Bonnie Negron started her own career firm, Bonnie Career Services, Inc. while working on Wall Street, raising her daughter, and studying for her MBA. We’re inspired by her ability to empower and inspire confidence in her clients and her dedication to animal rescue organizations, like CARE New Jersey. This savvy businesswoman and #NJMOMpreneur sat down with NJMOM to discuss how Bonnie Career Services, Inc. is expanding their reach, and get the inside scoop on some of her favorite places to visit around New Jersey with her family like Luchento’s Country Kitchen in Englishtown.
CEO of Bonnie Career Services & NJMOMpreneur, Bonnie Negron
NJMOM: What do you offer to your clients and how is it different than other professionals in your field?
Bonnie: Bonnie Career Services, Inc. has changed the lives of 400+ people for the better, in just a short period of time, by offering career development workshops, professional résumé writing, LinkedIn profile development, corporate outplacement and career/interview coaching services. In addition to running the operational logistics of the firm, I provide a one-on-one, customized approach for our clients, by serving in the capacity as Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW), Career Coach, Authorized DISC Administrator and Behavioral Consultant, all of which allow me the best tools to coach and instruct individuals. My résumés are completely unique, and custom designed for every client, so I don’t use any templates. Every person has a unique background and different career goals, so your résumé should reflect that!
As strong as you are, you can’t do it alone. To be successful, it takes a village of people, both personally and professionally, to support you to reach your goals. So, get out there and network, pay it forward, and above all else…be kind!” – Bonnie Negron, NJMOMpreneur
NJMOM: What inspired you to get into your line of work?
Bonnie: I opened Bonnie Career Services, Inc. because of my dedication in helping others succeed and work with clients all over the world. At the age of 19, I was offered my first management position and it was during this time that I realized how much I enjoyed training and mentoring others. For every position after, I was always in a leadership role or the “go-to” person where I was responsible for the training, mentoring and development of others within the organization. As I grew in my career, friends and family would ask me to prepare their résumés for them and help prepare for interviews. At work, colleagues would come to me for career advice even if they worked outside of my department. They would inquire about how they should ask their supervisor for a raise or a promotion, how to grow their skills to apply for a different position or develop their leadership skills. I would sit with them and coach them on the opportunities around them, both with employers and external organizations. I took the time to provide insight for their career development because talking success and happiness gets me excited, so I would happily divulge any knowledge I thought they would find helpful.
In 2017, after many changes at home and work, I realized that I needed to move on from a corporate role on Wall Street that I was in for 8 years because it wasn’t fulfilling for me anymore. I sought out a résumé writer for my own needs and received a document that was full of spelling errors and with minor revisions to my original document. I was appalled that I just wasted hundreds of dollars on a service that I very well knew I could’ve handled on my own but just didn’t have the time or confidence that I was producing the best résumé to take my career to the next level. That’s when the idea hit me. I realized that I had been doing this résumé writing and career coaching thing since I was a teenager and I needed to expand my skills outside of family, friends and employers so I can help individuals everywhere. The timing just made sense and I started to research ways on how to start my own business. In July of that year, I submitted my resignation with my employer and Bonnie Career Services was born in September.
NJMOM: What is your favorite part about your business?
Bonnie: What we do goes beyond finding people jobs. We bring hope, excitement and inspire confidence so clients can feel empowered to take their careers to the next level and achieve their utmost career goals. So, hearing about the successes of my clients who were able to take their careers to the next level after working with me, makes this journey all worthwhile.
NJMOM: What is your background in your business expertise?
Bonnie: I have worked in a variety of leadership roles for some great companies and was always in a position that developed the talent of staff through coaching and training programs. I have been selected by industry leaders to participate on corporate committees and advisory boards for my subject matter expertise on organizational employee development initiatives, human resources best practices and web-based projects such as customer applicant tracking systems (ATS) and relationship management (CRM). ATS is an important technology that job seekers need to be aware of when applying online for jobs, so I provide the expertise to help make that process painless.
NJMOM: What are you most proud of in your career?
Bonnie: Looking back on my career, my greatest accomplishment was getting my MBA while I was raising a 5-year old, pregnant with my second child and working on Wall Street full-time. I graduated with honors with my family there to support me and that was a great moment I will always remember.
NJMOM: What is something few people know about you?
Bonnie: I love to read and I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I became a fan of Harry Potter while working at Scholastic in the Marketing and Consumer Products division and now I’m sharing the love of the series with my family.
NJMOM: What can we expect from you next year – personally and professionally?
Bonnie: For 2019, I have partnered with another Career Coach to share my expertise in résumé writing and LinkedIn through online weekly workshops for women who are embarking on a 12-week life and career transformation journey. Plus, we have opened a second location in NYC and we will be hosting more career development workshops in the New Jersey and New York area. Stay tuned!
NJMOM: What charitable cause are you most passionate about?
Bonnie: As the owner of four dogs, I am most passionate about animal rescue organizations and we adopted 2 dogs from Louie’s Legacy and CARE New Jersey.
NJMOM: Who is your role model? Why?
Bonnie: I don’t have one specific role model, but I do tend to gravitate towards strong, independent women who are willing to do whatever it takes to succeed in life, who are selfless and have a good heart. These are qualities that are important to me and what I admire about others.
NJMOM: What is the best piece of advice your mom (or parent/role model) ever gave to you?
Bonnie: My mom taught me the art of perseverance, which is crucial for entrepreneurship, and that no matter what life throws at you, you pick yourself up and try again.
NJMOM: Do you have a favorite quote you live by? Why is this quote so important to you?
Bonnie:
Inspire. Identify. Achieve.”
This is the principle our business was based on and what I strive for each day, not only for myself as a mom and a business owner, but for my clients as well. I hope to continue to inspire those around me to identify their unique strengths/talents and achieve their dreams and career goals.
NJMOM: What are your favorite things to do in New Jersey with your family?
Bonnie: Summer is our favorite season, so we love going to the Jersey Shore, especially Point Pleasant, and my husband and I never pass up a weekend trip to Atlantic City for some quality time regardless of the season.
NJMOM: What is the best part about being a mom for you?
Bonnie: Since the business is a big part of the family, the girls are always learning the ins and outs of what I do. I love being able to share this with them and nothing brings me greater joy than hearing my girls talk about the things they want to do when they grow up. Part of my reason for taking the dive into entrepreneurship was to have the flexibility to be more available as a mom. Now that I’ve achieved that, the best part is watching them grow into strong, independent little ladies.
NJMOM: What are your favorite businesses in New Jersey?
Bonnie: For me, there’s no better way to start my day than with a high-energy workout at The Max Challenge of Manalapan. As a family, we love having breakfast at Luchentos Country Kitchen, shopping at the Freehold Mall and going pumpkin picking at Happy Day Farm.
NJMOM: Where do you reside and vacation in New Jersey?
Bonnie: We relocated to Manalapan from New York a couple of years ago, but I grew up vacationing at different locations along the Jersey Shore from Long Branch down to Wildwood/Cape May. Now that we are closer, I love sharing these experiences more frequently with my girls.
NJMOM: What advice might you have for a fellow NJMOMpreneur who is just starting out?
Bonnie: As strong as you are, you can’t do it alone. To be successful, it takes a village of people, both personally and professionally, to support you to reach your goals. So, get out there and network, pay it forward, and above all else…be kind!
For more information about Bonnie Career Services, follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
