Professional support
Because I am a natural solution-seeker, I have been sought after by people who need assistance ranging from project coordination to strategic planning and mentorship. This work is in two primary categories:
ACADEMICS / PROFESSIONALS
For more than five years, I have been working one-on-one with academic professionals at three universities in Atlantic Canada to assist with the full range of their professional responsibilities. This has included assisting them in all areas of their workload: Strategic planning for upcoming academic year, preparation for conference presentations, preparation for book and journal article publication, organizing meetings and “keeping them on track” with their numerous commitments.
I believe that many academics would like help with this aspect of their work. Generally, I have either been employed for a brief period on a specific project or commitment, or for 3-10 hours per week over an extended period. The funds for this work have come from the academic’s research budget, support from their department, or directly from the academic.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS and YOUTH MENTORSHIP
I also have an ongoing commitment to help young people with the development of their written profiles – including resumes, cover letters for jobs, applications for scholarships, essays for university and graduate school admissions. For example, I helped a young woman with her submission for a successful bursary application by getting her to think about how she could characterize herself and her background in order to clearly represent her commitment to the training she was undertaking and her suitability for the bursary.
I have helped high school students to identify their interests and look for relevant volunteer opportunities and further training (not only for their enjoyment, but also for their resumes). In one case, there was no “posted” volunteer opportunity but I suggested the student approach an organization and offer to be a “youth board member.” The organization leapt at the idea. Both of her volunteer roles have become important parts of her university applications.
I first started doing this when I was a peer tutor in English / Writing during college and discovered that this role was mostly about listening and guiding, based on what I was hearing the client say.
ACADEMICS / PROFESSIONALS
For more than five years, I have been working one-on-one with academic professionals at three universities in Atlantic Canada to assist with the full range of their professional responsibilities. This has included assisting them in all areas of their workload: Strategic planning for upcoming academic year, preparation for conference presentations, preparation for book and journal article publication, organizing meetings and “keeping them on track” with their numerous commitments.
I believe that many academics would like help with this aspect of their work. Generally, I have either been employed for a brief period on a specific project or commitment, or for 3-10 hours per week over an extended period. The funds for this work have come from the academic’s research budget, support from their department, or directly from the academic.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS and YOUTH MENTORSHIP
I also have an ongoing commitment to help young people with the development of their written profiles – including resumes, cover letters for jobs, applications for scholarships, essays for university and graduate school admissions. For example, I helped a young woman with her submission for a successful bursary application by getting her to think about how she could characterize herself and her background in order to clearly represent her commitment to the training she was undertaking and her suitability for the bursary.
I have helped high school students to identify their interests and look for relevant volunteer opportunities and further training (not only for their enjoyment, but also for their resumes). In one case, there was no “posted” volunteer opportunity but I suggested the student approach an organization and offer to be a “youth board member.” The organization leapt at the idea. Both of her volunteer roles have become important parts of her university applications.
I first started doing this when I was a peer tutor in English / Writing during college and discovered that this role was mostly about listening and guiding, based on what I was hearing the client say.
What people are saying
“Libby has been a tremendous help to me for several years, as I manage a busy academic career, completing my own doctorate research and balancing the other aspects of life. She was first hired by me (and paid for by my insurance company) to assist with my return to academia after a lengthy leave of absence due to illness. She continues to work with me one-on-one, for just a few hours a week, to help me identify and prioritize the tasks I need to do and showing me ways to manage my time realistically. Libby’s academic background has been an asset because she understands the many institutional and departmental requirements (e.g. research protocols, ethics submissions, course syllabi, supervising students, marking, updating tenure files, keeping up with publishing and conferences, etc.). I suspect that many other academics could use this kind of help, but don’t know where to find it."
Academic from a university in Atlantic Canada
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"You’ve really helped out my daughter with her bursary application. You helped her gather the confidence to write a strong letter about her experiences and qualifications. Your professional and insightful advice was offered with kindness and encouragement. As it turned out, her application was successful and she received the financial support for which she applied. In my experience, assistance is often better coming from someone other than a parent; that was true when I was the young person, and it’s still true now that I’m the parent. I’d certainly recommend Ms. Dean and her wonderfully supportive approach."
Parent of student in a trades program at community college
Academic from a university in Atlantic Canada
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"You’ve really helped out my daughter with her bursary application. You helped her gather the confidence to write a strong letter about her experiences and qualifications. Your professional and insightful advice was offered with kindness and encouragement. As it turned out, her application was successful and she received the financial support for which she applied. In my experience, assistance is often better coming from someone other than a parent; that was true when I was the young person, and it’s still true now that I’m the parent. I’d certainly recommend Ms. Dean and her wonderfully supportive approach."
Parent of student in a trades program at community college