
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.

Debra Ruddell MS, CCC, GCDF, CNP

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.

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.
Debra is on the leadership team at her local church, Crossroads Career Network.
Leadership & Volunteer Work


Specialties
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Formal & Informal Career Assessments
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Proactive Job Search Strategies
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Resumes, CV's & Cover Letters
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LinkedIn Profiles
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Interview Preparation & Mock Interviews
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STEM Industries & Occupations
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Salary Negotiations
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Identify Transferable Skills
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Marketing of You
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Professional Networking
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Social Media
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Faith-based Options & More

This is the description


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.
