“I enjoy the organizational and technical side of business work. Business has always been something that has interested me, I look forward to being able to combine my love for helping others and my organizational skills.”

“It has always been my motto that “if you find work you love, you will never work a day in your life”. I have shared that motto with my students for the last 23 years hoping that, even with a few bumps along the way, they will believe the same. I consider myself very fortunate that I have had the opportunity to work with individuals of all ranges of abilities, disabilities and backgrounds. Not only has it been personally rewarding, it has given me the experience and knowledge to affirm that it is possible to find employment that fits an individual’s personal skills and areas of interests so they are a valued employee who enjoys their work, and is working towards their personal goals.”

“I believe every person, including those with disabilities, can succeed in the workforce. I meet my clients where they are as a whole person, create an individualized plan to work with them, and assist them towards successful employment. I recognize that not every approach works for everyone, and I adapt my services to each client based on how they learn. I believe person-centered employment is critical for success and long-term retention in positions. I strive to help my clients find employment opportunities that best fit their unique needs, interests, and abilities. With my student affairs background, I have helped students with disabilities succeed in college, specifically working collaboratively with their disability accommodations.”

“I continually strive to train and educate myself on best practices and to be innovative. I am ACRE certified and a SOAR advocate, trained on DB101, HB101, and Placement101 to list a few. I recently attended training for Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC) and have been trained in a variety of assessment methods such as WRAT, GAIN, and CCC. I have assisted with CARF accreditations, and site book development and have a strong understanding of task analysis and job carving. I have had the opportunity to attend countless training sessions and seminars, all of which have cultivated my level of knowledge in field. “

“My goal is to do my best at helping individuals build skills for jobs. I hope to help others find their dream job. I love meeting new people and creating meaningful relationships. In my free time, I enjoy pyrography which is creating art using burn marks. I am very lucky to have completed everything that was on my bucket list!”

“As a special services teacher, over the years I have worked with high school students of all skill levels, abilities, and ranges, as well as with families from many sectors of society. It has been immensely rewarding to help young people find post-secondary education or work options that align with the personal goals they have set for their futures.”

“My love for working with people of all ages and disabilities stems from my high school years, when I was a Special Olympics MN coach, and helped to start my high school's unified program. I believe that no matter what one's disability or need, there is always a way to achieve your goals. I believe in a person centered approach, and will always put my client first. In my free time I enjoy hanging out with friends and family, and my puppy!

“I have a history of working in the health care field for 15 years. I enjoy working with people to help them achieve their goals and help them live the best life possible.”

“Having worked in the field for over 2 decades has been so rewarding and beyond wonderful. I have loved helping guide people to focus on abilities and skills to achieve many accomplishments in their lives. Encouraging each individual to do their best, while they learn from each experience. Every person has unique interests, personality and skills which we can all learn and grow from. “

I enjoy assisting students with learning how to navigate the world of employment that not only consists of finding the position but being successful at it. When one enjoys what they are doing it’s more gratifying than just having a job and I hope to assist in finding that the position. With a life a service starting very young working in a nursing home as an aid, joining the Army immediately after high school, being involved in the Big/Brother Big Sister program, volunteering in many capacities with the Scouting program for boys and girls for more than 15 years and lately helping high school students find the right career/college. I feel I have a wide variety of experiences to assist in finding that dream career. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, gardening, and sewing.

“I truly love helping people reach their goals. Making a difference and an impact in someone's life for the better is really what living a fulfilling life means to me. I fully enjoy navigating this thing called life with young people. Helping others reach their goals, finding love in what they do, and make them feel empowered is always my end goal.”

“Throughout my life, I have always had a love of learning and a love of helping other people tagged along with that. While taking an interpersonal communication class during my undergraduate studies, I learned about the 5 love languages and that one of my main ones is acts of service—that gave me a way to name where this affinity comes from. There's always a different way of looking at things and there's always something you can learn from someone else. It's all about opening that avenue of communication and keeping an open mind and open expectations, especially when you come across someone from a different background.

I am excited to be in a role that will allow me to help others realize their opportunities, strengths, and availability for extensive growth. When we're able to get the help and support to better ourselves, those around us will notice the positive changes we're making and strive towards making their own positive changes. Improving as an individual creates more opportunities and space for improvements as a collective.”

I focus on each individual’s need to belong, feel safe and be significant as an experienced career counselor, coach and employment specialist. Employment needs to meet these crucial needs for each person to be successful and thrive. I truly enjoy connecting with each individual and learning about their uniqueness, strengths, interests and skills. Empowering and encouraging individuals to build their self-esteem, and self-confidence with support provides for successful transition toward independence is the goal. Making a difference in the lives of others is a journey, that makes an enormous impact on the individual, their family and our community at large. It makes my heart sing!

During my 39-year career as a special education teacher, I was passionate about helping my students discover their strengths and find fulfilling paths in life. It was a joy to assist them in recognizing their abilities, nurturing them, and using them in meaningful ways. Now, through Illies, I am able to extend this same support to my clients. My goal is to guide each individual in not only recognizing their strengths, but also in finding purpose and fulfilling work. I am committed to helping every client reach their full potential and become the best version of themselves they can be.

We all deserve the opportunity to be successful in the workplace. We all have dreams and aspirations. It is important to talk about them and continue to talk about them until we can find the proper employer/employment match for everyone we serve. We focus on strengths, work goals, and simply “what are the things that bring joy to your life” We become successful when we focus on our strengths, and work on our weaknesses/barriers that hold us back from becoming the best we can be. From job placement/retention, vocational/college opportunities, transitional housing, and many other services. I enjoy every aspect of my job, and working with so many exceptional people.

I take pride in supporting and meeting individuals where they are at, while working alongside them to build on their skills and passions to reach their life goals. Working in the educational field for many years gave me the opportunity to support individuals with a wide range of disabilities and backgrounds. It is extremely rewarding to see the hard work and accomplishments of the individuals I am supporting. In my free time, I enjoy reading and spending time with family and friends.

As a person with a disability, I believe anyone who has a career goal they want to reach can achieve it. I ‘v experience working with Americorp as an Opportunity Navigator in a college setting in Career Serves. I love exploring different careers and education with individuals because there is so much everyone can learn about themselves and myself as well. My goal is to encourage each individual to be independent and to network.

I enjoy helping people find great jobs that will help them be successful. I take great pride in every step to ensure that the expectations of people are exceeded by helping them develop skills and goals to make a difference in all that they do. We can all learn and grow together along the way!

Bio coming soon!

Inquire at Careers@Illiesconsulting.com for more information about internships with Illies Consulting.