Helping you achieve 
career success

Debra Ruddell holds over two decades of experience from a variety of viewpoints within the world of education, research, non-profit service, employer relations, and career consulting across the U.S. & the globe. Her unique perspective of the design, the dignity and the cultivation of work transfers to her client applications.

 

As the wife of a Management Engineer who relocated multiple times across state lines, with 3 sons; Debra has experienced first-hand what it is like to go through career transitions (planned and unplanned) within various industries, agencies, and schools/universities.

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Debra Ruddell MS, CCC, GCDF, CNP

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Professional Summary

Debra is a Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF),  Certified Neurodiversity Professional (CNP), and NCDA Certified Career Counselor (CCC), a Professional School Counselor (Georgia Licensure) and is a qualified MBTI & Strong Interest Inventory Practitioner. She is the owner of DJR Career Connector, a private practice in metro Atlanta where she specializes in career exploration, rediscovery, and transitions, from entry-level to executive.

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Experience & Skills

Debra holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Indiana University (IUPUI), and a Masters’ Degree from Mercer University in Professional Counseling. She also specializes in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) industries and occupations. From changing college majors to PhDs at a crossroad she is well versed with clients seeking a career transition.

Publications

“Senior Workers Managing Online Presence & Networking”, (article) Winter volume of CDNJ (Career Development Networking Journal


Contributed chapter in Telemental Health and Distance Counseling book by Dr. Heather Roberson, by Springer Publishing


3 presentations at the 2019 National Career Development Association’s National Conference, held in Houston, TX: “Marketing Professional Credentials to Higher Education Career Centers”

Debra is a qualified leader in the Professional Career Counselor world: she is a Board Certified Career Counselor, a Past President of the Georgia Career Development Association serving on that board of directors for 6 years, with her team earning the NCDA Outstanding State Division Award in 2017. She also completed a 2-year commitment in the NCDA Leadership Academy in 2019, and currently serves on the NCDA Credentialing Commission as well as the NCDA Technology Committee. She is a strategic thinker who is continuously upskilling her professional knowledge base and perspective, in order to better serve her clients.

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Debra is on the leadership team at her local church, Crossroads Career Network.

Leadership & Volunteer Work

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Specialties

  • Formal & Informal Career Assessments

  • Proactive Job Search Strategies

  • Resumes, CV's & Cover Letters

  • LinkedIn Profiles

  • Interview Preparation & Mock Interviews

  • STEM Industries & Occupations

  • Salary Negotiations

  • Identify Transferable Skills

  • Marketing of You

  • Professional Networking

  • Social Media

  • Faith-based Options & More

GCDA Award 2017
GCDA Award 2017

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GCDA Award 2017
GCDA Award 2017
Conference NCDA 2019
Conference NCDA 2019

Career Counselor & Transition Coach

In the past 10+ years, Debra has worked with over 1000 clients from entry level to executive level, across multiple industries in the U.S. and abroad; she has assisted them in landing positions with companies such as Microsoft, AT&T, Amazon, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, Deloitte, Lockheed Martin, Shaw Industries, Northwestern Mutual, Georgia-Pacific, The CDC, Chick-fil-A, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Equifax, NCR Corp., Newell Brands, Apple, as well as Fortune 100 & Fortune 500 companies, small entrepreneurial start-ups, and non-profits.


Debra offers an exceptional career counseling acumen as a result of her combined experience as a former Career Programs Manager at Georgia Tech serving all alumni, undergraduate & Graduate students, a Career Counselor at Mercer University Atlanta Campus, a Transition Coach for Impact Group, as well as ongoing service for the National Career Development Assoc. Credentialing Commission, and the Georgia Career Development Association.


Her unique and in-depth knowledge of Career Consulting, coupled with being a leader in her field, allows Debra to give her clients a distinct advantage when it comes to industry resources, career assessment applications, and making informed decisions for their career goals and transitions.

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