I am a retail assistant store manager seeking a position at a local community benefit/nonprofit organization that would give me the opportunity to coordinate or manage initiatives/programs currently underway or to help develop and promote new ones. My ideal position would be at an organization whose mission involves social justice and women's issues (ex: self-sufficiency, access to health care, affordable education, and so on) in order to improve the lives of women and girls in the community.
The ideal position would be full-time, benefited, and provide a good work-life balance. In terms of location, my target area is from Nashua, NH to Boston, MA with preference to the latter. However, for the right job, I am willing to relocate to Concord, NH; Washington, DC; Denver, CO.
Notice
Contact Information
| M. Cristina Fernandez |
|
|
|
|
||
|
|||
Objective
Summary
Work History
Assistant Store Manager
- Works with management team to analyze sales trends within the store and develop strategies to drive sales in high-volume store
- Works with customers to ensure their needs are met
- Supervises and develops sales team
- Assists store manager with daily store administrative, operational, and financial tasks
- Orients new employees
- Identifies and resolves problems or potential issues of concern
Sales Associate
- Responsible for upkeep and visual merchandising of the store's jewelry department
- Maintained excellent record of outstanding customer service
- Routinely met personal sales goals
- Designed strategy of positive reinforcement to boost team morale
Web Development Consultant
- Maintained CWW website (http://www.uml.edu/womenwork) via Serena Collage program
Event Planning Committee Member
- Prospected and solicited individual and corporate sponsors
- Co-developed and edited marketing and promotional materials
Intern
- Performed post-program evaluation on organization’s after school program (Time Travelers)
- Developed and launched new youth program (Exploring Andover's Tastes) based on outcome data from the evaluation
- Established partnerships with local businesses, parents, and two of Andover’s public schools
- Co-wrote Save Our History grant submission
Teaching Assistant
- Maintained and updated Endnote database of over 4000 entries
- Served as student liaison between prospective, incoming, current, and former students and faculty
- Assisted in planning and promoting social events on and off campus
- Scheduled and led regular meetings with other teaching asistants to discuss event planning, budgeting, supply stock, and student office maintenance
- Assisted with faculty research (constructed codebook and SPSS program to analyze research data)
- Performed literature searches (PsychINFO, PubMED, ERIC archives) and reviews for faculty
Education
Master of Arts, Community Social Psychology
I was very active in the Community Social Psychology program both as a student and as a teaching assistant for the department. In addition to achieving a GPA of 3.74 out of 4.0, I also received the Campus Leadership Award (2007), served as senator (2005-2006) and president (2006-2007) of the Psychology Graduate Student Association from, Participated in a seven-person action research team involved in the creation of the Greater Lowell Partners Against Sexual Assault (GL-PASA) coalition, co-authored article currently under review at Violence & Victims academic journal, and co-facilitated survey and focus group about student involvement on campus. I also became a member of Psi Chi, the national honors society of psychology.
Courses taken:
- Introduction to Community Social Psychology
- Advanced Community Dynamics
- Analyzing Peace, Violence, and War
- Psychology of Diversity
- Program Evaluation
- Applied Research Methods
- Practicum I & II
- Directed Study I & II
- Seminar: Women Creating Safe and Just Communities
- Seminar: Immigrant Psychology
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
While attending FIU, I was also accepted into the Honors College. Through the HC, I was able to study abroad in the summer of 2002 in Italy. I graduated through the Honors College at the end of 2003, after completing my studies a semester early, with a GPA of 3.41 out of a possible 4.0.
Since FIU is a leading research university, during my senior year, I decided to work as a research assistant at the university's Developmental Psychobiology Lab, where I continued to work until the summer of 2004.
Skills
Customer Service
(Expert)3-4 Years Experience, (Currently in use)
The Dressbarn company values its commitment to customer service. Since being hired in late 2005, I have accrued much experience working with individuals in retail setting, calming objections, problem-solving, determining a customer's needs, and generating a warm, pleasant experience for our customers.
Data Entry
(Expert)3-4 Years Experience, (Last Used 1-2 years ago)
As a research assistant (2003-2004) and later a teaching assistant (2005-2007), I had to do a lot of data entry, specifically using the Endnote database. The process at both positions was essentially the same: Input data gathered from academic journal/research articles into Endnote in an efficient manner.
Microsoft Office Suite
(Expert)7-9 Years Experience, (Currently in use)
Proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel, Word, FrontPage, Outlook, and PowerPoint; comfortable with Access and Publisher.
Serena Collage
(Advanced)1-2 Years Experience, (Last Used <1 year ago)
In order to maintain the Center for Women and Work's website, I had to become trained in Serena Collage, which is the system that the University of Massachusetts Lowell uses for all the webpages it hosts. I was trained in late summer 2008 and continued to utilize the system until October 2009.
HTML/Web Publishing
(Intermediate)3-4 Years Experience, (Currently in use)
Using Adobe Dreamweaver, I created my own website (http://cristina-fernandez.com) but have been managing small websites since college using AOL Press and Microsoft Publisher. As mentioned above, I also maintained the Center for Women and Work's website for about a year.
Event Planning
(Beginner)1-2 Years Experience, (Last Used <1 year ago)
As a teaching assistant, I helped organize several social and academic events both on- and off-campus with the aid of the other TAs. During the summer and fall of 2008, I was a member of the Center for Women and Work's 10th anniversary planning committee.
Fund Raising
(Beginner)<1 Years Experience, (Last Used 1-2 years ago)
During the summer and fall of 2008, I was a member of the Center for Women and Work's 10th anniversary planning committee, which involved everything from securing a location to raising money to fund the event.
Program Design
(Beginner)<1 Years Experience, (Last Used 1-2 years ago)
As an intern at the Andover Historical Society, I used data collected from a program evaluation to help design and then execute a new enrichment program, Exploring Andover's Tastes (or EAT). Although my internship ended before the first classes started, and the new education director of the organization took over that aspect, the program has been a great success and is thriving.
Affiliations
This VisualCV is available as a printable .pdf file