“It’s all about marketing and getting yourself in front of your customers; staying relevant and staying engaged.”

–Chantel Thompson, Founder/Principal, Sweet Job Spot

“What is it in your job or career that compels you to get up out of bed every day and give it your all? What motivates you to keep coming back to it even on those days that see more low points than high points? Do you have an elevator pitch ready to go? Is your resume up to date? How strong is your professional network? How do you connect with others who are looking to find someone with your particular skillsets? What is your niche?…” Do you ever ask yourself any of these questions? If you answered yes, then you are not alone.  Members and friends, meet member Chantel Thompson.  Chantel started her plunge into HR entrepreneurship asking herself these questions.  In the process of trying to answer some of these questions, what she found allowed her to get closer to answering these questions not only for herself, but for others as well.  “I not only became curious about my own growth, but also the growth of others.  I noticed that there are lots of folk who need help finding the answers to these questions”, recalls Chantel.  A bit of interesting information about Chantel, she lived in Cancun, Mexico for a while working as a customer liaison for a company that assisted American high school graduates while traveling in Mexico if they had any complications or needed to get in touch with their parents.  Even then, there was that recurring theme of Chantel knowing the value of connecting people with people, information, and other resources to remove obstacles blocking them from forward progression.

A native of Southern California, Chantel has lived in many places in her life’s journey due to school and career such as Mexico, Brooklyn, and the Bronx before finally touching down here in Atlanta.  While still looking to answer ‘the questions’ Chantel decided to use her background in Marketing & Information Systems to help people find jobs, and also to connect small businesses with qualified applicants.  “It’s all about marketing and getting yourself in front of your customers; staying relevant and staying engaged.  I actually consider myself more of a ‘connector’ than an ‘HR’ person.”  Chantel found a way to incorporate her computer application development skills into her passion of helping people to connect with opportunities and created a Facebook group called Hire Atlanta, which currently boasts over 23,000 members and counting! Sweetjobspot.com is Chantel’s most recent endeavor and it is a more comprehensive employment connection suite of services for those looking to connect with potential employees or employers.

I asked Chantel about her experience thus far with NAAAHR.  “I had been to several events but I just recently became a member of NAAAHR.  The topic of Leadership is very interesting to me so I have enjoyed the opportunity to meet with other NAAAHR members who are leaders in their organization or in their field, like Sheree Knowles and others at the Consultants Coalition.  The learning opportunities that NAAAHR provides are also great! The panel of leaders at this past August Consultants Coalition helped me to better understand the legal and compliance side of Human Resources, the importance of the personal interactions with clients, as well as the need to stay relevant; especially as someone embarking on my own business venture.  These are useful tools that I can take with me as I continue to look for ways to help the community of job seekers, HR professionals, and employers, all looking to engage with each other.” 

You’ll can probably find Chantel at the next NAAAHR event but she will be surely be at the National Conference in September (She’s in.  Are you?), so be sure to look for her and say hello.  Don’t forget to also check the NAAAHR Atlanta calendar of events to see what NAAAHR has in store for the coming months!