This article is one in a series of articles on The Highlands Company blog that features the outstanding work of individual Highlands Certified Consultants.
Meet Mary
In the fall of 2014, Dr. Mary Feduccia completed her Highlands Certification Training as she set the ground work for her new private practice, CareerWorks360. Prior to opening the business, she served as Director of Career Services at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. She officially retired her LSU position on July 5, but she will continue her work as an Adjunct Professor.
Mary holds an undergraduate degree in Education, a master’s degree in Counseling, and a Ph.D. degree in Vocational Education. She has been involved in educational settings at the secondary and higher education levels for the past 30 years, most of which have been spent in counseling young adults and in administration.
How Mary Learned About the Highlands Ability Battery (HAB)
“I learned about Highlands several years ago at the National Career Development Association Conference (NCDA),” Mary explained. “I was intrigued by it because I think natural abilities assessments are the missing link in university career center counseling. At LSU, we used several different assessments to look at personality, values, and interests, but abilities are the bottom line. If someone makes a choice about career or major that isn’t in line with abilities, the buck stops there.”
Mary said that when she created the service offerings for CareerWorks360 she explored a few abilities assessments. She chose the HAB because of the straightforward approach and depth of information in the reports.
Highlands and CareerWorks360 Clients
Through CareerWorks360, Mary provides career coaching and professional development for high school and college students, new professionals, and adults in career transition. She works with clients through one-on-one coaching and customized workshops. Most notably, she started a series of “bootcamps” this summer for high school juniors and seniors seeking clarity on their college majors. Mary says she has a special passion for working with young students since that is where her own career began.
“In June I held the first of my ‘College Major and Career Bootcamps,’ one at an all-girls private school and the other through LSU’s continuing education program. Each camp met for three hours daily for one week, and the results and feedback were outstanding.”
Mary explained that the camp curriculum looked at five different aspects:
- A college/career decision model she developed that helps students understand the decision-making process
- The Highlands Ability Battery and other assessments that look at personality, values, and interests
- Assessment feedback with students and parents
- Career, college, and major exploration
- A next-steps action plan, which often includes informational interviewing and job shadowing
“Overall, both of the career bootcamps were such an enjoyable and rich experience for me and the students,” Mary said. “I saw much progress from start to finish with the students.”
The bootcamp was the first of its kind at LSU and the private school. Mary has plans to hold similar programs going forward. To learn more about Mary and CareerWorks360 or to inquire about an upcoming bootcamp, visit CareerWorks360.com.
