I approached Alma for help as I decided to embark on one of the most significant career challenges of my life: fulfilling a lifelong dream of joining the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva as a Human Resources Manager. The hiring process with the ICRC was known to be lengthy and extremely competitive. With a large number of applicants and limited positions, the success rate was very low. Although I had many years of experience in the field, a significant obstacle I faced was that none of that experience was in the humanitarian sector.

Our first step was to work on my resume and cover letter. Alma helped me transform these documents significantly. Before meeting her, my resume and cover letter did not tell my story or convey my expertise; once we recreated these documents, I submitted them to Geneva, where they caught the attention of the hiring managers.

After being notified of my success in being part of the group competing for a position, we began the second step: training my interviewing and testing skills. This was perhaps the most challenging yet rewarding part of my journey. After more than eight years in management positions and regularly conducting interviews, I believed I was skilled at interviewing for positions. However, Alma identified and corrected many gaps in my responses to executive-level interview questions and helped me stay grounded throughout the process.

She introduced a wide range of online tools and resources available in libraries, provided references to papers and videos, and shared specific cases of other individuals she had coached. Her meticulous approach—starting with general concepts and gradually moving into specific details while making corrections along the way—was invaluable.

She was also exceptional at offering advice to anticipate what would come next after I successfully overcame each step in the hiring process. She demonstrated great compassion while also being firm and assertive in her guidance.

I could not have asked for a better coach. Alma consistently brought out the best in me. Every improvement I made during our rehearsals was an opportunity to strive for even more. My experience working with her was a pivotal moment in my career.

Since my mission in Iraq, I have returned to AHS and am currently serving as the Acting Director for Provincial Staffing Services. In addition to regularly applying the interviewing techniques I learned with Alma, I believe I have also become a better listener and a more effective hiring manager thanks to the skills I developed during that time.

Thanks to Alma’s support and dedication during what I consider the most important time of my professional career, I feel much better equipped to embrace any future career aspirations. Through her coaching sessions, I discovered that I have much more to offer my employer than I realized prior to consulting with her. I am confident that the advice and knowledge she has imparted to me will be applied regularly throughout the rest of my career.

“I would absolutely recommend seeking out Alma’s services if you are in the process of changing positions or if you plan to do so in the future. Take her every word to heart; the hard work will definitely pay off.”

I approached Alma for help as I decided to embark on one of the most significant career challenges of my life: fulfilling a lifelong dream of joining the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva as a Human Resources Manager. The hiring process with the ICRC was known to be lengthy and extremely competitive. With a large number of applicants and limited positions, the success rate was very low. Although I had many years of experience in the field, a significant obstacle I faced was that none of that experience was in the humanitarian sector.

Our first step was to work on my resume and cover letter. Alma helped me transform these documents significantly. Before meeting her, my resume and cover letter did not tell my story or convey my expertise; once we recreated these documents, I submitted them to Geneva, where they caught the attention of the hiring managers.

After being notified of my success in being part of the group competing for a position, we began the second step: training my interviewing and testing skills. This was perhaps the most challenging yet rewarding part of my journey. After more than eight years in management positions and regularly conducting interviews, I believed I was skilled at interviewing for positions. However, Alma identified and corrected many gaps in my responses to executive-level interview questions and helped me stay grounded throughout the process.

She introduced a wide range of online tools and resources available in libraries, provided references to papers and videos, and shared specific cases of other individuals she had coached. Her meticulous approach—starting with general concepts and gradually moving into specific details while making corrections along the way—was invaluable.

She was also exceptional at offering advice to anticipate what would come next after I successfully overcame each step in the hiring process. She demonstrated great compassion while also being firm and assertive in her guidance.

I could not have asked for a better coach. Alma consistently brought out the best in me. Every improvement I made during our rehearsals was an opportunity to strive for even more. My experience working with her was a pivotal moment in my career.

Since my mission in Iraq, I have returned to AHS and am currently serving as the Acting Director for Provincial Staffing Services. In addition to regularly applying the interviewing techniques I learned with Alma, I believe I have also become a better listener and a more effective hiring manager thanks to the skills I developed during that time.

Thanks to Alma’s support and dedication during what I consider the most important time of my professional career, I feel much better equipped to embrace any future career aspirations. Through her coaching sessions, I discovered that I have much more to offer my employer than I realized prior to consulting with her. I am confident that the advice and knowledge she has imparted to me will be applied regularly throughout the rest of my career.

“I would absolutely recommend seeking out Alma’s services if you are in the process of changing positions or if you plan to do so in the future. Take her every word to heart; the hard work will definitely pay off.”