoid key mistakes in your own job search.

Communicate Like a Pro: Deliver Powerful Messages that Get Read, Remembered, and Stand Out in a Competitive Marketplace--Here’s one business skill that never goes out of style: Effective Business Writing! Whether you’re writing an email, complex business proposal, or resume, your ability to write and communicate with insight and impact is critical because busy professionals – including recruiters and hiring managers – are inundated with emails, resumes, and other materials on a daily basis. The result? Long emails, boring letters, and unprofessional resumes get discarded, deleted, and ignored. In this seminar, we’ll show you what it takes to get your materials read, remembered, and grab the reader. Remember - today’s job seeker may be competing with as many as 700 resumes for one position, according to Monster.com, and it’s not always easy to get a foot in a door and a shot at your dream job. Make the most of every opportunity by sounding sharp on paper and in person – it may make the difference between a job offer for you or someone else!

About

Elizabeth Freedman is the author of Work 101: Learning the Ropes of the Workplace without Hanging Yourself and The MBA Student’s Job-Seeking Bible. She is also a 2005 finalist for College Speaker of the Year, awarded by the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities. She runs a Boston-based communications and career development firm that helps New Professionals look sharp, sound smart, and succeed on the job. Clients include The Gillette Company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Thomson Financial.

Throughout the year, Elizabeth delivers programs to students and employees across the country on areas of work and career success, and has created several job search programs for MBA students and employees, including The MBA Job Search BOOTCAMP, a semester-long coaching program for job-seekers. She is a frequent contributor to many career-focused websites, where she writes about work and life choices for students and New Professionals, and has been quoted in The New York Times and many other regional publications.

Elizabeth is also the author and performer of Made Redundant, her one-woman show about the trials and tribulations of job seekers everywhere. The sold-out performances were highlighted in local and nationally-known media outlets, including The Boston Globe and National Public Radio.

Elizabeth is a former MBA adjunct marketing instructor at Dominican University in Chicago and employee of the global consulting firm, Accenture. She is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University, and Thunderbird, the Garvin School of International Management, and lives in the Boston area with her husband and two sons. For more information, please visit www.elizabethfreedman.com.

Assets

As the author of, Work 101: Learning the Ropes of the Workplace without Hanging Yourself (Random House, 2007) and 2005 APCA finalist for College Speaker of the Year, Elizabeth Freedman’s keynote presentations and seminars combine substance with style that audiences rave about. Throughout the year, Elizabeth delivers a wide range of career programs for companies and universities across the country, who write how Elizabeth “gets our blood flowing and makes us excited about our future,” while providing a “phenomenal program that delivers real value.”

Elizabeth is also an MBA graduate and former MBA Marketing lecturer with a business background who isn’t afraid to tell her own stories from the front line (ask her about the night she spit spaghetti on her boss’s tie) in order to make a point. Better yet, ask her about Made Redundant, the one-woman show she wrote and performed about her own work and career trials and tribulations. Audiences loved the humor and down-to-earth style of her story about how one MBA graduate went from being a technology hot shot to Jerry Springer junkie faster than you can say "bankrupt dot com." As one audience member wrote: “The show was simply fantastic…and you have a very powerful message in there with all that humor.”

Whether Elizabeth is delivering a one-woman show, keynote presentation at a conference, or seminar for a group of employees, her passion for issues that impact professionals is clear. Her own professional experience, career expertise, and excellent presentation skills allow her to deliver messages that truly impact audiences. As a result, groups that work with Elizabeth walk away from her programs with practical ideas that really work, gaining a new set of tools for success and empowerment that truly makes a difference in their careers – and lives.

Rave Reviews

Let me tell you how much I appreciated your program. It surpassed my wildest expectations. I had suggested to our HR representative that we include a seminar on business etiquette for our new interns to help them start their professional careers on the right track. Thanks for injecting humor and wisdom into a delicate subject. It was terrific.

Anne Fish
Lead, Boston Sales Strategy Group
PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLC


As a result of the excellent feedback I received from the other members of my team regarding Elizabeth’s work, I plan to partner with her again on other aspects of our training efforts. Her work will make a big difference for future employees that participate in the training program, and it has also made a strong impact on the training team itself. For these reasons and more, I would not hesitate to recommend her outstanding work to other organizations.

Kim Collins
Senior Vice President
Thomson Financial Corporate Services


The staff evaluations to Elizabeth’s performance were unanimously positive. Many colleagues approached me after the daylong training to tell me about the workshop and to request future trainings with Elizabeth. One of our health outreach workers recently told me that the training with Liz has made her job much easier, since she conducts a variety of informational sessions with community members and now actively puts to use the skills she learned from Elizabeth.

Lenore Myka
Director of Development
Vietnamese-American Civic Association


Elizabeth Freedman is a most impressive, dynamic speaker. A real powerhouse! Of the 60 presentations delivered at our meetings, this was far and away the most popular!

Martin Pierce, Director
WIND (2000+ member job search group)


She was excellent, and the students thought so, too. Her program was polished, professional, and also down-to-earth, funny, and truly meaningful to students. She understands her audience and delivers messages that absolutely resonate with them.

Denise Karaoli, Assistant Director
MBA Office of Career Development
Darden School of Business, University of Virginia


Feedback about Work 101:

Work 101 is the bible of how to behave in a corporate environment. It will push you up the corporate ladder so fast, you had better not be afraid of heights.

Dan Mathisson
Managing Director
Credit Suisse


What does any recent graduate need to know when it comes to succeeding on the job? Elizabeth Freedman provides the answers here in her insightful, enjoyable, and practical Work 101, which provides a model for professionalism on the job that any new employee will want to follow. In a light and easy way, Elizabeth has captured the compelling basics for success.

Steve Jones
National Training Director
Franklin Covey


Our organization provides human resources support to hundreds of organizations who demand that our professionals hit the ground running. Work 101 is the blueprint to help them do so, and offers a wealth of insight and practical information to anyone who wants to start any job off on the right foot. I’d recommend this book to any staffing or human resources organization that wants to empower their candidates to succeed in any work environment.

Jack Mayhew
Chairman
TSi/HRi Companies


Elizabeth has delivered a wide range of training programs, seminars, keynote presentations, breakout sessions, coaching and consulting services to the following organizations:
PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
The Gillette Company
Thomson Financial Services
Foley Hoag, LLP
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
The Partnership/Mass General Behavioral Partnership
Teradyne
Brigham & Women’s Physician Organization
Vietnamese American Civic Association
Columbia Point Community Partnership
Patriots Trail Girl Scout Council
Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management
The MBA Career Services Council – National Conference
Bryant University – Women’s Summit Conference 2007
The Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers (EACE) – Regional Conference
Miami-Dade College
Reading Area Community College
Hillsborough Community College
Broward Community College
Bentley College
Boston College
Belmont University
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Greater New York
WIND (2000+ member group for professionals in transition)
The Career Place
LIFEWORKS Career & Planning
The Monday Network (job-seekers group)
Ashland Board of Health
Wisnik Career Enterprises
Watertown Town Hall
A.I.G.
Tufts Health Care
Arizona State University, W.P. Carey School of Business
University of Virginia, Darden School of Business
University of South Carolina, Moore School of Business
Career Counselors’ Consortium, New England
Toastmasters International District Conference
Junior Chamber of Commerce – National Conference
Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities (APCA) – National, Regional Conferences