Tiffenator vs. Tiffany

My name is Tiffany, although I’m becoming known around the Greater Lansing area as the “Tiffenator.” I have a website, blog, Facebook page and Twitter handle (@tiffenator) where I post tips for job seekers. My email account is tiffenator@yahoo.com – as you can see, I’m very branded ;) I also do a lot of networking and stay very involved with professional contacts throughout the Lansing area. While it looks like my major should be marketing, it’s actually Human Resources. I’d like to focus on workforce development and job placement.

I am currently in hot pursuit of my bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management at Davenport University. As a non-traditional student, I am unable to "invest in my future" as an unpaid intern - that's why the Tiffenator initiative emerged. I want to help connect job seekers find jobs while sharpening my HR skills and gain the valuable experience while still having an actual income. I have been trying to find an entry level HR position here in Lansing, but so far have been unsuccessful in securing one. I'm a firm believer that when I do find my place, it will be within a company that values hard work, motivation, dedication and creativity.

I’m currently a secretary at the Michigan Public Service Commission, Management Services Division, Energy, Data & Security Section. The section that I work in deals with mitigation and monitoring of energy emergencies throughout the state of Michigan.

I also volunteer for Capital Area Michigan Works and write grants for “Keep Learning… Our Future Depends On It” campaign. I’m currently in the midst of writing grants for an Art in the Parks project where we are hoping to install multiple sculptures along the Lansing River Trail.

Believe it or not, I also have a family and I'm in the middle of planning a wedding that is coming up on St. Patrick's Day 2012. I try to find creative ways of helping out my community and like to Pass It Forward. While I may not be able to contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to local shelters, I try to buy some of the homeless people lunches or dinners when I can afford it. It's similar to the analogy of the little girl throwing stranded starfish back into the ocean - while she couldn't save them all, she knew she was making a difference to the ones she did save.

The Tiffenator... my online identity which started as an assignment from my Professional Writing class at Davenport has become my very own "brand." It never was intended to become that - it was simply a silly nickname I picked up while dually enrolled at LCC and Charlotte High School. I never have tried to misrepresent myself as a business owner or a professional... I'm not quite there yet. I'm in the process and given the proper coaching and being given an opportunity, I can be polished and primed to become a hardworking jobs placement specialist.

As for me, I am Tiffany. The whole brand of Tiffenator has become bigger than I ever expected. Yes, it's my brand, but I don't want to scare off employers. In fact, I truly hope that a prospective employer recognizes I'm on the front lines looking for a career. I don't want to steal their thunder, only enhance their business with new contacts and professionals to add to their network.