In 2016, Gina McClowry ‘01 found herself at a crossroads: although she loved her job and was excelling as a human resources (HR) 
professional for the past 15 years, she began reflecting on the trajectory of her career. A mother of three daughters, Gina wanted more flexibility with her schedule so she could spend more time with her family.  
 
“At first, I wasn’t sure what to do,” Gina shares. “But within a year, I caught the entrepreneurial bug and decided to make a career pivot.” In 2017,  Gina McClowry Consulting  was born: a boutique coaching firm helping individuals and organizations harness their full potential to achieve superior results. It offers highly customized services in two categories:  

1) Individuals in Career Transition : Gina coaches those who are in career transition, across different industries and career levels, from college students to those who are 50 and older. She also guides individuals to create their professional brand via resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles, helping them become a triple threat: in person, on paper, and online.  

2) Small and Medium-Sized Businesses : For companies who don’t have the bandwidth or time to devote to human resources and organizational development, Gina works as a consultant. She supports them in areas such as performance and talent management, succession planning, and leadership training. 
 
Gina knows exactly how it feels to be at a crossroads in one’s career. Before graduating with an Organizational Communications degree from North Central College, Gina wasn't sure exactly what to do. One day, she stumbled into its Career Development Center , where she found binders that listed various career profiles. She randomly flipped to the “Communications” tab. After reading about “HR,” she became interested in that line of work. 
 
Guided by Career Center staff, she secured a summer HR internship at Kantar (formerly Millward Brown), a global leader in brand strategy consulting, advertising development and optimization, media effectiveness, and brand equity research to help businesses drive brand growth. By the time she graduated in 2001, Millward Brown offered her a full-time position.  
 
“I witnessed, from my own experience, the power of internships,” Gina says. “And the power of an on-campus Career Center.” After Millward Brown, she became an HR Manager for Phonak, a group company of Sonova, of the world's largest hearing aid manufacturers. She was promoted to Senior HR Manager, and happily contributed to their mission of improving quality of life through better hearing.  
 
Gina is now at a time and place to share her wealth of experience as a seasoned HR professional. If you are an individual in career transition or own a business looking for HR and organizational support, visit Gina McClowry Consulting .