SLICE OF RYE

Let Anne Finnegan Guide You

On the Path to Somewhere

By Robin Jovanovich

What started out as an informal career coaching business in 2012 has grown into a sizable and gratifying one for Anne Finnegan.

An MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth, along with corporate credentials — media planner (Ogilvy & Mather), associate product manager (PepsiCo), and senior product manager (Kraft Foods) — have prepared her well for her second act as a career coach and résumé composer. As has her BA in Art History — “a design aesthetic is a good tool to have when you’re launching a new business.”

In a short period of time Finnegan has achieved consistent results for clients in over 25 fields, from the culinary arts to healthcare, investment banking, and broadcasting. “I’m astounded at the variety of work,” said the founder of Prep Your Path LLC.

After hearing what she puts into each college admittance and job search assignment, it’s easy to understand her success. Operating on the principle that one size doesn’t fit all, Finnegan tailors every résumé and provides one core and two custom-targeted ones for every client project.

Eighty percent of her business is referral, and with her high track record, the phone is always ringing. Among the people she’s helped, 20 percent are high school students aiming to attract the attention of top colleges and top college athletic teams, 60 percent are college students looking for that first job, and 20 percent are adults looking to return to the workforce or hoping to make a career change.

She starts with a pep talk, borrowing from retired General Colin Powell: There is no formula for success. Prepare, work hard, and be ready for setbacks. “After that, all bets are off,” she notes with signature humor. “I also tell recent grads about the Forbes article which states that the average number of jobs you’ll likely have before you die is 19!”

For Finnegan, Prep Your Path has been an education. “I feel like I’m going back to school myself.”

The mother of three twenty-somethings, while willing to help students at every level, draws the line when it comes to college essays and managing the college process.

In between attending national seminars, she typically is working with five clients at the same time. In recent weeks those clients have included someone applying to veterinary school and a retired professional looking to spruce up his LinkedIn profile.

What aspect of her job does she enjoy the most? “I love mentoring high school kids. I advise them to wait a few days before they send that thank-you letter to the admissions officer, alumnae interviewer, or coach. Thinking ahead, she muses, “I like it so much that I may want to develop a close relationship with one school and go from there.”

Anne Finnegan says she’s found her second calling. “Mine is a great job for a mom who doesn’t want to be at the beck and call of a corporation.”

To find your calling, learn more at PrepYourPath.com.