1. Briefly summarize your professional and educational experience up-to-date.

During my time at business school, I completed marketing internships in the music and luxury goods industries, but was looking for more of a challenge. I knew I wanted something more competitive and rewarding from my career and I knew that I wanted to work abroad. So, prior to graduating, I took my final internship in the consumer goods industry, as I wanted to benefit from a more traditional challenging marketing experience.

I started with Reckitt Benckiser in France, in January 2007. At the end of my internship, my application was sent to America and, after a few rounds of interviews, I was offered a position as assistant brand manager! After just 9 months I moved to the next level and have been working on the brand Veet since August 2008. I am hoping to move to a Trade Marketing Manager position by the end of the year before going on to the role of Brand Manager.

2. What do you feel have been your greatest accomplishments during your career thus far?

As an intern I was determined to show that I had what it takes to succeed at Reckitt Benckiser. Working as an intern in France and an assistant brand manager in the US was intense. The RB culture is about finding your way through by yourself and you need to be willing to put a lot of effort on learning quickly and taking the initiative.

And I did it. I was very determined and worked very hard as an intern. Moving to the next level is really about your work and determination and I am so proud that I took that opportunity and made things happen.

3. What do you find unique about your current field and/or industry?

This industry is very fast moving and you have to really think on your feet. At RB the culture is very much about taking ownership of your work, and to be bold and drive for progress and to outperform. And in return you are given real responsibility from day one and you have the latitude to innovate and push the boundaries of convention.

They positively encourage daring ideas to thrive and you are empowered to take calculated risks. Plus everyone has a voice - no matter what your position or rank. Plus, for me, one of the greatest things is the career opportunities available - the fast progression, the experience you can gain in other departments and the chance to work abroad.

4. How would you describe your Personal Brand? What makes you stand out from others?

I am determined and results driven. And I am always ready for the next challenge. In my roles here I have been experiencing and learning something new every day - from launch events and market research to budget management and developing new products.

And being given the opportunity to blog about my experiences has been great - I love that I can show anyone interested in joining Reckitt Benckiser what they can expect.

5. What were the keys to your career advancement and how did your personal brand help you succeed?

In a word, determination. I knew what I wanted and I took the initiative. That is the RB way: if you drive for progress and aim to outperform, you will be rewarded on merit. I always wanted to make my mark on an international stage, and that is where I am heading.

6. Did you have to make any sacrifices to succeed in your field and/or industry, and do you feel the sacrifices were worth it?

I suppose some would see a 'sacrifice' as being expected to move abroad with your job and away from your home town. But that was a great appeal to me, and I am delighted I was given that opportunity. So no, I didn't have to make any sacrifices!

7. Do you have any insights or advice for someone interested in this field or industry?

Be sure that the company values and ethos are relevant to you. Working at RB is not for everyone. This industry is very fast moving and you have to be prepared to take the initiative and be flexible and you will be expected to take your career into your own hands and set the pace.

There are plenty of ways of finding out how the company works now, from a Facebook page and Linked In profile to the blog and the corporate careers site. It's well worth investigating all these avenues so you know exactly what type of culture you will be entering into.

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Profession Confessor:

Oriane Kowalczyk is an ambitious management trainee with Reckitt Benckiser, the global consumer goods giant, and is based in the US. She has had a swift progression through the company since starting as an intern in 2007. For more on whether you have what it takes to be part of the Reckitt Benckiser team on the career section of their website http://www.reckittbenckiser.jobs/. She also blogs about her experiences at the company at http://www.myrbopportunity.com/, a blog which opens the window into what it's really like working here.

1. Briefly summarize your professional and educational experience up-to-date.

What began as a part-time business is now more than full time, but I love it! I have been writing resumes and coaching clients in career management for almost six years. Most clients are at the professional or executive level.

Through the years I have become certified in resume writing, interview preparation, online job search strategies, and career management coaching. I am also a Certified 360Reach Analyst, a DISC Assessment Administrator and have a Bachelors degree in Finance from Walsh College in Troy, Michigan.

2. What do you feel have been your greatest accomplishments during your career thus far?

That’s hard to answer. When I received my resume writing certification I was thrilled! It was my first certification and I earned it after only a few months of actually working as a writer. It really gave me the confidence I needed to do my job well.

Last year I went through a six month training program to earn my career management coaching certification. It was tough for me to grasp the style of coaching taught by my instructor. But again, my confidence was boosted after I completed the course.

Probably the greatest feeling though, is when a client comes to me lacking confidence and maybe even a little depressed because of their employment situation, and I am able to help them realize their potential and regain their confidence. I think helping clients feel good about themselves is even more important than the products or services I provide.

