Career Portfolio

Melissa Gardner

Table of Contents

Personal Characteristics 3

Skills 4

Education & Training 5

Cover Letter 6

Resume 7

Accomplishments 9

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PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Name: Melissa GardnerDate of Birth: 06/30/1991Address: 11012 195 Street, St. Albans, NY. 11412Phone: (H) 905-455-5321

My name is Melissa Gardner and I am a recent Psychology Master’s graduate

and Division One athlete, with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and

Communications. Through out my collegiate education I have been intrigued human

resources and its functions- particularly employee relations, data management, and

recruitment. I am currently ooking to feed this passion for human resource based

involvement in a strong professional setting.

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SKILLS

- Proficient in Microsoft Word, Office Suite, Excel and PowerPoint

- Excellent verbal and written communication skills

- Able to manage multiple tasks/projects and prioritize appropriately

- Work well in a fast environment under pressure

- Possess strong follow-up and creative problem-solving skills

- Excellent organizational skills

- Able to adapt to new conditions, assignments and deadlines

- Pay keen attention to detail.

- Able to conceptualize and develop ideas that work across multiple platforms 

What sets me apart?

As a four-year member of the Canisius College Women’s Basketball program, I feel as though I obtained many skills that set me apart from my peers. As a member of a division one program I was given several responsibilities not typical of college students.

Members of our program received training in how to handle the media, as well as brand representation. We were reminded daily that as student athletes, we were the brand. Promotion, interpretation of public opinion, and managing resources on both a large (NCAA) and small (school community) scale, all go into maintenance of an organization. As a Senior I became a spokesperson for the women’s program; one who’s responsibilities included training freshman on how student athletes were to successfully communicate too each other, their fans and audiences, as well as being a representative of Canisius during media days, camps, and volunteer efforts.

I became a leader and a hard worker while at Canisius. I learned how to persevere, and work effectively within a team in order to achieve a common goal. With the demands of busy schedules, athletes are forced to learn how to manage multiple tasks/projects and prioritize appropriately; I feel as though this is a skill that I have mastered.

I am sure that I can be an asset your company and await my chance prove this.

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EDUCATION & TRAINING

M.A. Degree in Psychology (Sept 2013-May 2015) Focus: Industrial-Organizational Psychology

General Psychology Master’s Program, Focus: Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Queens College | Queens, New York

B.A. Degree in Psychology & Communications (Sept 2009-May 2013) Major: Psychology Minor: Communications/ Criminal Justice

Canisius College | Buffalo, New York

Bachelor of Arts relevant courses:

Course GradeENG 100 Intro to College Writing AENG 101 Writing About Literature A-ENG 295 Intro to Creative Writing A-COM 325 Media Literacy BCOM 204 Interpersonal

CommunicationA-

COM 201 Oral Communication A-COM 203 Writing for the Public

MediaB+

MKT 201 Principles of Marketing A-JRN 322 Feature/ Magazine

WritingB-

LAR 100 Literacy & Reading A-

CURRENT: Graduate Certificate, Public Relations – Corporate Communications (May 2015-Present)Seneca College | Toronto, ON

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COVER LETTER

Phone: 905-455-5321 Email: gardnerm243@gmail.com

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Melissa Gardner and I am interested in the full-time Human Resources internship opportunity offered at Edelman.

I am a recent Psychology Master’s graduate and Division One athlete, with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communications. Through out my collegiate education I have been intrigued by human resources and its functions- particularly employee relations, data management, and recruitment.

I feel as though my education and work history have prepared me for success in

this field. I have excellent verbal and written communication skills, and am able to

manage multiple tasks/projects and prioritize appropriately. I am able work well in a fast environment under pressure and possess strong follow-up and creative problem-solving skills, with the ability to quickly respond to inquiries.  I have excellent organizational skills and am able to adapt to new conditions, assignments and deadlines. I am also proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and pay keen attention to detail. I am looking to feed this passion for human resource based involvement in a strong professional setting and truly believe that Edelman would be the perfect place to grow in knowledge and experience.

Please find enclosed my resume for your perusal. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, Melissa Gardner

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RESUME

Melissa Gardner11012 195th Street, St. Albans NY. 11412

Gardnerm243@gmail.com ~ (H) 905.455.5321

SummaryRecent Psychology Master’s graduate and former Division One athlete - bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communications/ Master's focus: Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Intrigued by human resources and its functions- particularly employee relations, data management, and recruitment. Looking to feed this passion for human resource based involvement in a strong professional setting.

Education Seneca College | Toronto, Ontario May 2015-PresentGraduate Certificate, Public Relations – Corporate Communications (online)Certified by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), International Public Relations Association (IPRA), and International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)

Queens College | Queens, New York Sept 2013-May 2015M.A. Degree in Psychology – Focus: Industrial-Organizational PsychologyGeneral Psychology Master’s Program

Canisius College | Buffalo, New York Sept 2009-May 2013B.A. Degree in Psychology & Communications

Major: Psychology Minor: Communications/ Criminal Justice

Work ExperienceBET AWARDS | Los Angeles, CA. June 2014Red Carpet Talent Liaison

Assist BET corporate communications staff with setup of the BET AWARDS red carpet, escort and slotting media outlets on the BET AWARDS red carpet, and escort celebrity talent on the BET AWARDS red carpet.

Tristan Thompson Basketball Skills Camp – NBA, Cleveland Cavaliers | Toronto, ON. July 2014Event & Logistics Coordinator

Responsible for finding location, negotiating contract payment, negotiating attendance fee for Tristan Thompson, advertisement, hiring staff, collection of payments, attracting local media attention, planning and conducting daily activities of camp. Managed social presence on multiple platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.)

Cleveland Cavaliers | Cleveland, OH. Jan 2014-April 2014Communications Intern

Assisted communications department with duties that pertained to all media relations functions for the Cavaliers including: Game day operations, production of media guide, data entry, answering phones, attending community relations, and preparing for/controlling press conferences.

Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada | Ottawa, ON. May 2014-Sept 2014Government Case and Processing Agent

Responsible for analyzing and processing client requests in regards to verification of status and citizenship.

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Nike Women’s 15K Run | Toronto June 2015Volunteer

Worked with Nike Toronto for the Nike Women’s 15K Run on Toronto Island. Responsibilities include: Assist with set up of event, greeting and checking in attendees, providing informational event support

REFERENCES FURNISHED UPON REQUEST

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ACCOMPLISHMENTSThe greatest accomplishment of my career was as the Event & Logistics Coordinator

for the first ever Tristan Thompson camp in my hometown- Brampton, ON. Growing up, basketball and the experiences associated with it had a huge impact on my life. In helping to successfully complete this camp I was able to give back to the children within my community. The experience was nothing short of amazing.

My responsibilities included: finding event location, negotiating contract payment, negotiating attendance fee for Tristan Thompson, advertisement, hiring staff, collection of payments, attracting local media attention, planning and conducting daily activities of camp. I also managed its social presence on multiple platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.)

Below is an article done on the camp, praising its success and impact on the community

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