Wall Of Success Stories

Working with Ilene Rein of Pounding Pavement 101 was not only a pleasure, but it was also an awakening experience.  As a recent graduate, I had a goal of gaining myself an entry-level job or internship in the fashion industry.  Ilene changed my outlook on how to achieve this goal from my initial mindset of “something will come to me” to “I need to bang on every door I can find until I get where I want to be.” 

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Ilene enhanced my motivation to be aggressive about getting out into the industry with specific learning and preparation methods.  Covering resume and cover letter templates, the correct way to reach out to a company, and one of the most useful, interview question reviews, were just several of the steps Ilene took with me to build my drive and achieve my goals.

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What I appreciate most about working with Ilene was her ability to give me the full motivation to getting my name out there, that I never knew I had.  After several weeks of working with her, I’ve received feed back from the companies I’ve reached out to, as well as gaining an internship.  Today, I am more than excited to reach out to companies with full confidence and a beautiful resume that showcases my design background.  I cannot thank Ilene enough for all of her help and guidance through this journey.

— G.L., College Graduate and Now Employed!

Everyone needs an Ilene! Her years of experience allow her to effectively help you find and get the job you want with ease. She is incredibly easy to talk to, and will go out of her way to help you achieve your goals. With Ilene, you can be your best professional self without getting lost along the way. For anyone like myself who gets caught up in the logistics and complexity of job hunting, Ilene simplifies the equation. She helps you isolate and solve for the first variable, and once you know the first variable, the rest of them come a lot easier. She truly inspires you to pound pavement and will be just as excited as you are when you get the job. Armed with her killer personality, and years of knowledge, working with Ilene Rein will easily be one of the most enjoyable, and constructive job hunting experiences you will have.

— A.C., College Student Seeking Co-op/Internship  

We have a college senior graduating May 2018 with a degree in mechanical engineering. A. is a very bright young man but is limited in his social and communication skills. We worry that he will be at a disadvantage when he applies and interviews for employment because he might not present himself in the best light. In addition, our son is one stubborn young man who resists the wisdom imparted by his parents (who clearly don't know anything).

Enter Ilene Rein.

Ilene is a ninja, yoda, a saint. Ilene has cracked through that shell of our son's stubbornness by demonstrating that what she offers clearly works. Ilene has a keen eye and an acute sense of trends in job seeking and hiring practices. She is also really good at identifying a client's strengths, weaknesses and developing a plan to meet his or her unique needs. Ilene is also a great motivator, a one-woman cheerleading team. We believe in being proactive so we got Ilene on board to start preparing A. for the world of work. Just this year Ilene helped A. with his resume working over every single detail and guiding him on cover letters that 'popped'. Prospective employers have started noticing through Linkedin and other sources.

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Currently Ilene is coaching A. on interview skills and the value of the 'schmooze' factor. He'll never be a social butterfly but she's bringing out the best in him. She has instilled in him a confidence that we never thought possible. We have no doubt that with Ilene's guidance, encouragement, and inspiration A. will have the skills and motivation to meet the challenges of job hunting in 2018!

— P.S., Parent of a College Graduate

This is an amazing service. Ilene definitely helped my daughter organize, both on paper and online, her accomplishments and strategy for finding a job. She encouraged and pushed in ways that tend to be more effective than parental guidance. My daughter has a good job and is completely off the family payroll, in her own apt, paying loans, insurance, cell and all. All within less than a year.

— A.C., Parent of a College Graduate 

Ilene was a great help to me during my job search as an undergraduate student looking for internships. With her expert help, I learned how to present the best version of myself with steadfast confidence. Ilene's advice to me has been very impactful, and will always be relevant throughout all stages of my job search, be it an internship or even a full time job when I graduate. To anyone looking to stand out: Look no further! You are in good hands.

— L.G., College Student Seeking Co-op/Internship 

Ilene was extremely supportive and helpful during my job search. Her constructive feedback and constant monitoring of my progress helped me maximize my own potential, and helped me organize both my resume and job searching tools to make sure they were constantly working for me. She painted the bigger picture for me and helped me understand why my previous months of job searching were unsuccessful, and crafted a personalized diagnosis of how I should move forward.

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What really struck me about Ilene is that she never took over the wheel and drove. She gave me all of the resources and hints, yet let me do things my way. It was nice having full control over my job search while still getting helpful feedback and constant monitoring.

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I would highly recommend Ilene to anyone that is new to a job search or who has been looking for months and has been unsuccessful. I personally was a month into my job search, and Ilene helped me realize there was so much more I could be doing. If I'm in the market again for a new job, I'll definitely be going to Ilene first. 

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- J.M., College Graduate Looking for Full Time Job - Now Employed!

You need to get a new job? You need to talk to Ilene. I look at my job search in two parts - pre and post Ilene. 

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Before Ilene I was applying for jobs and ..... well that is all, I was applying for jobs. I was getting the usual "we are looking at other candidates" and lots of recruiter calls that went absolutely no where. 

After I met Ilene and she helped me redo my resume and fix my Linked In Profile....I talked to a LOT more recruiters and actually went on interviews, plus... I actually got a job. 

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Ilene knows the business of job hunting. More importantly she knows the business of Job GETTING and she's in your corner. 

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Don't be like me and have a 'pre Ilene' phase.. 

- J.B., 20 Year Career Professional - Now Employed!

The most positive and passionate person I’ve ever met, Ilene is truly the best person to push you to new heights and above, supporting you all the way. Her insider’s knowledge is invaluable for putting together a strong resume and offers immense insight on the job recruitment process – a couple hours of interview prep with her provided more information than six years of school career counseling! 

Ilene is encouraging, flexible, and willing to answer every question, no matter how inane, and she will cheerfully help you pummel your weaknesses until they come back around to strengths. After working with her, I’m more confident in my resume and myself than ever before, and am now doing freelance video work. I honestly cannot thank her enough for her guidance and encouragement, and I can't wait to see where her amazing skills take her!"

- C.L., College Student Seeking Co-op/Internship 

Ilene helped me through a very difficult transitional point in my career. I did not finish a degree and had been working as an administrative professional in several different environments for many years. I suffered layoffs with big and small companies, and had a situation where I had to leave a position with notice that wasn't the right fit for me. Although I have a lot of experience and good references, there was an issue with longevity on my current resume.

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Ilene stuck with me the whole way, helping me understand how I can sell myself in the current job market  and update my resume to get interviews. I also learned a few new tricks on interviewing and presentation. Once I started applying, I had many job offers within just a month, and was able to choose between opportunities. 

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I'm very grateful to her.  She was a friend as well as a professional guiding me the whole way with a very positive outlook. I would highly recommend her to anyone just starting out, or with many years experience in any level of work. Ilene is the best.