3. What do you find unique about your current field and/or industry?

The career industry is still a relatively small one. In the last 10 years resume writing has grown and changed tremendously. Technology has given us online job applications, Monster, CareerBuilder and thousands of other online sites to help job seekers. We can now easily work with clients from around the globe and offer many services that a few years ago, weren’t possible or even available.

For many job seekers it is a scary place if they have never had a resume, needed to search for a job, or go through formal interviews. As the industry grows I am able to see the changes first hand, it’s pretty incredible. I feel really blessed to be able to help my clients get through their search successfully.

4. How would you describe your Personal Brand? What makes you stand out from others?

A statement I often use is, My Career Goal is to Help You Achieve Your Career Goal. My personal brand is that of a small resume writing and coaching business owner, who is straight forward, honest, knowledgeable and very willing to help clients achieve their career goals.

I hope I stand out as a career professional that gives a lot of information and tricks away. I often have people who I’ve talked with and helped over the phone that never became clients; refer me to other job seekers. I like that!

I want my clients to feel they are getting not only the document or service they are paying for, but also someone they can call later with questions, to vent or to share in their excitement of a job offer.

5. What were the keys to your career advancement and how did your personal brand help you succeed?

There is no quick, overnight successes story here. My career advancement is due to my commitment (borderline obsession) with learning as much as I can to be really good at what I do. I’ve spent many countless hours reading resumes, resume books, websites, blogs and anything I else to improve my writing and coaching skills. Watching the writers and coaches I look up to in the industry, I see generosity, hard work and a constant evolving. I try to live up to their standards.

My personal brand has developed over the years, it still isn’t cut in stone, but I know it can be described as giving all I can to my clients to help them achieve their goals.

6. Did you have to make any sacrifices to succeed in your field and/or industry, and do you feel the sacrifices were worth it?

The biggest sacrifice I’ve made is of my time. I work everyday. If not directly with a client, I am writing articles, making connections, improving my site, reading up on something new or searching the internet for new opportunities to expand my network.

Because of the number of hours I work, my family has been a concern of course. I think I’ve managed pretty well and am still there when my kids get home from school. Fortunately I have a home office and do a lot of catch-up work at night when the house is again quiet.

7. Do you have any insights or advice for someone interested in this field or industry?

Whether getting into resume writing or career coaching, as with any career, you’ve got to make a commitment to it, if you want to do your job well. Become a sponge, find those you want to be like and read everything you can that they’ve written. Join the top associations; CDI, Career Management Alliance, NRWA, and PARW; earn certifications; and get involved with colleagues or a mentor to help you grow.

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Profession Confessor:

Kris Plantrich is the owner of ResumeWonders Writing and Career Coaching Services and a certified resume writer and career coach. Kris has written hundred of resumes for professional and executive level clients and coached many through interview preparation and job search strategies. Her work has been featured in 7 nationally published career books, newspapers, television, career websites and several blogs.

If your resume isn’t getting interviews or your interviews aren’t landing job offers - give Kris a call. For more information check out her website at http://resumewonders.com/ or visit her blog for daily career tips and nuggets at http://careeressentials.wordpress.com/.

Profession Confession is a unique professional interview blog where professionals from across all industries and functional areas are encouraged to share their personal career stories and insights with others who may want to learn more about specific career paths, as well as the challenges and the success strategies of various careers and positions. This not only benefits career seekers by providing them with firsthand experience and a direct look into different careers, but also can be a good professional reference for the contributors, showing others their involvment in their own career development. Profession Confession also opens doors for professional networking between both the career seekers and the professionals who have featured themselves on the site.

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Interested in Interviewing for Profession Confession?

It's free to "confess" your career experience and be featured on Profession Confession. All you have to do is follow a few simple steps:

First, please answer the following 7 interview questions (each answer should be roughly a minimum of 50 words and a maximum of 150 words):

1. Briefly summarize your professional and educational experience up-to-date.
2. What do you feel have been your greatest accomplishments during your career thus far?
3. What do you find unique about your current field and/or industry?
4. How would you describe your Personal Brand? What makes you stand out from others?
5. What were the keys to your career advancement and how did your personal brand help you succeed?
6. Did you have to make any sacrifices to succeed in your field and/or industry, and do you feel the sacrifices were worth it?
7. Do you have any insights or advice for someone interested in this field or industry?

Second, please send us your questions and answers along with a personal brand title (this can be your job title or a personal title) and a 100-word personal byline about yourself with up to 2 external links to personal and company websites, blogs etc. Please feel free to also include your email address and/or your LinkedIn and Twitter profile URLs in addition to the maximum 2 external links.

We encourage you to share your experience with us! If you have any questions about Profession Confession in general or sharing your experience, please contact us today!