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2.1 Suzy Drapkin biography
I have a unique collection of counseling, administrative, business, financial, and entrepreneurial skills. My expertise has allowed me to apply my skills in the public sector as a clinical and career counselor, educational trainer, diagnostic vocational evaluator and rehabilitation coordinator, as well as in the business world as an executive recruiter and consultant.
My husband Michael and I are both serial entrepreneurs, having created multiple businesses both individually and together over the years. Recently, we took the ultimate entrepreneurial step - we summarily decided to up and move to Austin, Texas to improve the quality of our lives. We have found the local community to be warm and welcoming and the opportunities plentiful. For me, it was living in a warm climate with a thriving arts community and a college town, and weather that allows me to pursue my passion for gardening year round. For Michael, it was for the great technology, music and business climate.
That being said, I decided to take my 25-plus years of experience and use it to build a private career development and planning practice. Although I am versed in many areas, I am specializing in working with those individuals who have a glimmer in their eye to pursue work as an entrepreneur. I also have an affinity to working with women in transition, especially the woman who has been a stay-at-home mom and wishes to reenter the workforce but doesn't know what to do or is lacking the confidence to do it.
I have lots of experience in providing vocational assessments for adults and middle and high school students using an array of diagnostic vocational tools. I also have worked with businesses, helping them to assess potential employees.
I am a MBTI� Master Practitioner. My training certification in other career assessments includes Adkins Life Skills Trainer, Career Design Guide and McCarron-Dial.
Since I consider myself to be an eclectic individual with other interests, I also have certification in conflict resolution facilitation, tobacco prevention and cessation training and in adult education instruction. A short time ago, I completed the Basic Learning Skills program so that I can help those with Dyslexia learn to read.
I am a workshop presenter and founding member of the Brevard Conference on Music Entrepreneurship in Brevard, North Carolina, where I provide both entrepreneurial skills and MBTI� assessments for conference attendees.
I have a long history of counseling many kinds of people in different kinds of programs including dislocated workers, women in transition, welfare-to-work programs, the economically disadvantaged, displaced homemakers, chemically dependent, victims of domestic violence, incarcerated, physically handicapped, learning disabled, substance abuse, emotionally disturbed and mentally handicapped individuals. All of these experiences have helped broaden my range of understanding and expertise in working with individuals.
I have an M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling from The Sargent College of Allied Health Professions at Boston University. For those of you who have never heard of Rehabilitation Counseling, it taught me to view all aspects of an individual's life when counseling them. To this day I incorporate that viewpoint into my own work. I also have a B.S. in Special Education, which has allowed me to appreciate better the little quirks and differences that make up each of us.
Before I became a white-collar professional, I had some interesting work experiences. I worked in the smelter at a copper mine in Arizona the first year women were allowed to work there. I got a taste of unions having been a United Steel Worker's member as well as what it was like for workers who were owned by the company they worked for. I have bartended, as good as any place to practice counseling skills. I managed a flower shop, a job I particularly loved for the creative aspects of the business. Another favorite job was when I worked in a bookstore caf� at Faneuil Hall in Boston while attending grad school. I love books, what more can I say? All of these experiences have helped broaden my perspective about work, which only helps me when I deal with my clients.
On a personal note, my community outreach was for many years being very involved in my children's public schools as both a member of the PTA and Compact Committee. I was the 5th Grade Chairperson twice, School Coordinator for Junior Achievement, Plant Sale Coordinator, and Publishing Center Coordinator. I have won several awards for my leadership with Junior Achievement of the Hudson Valley, Inc. program. Recently, I was volunteer career counselor for JFS of Austin.
To contact Suzy Drapkin, email:
[email protected]
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