Alumni Spotlight: Adrienne Tom, BA'01 (English)

Adrienne Tom graduated in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in English. She started her career at the University of Calgary where she first worked at the Schulich School of Engineering then with Career Services as a career advisor and co-op and internship administrator. In 2008 she became Calgary’s first certified professional resume reviewer where local demand helped her grow the company to become a nation-wide operation called Career Impressions. Career Impressions connects executives and top professionals from across Canada and the USA with cutting-edge career documents and job search tools. Tom is a member of the Faculty of Arts Alumni Advisory Council.

What is your favourite University of Calgary memory?

My favourite memory is definitely my graduation day, which was truly an exhilarating moment for me.  After years of hard work and dedicated study I felt that the graduation ceremony was a wonderful send-off, filled with lots of inspiration and motivation.  I honestly think it was one of my proudest moments because I knew how hard I had worked and I was very eager to start the next step of my journey.  It also felt so great to celebrate as part of the greater university community and looking back on this event I still feel emotional; it was like leaving my second home.  I was very attached to the University of Calgary, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience there, and although I was excited to start my career I was uncertain about leaving this place behind.

What was your favourite campus hang out spot?

I was a true library lover!  As an English major it was necessary to spend a lot of time researching and reading in the library (yes, this was back in the day of hard-copy research versus internet Googling), but I really enjoyed the quiet library environment and being surrounded by all of those glorious books.  When I had time to kill during the day I would find myself holed up in a little cubby on the 9th floor (I believe) reading anything I could get my hands out.  I continue to have a severe passion for books and reading and I truly feel that the university helped foster my passion.

If you could give one piece of advice to a student completing the same degree that you did, what would it be?

Even though an English degree doesn’t offer a clear career path or particular job outcome, there are countless opportunities available out there; stay open-minded and work hard to pursue your passions.   There is so much that an English degree offers, so learning how to leverage the skills received and promote your strengths will help get you where you want to be in the future.  Your career path may not be straight and narrow, but your skills are diverse and transferable so make them work for you!   

How has your career evolved?

My career has evolved from a more traditional role working for an organization (in my case I graduated from the University of Calgary and then immediately started my career on campus) to a more entrepreneurial path of working for myself.   When I graduated I never in a million years thought that I would be where I am at today – running my own successful business, offering career support to some of the world’s biggest and brightest business minds.  As a new graduate I felt compelled to explore traditional job paths but it soon became apparent that there was no ‘one way or best way’ to carry forward my career.  It was in my hands to take risks, make big decisions, and guide my own success.   So I did.  I would strongly encourage all other Faculty of Arts graduates to do the same – take control of your career and be open to applying yourself in many different work environments, roles, and companies.  Your skills are diverse and they can be used in many productive ways.  
One of my personal mottos is “nothing gained if nothing tried”.  I come back to this phrase time and time again throughout my career.  This phrase pushes me out of my comfort zone a lot but in return I’ve got to experience some pretty cool things – I was hired by LinkedIn in 2014 as one of just 2 Canadian content contributors for the Job Seeker Premium Site…..I’ve successfully pursued and finalized 8 industry certifications, including the Certified Executive Resume Master (CERM) credential –the first in Canada to receive it….my work has been published in several notable books, including Best Canadian Resumes, 3rd Edition and Resume for Dummies, 7th Edition......and I was approached to be a part of the Faculty of Arts Alumni Advisory Council, where I am once again back on campus working with the community I’ve missed.

What is the best thing about your job?

The best thing about my job is doing what I love.  I enjoy helping people, I am passionate about writing and research, and I love having control over how my company operates.  Altogether I have a created a perfect-fit position that suits my lifestyle and leverages my strengths.  Recognizing that my degree was powerful, and maximizing the potential of it, was the best thing I could have done for myself.  I loved to read and write, so I located a niche area and set myself up as a non-traditional writer.  Now I write resumes for senior professionals all over the world, putting their career stories onto paper.  Sure, setting up my own company was hard work that involved a lot of dedicated commitment, time, and energy…but it paid off and the journey to get to where I am at today was a fantastic learning experience.   

How did your arts degree help you get to where you are now/your current career?

Being open-minded about the benefits of my degree was key.  I didn’t let myself become overwhelmed with the possibilities of where I should go with my career. I rolled with it.  I let my passion for English literature guide me….I leveraged my excellent reading, writing, and research skills to get my foot in the door back on campus so I could start a career giving back to the campus community, working for Career Services.  I then allowed myself to soak up new things, forced myself to try different roles, and then took a leap of faith that I could branch out on my own.  My degree empowered me with so many diverse and transferrable skills, enabling me to work in unique areas and be further exposed to different and exciting opportunities.   I honestly believe that my degree afforded me the skills to be an entrepreneur, even if I didn’t recognize it at the time.  I took away knowledge from my degree, but I also taught myself how to problem-solve, manage time, analyze, research, and communicate effectively. All of these skills have been critical to my success.