Notables

Cerno Highlights

As the co-founder of and director of adventure learning for Cerno, an adventure learning company, I am proud to share three professional highlights:

Co-authored “The Talent Challenge: How Leading Companies Attract, Retain, and Engage Top Talent”

Co-designed the Survival Challenge Team Adventure

Created the Give a Squat^® fitness challenge program

Articles, News & Radio Featuring Michelle

Featured Thought Leader & Expert :

• CNBC > “4 Types of Resumes That’ll Get Your Foot in the Door“
• Glassdoor > “7 Ways to Transform Your Resume Today“
• Fast Company > “This Is Exactly What To Put On Your Resume To Get An Interview“
• Business Insider > “How to make your résumé the best one the hiring manager will see“
• Glassdoor > “How Far Back Should Your Resume Go?“
• Money & Career CheatSheet > “The Most Common Lies We All Tell During Job Interviews“
• Yahoo Finance > “How far back should your resume go?“
• SpouseWorld 1to1 › Podcast Episode “Meet Michelle Aikman, creator of CERNO and the Give A Squat challenge!“
• Spouse Spouts Blog Talk Radio › Podcast Episode #33 “Michelle Aikman and Her Plan to Energize the World“
• 2016 AMPLIFY, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation › “Resumes of the 21st Century” (with a Cerno twist)
• FlexJobs › Webinar: “How to Manage a Career Change and Create a Career Insurance Policy” + Tweet chat Q&A #FJWebinar
• The “Make it Snappy” Productivity Show › Podcast Episode #30 “Meal Planning the Lean/Six Sigma Way (with Michelle Aikman)“
• The “Make it Snappy” Productivity Show › Podcast Episode #20 “Yes! You can measure THAT too (with Michelle Aikman)”
• US News and World Report › “Try These Résumé Formats When Job Searching“
• FlexJobs › Webinar: “Crafting Resumes and Cover Letters for Flexible Jobs”, ~700 attendees

• Fox2News › “Rung and Sprung Boutique” – 3-minute segment, aired March 6, 2013

Military Advocacy and Military Spouse of the Year :

• Selected to author a chapter in Cara Loken’s newest book, Behind the Scenes: The Tales of American Military Spouses Making a Difference a military spouse legacy project, available on Amazon

• Volunteers for Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) on the President’s Currently Serving Spouse Advisory Council (CSSAC)

• Featured guest speaker at the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children

• Participated in 2017 MilSpouseFest in Washington DC

• Attended the 2017 Virginia Heroes at Home Military Spouse Awards at the Virginia Governor’s mansion

• Participated in 2017 Military Spouse Town Hall and Military Spouse of the Year Awards

 

• Invited to the White House by Vice President Mike Pence, his wife, Karen Pence, along with National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and President Donald J. Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, for National Military Appreciation Month, which is observed in May, and National Military Spouse Appreciation Day, which is May 12

  

• Volunteered on the planning committee for the 2017 AFAS United States Air Force Charity Ball

 

• Stormed Capitol Hill with Military Officers’ Association of America (MOAA) for the annual “Storming the Hill”#MOAAStorms in 2017 – Met with congressional members and representatives to advocate for 1) Eliminate Harmful Sequestration Cuts 2) Eliminate the “Widows Tax,” the SBP-DIC offset for military survivors

   

• Invited to Military Officers’ Association of America (MOAA)’s 2017 Awards Ceremony honoring The Elizabeth Dole Foundation and Werner Enterprises Inc. with the MOAA Distinguished Service Award professional congressional staff member Jeanette James will receive the Col. Paul W. Arcari Meritorious Service Award

• Briefed by the House Armed Services Subcommittee staff

• Facebook Live Featured STEM Speaker for National Military Family Association

• Military Spouse representative at the 2016 National Military Spouse Network Summit

• Presenter for Society of Military Spouses in STEM at the October 2016 Spouse Education and Career Opportunities / Military Spouse Employment Partnership Ambassador Roundtable at the Pentagon

[No photos authorized within the Pentagon]

• 2016 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl,Chris Kyle was posthumously awarded the Great American Patriot Award

• 2016 Secretary of the Air Force Spouse and Family Forum – attended and advocated for creation of an Air Force or DOD program to educate and utilize military spouses to reduce the growing cyber talent gap and create viable and supportable opportunities for military spouses in STEM professions.

  

• Invited to First Lady Michelle Obama’s Farewell

• Blue Star Families 2016 Military Lifestyle Survey Release at the Brookings Institute

• 2016 Women in Tech at Capital One

• NC4ME Employer Summit

• 2016 Air Space & Cyber Conference

 

• 2016 General Dynamics Leadership Academy 2016

• Keynote Speaker for the 2016 Military Family Summit with Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Congressman Sanford Bishop (Watch the video and read more)

• Fairchild Air Force Base > “Summit Addresses Military Family Concerns“
• StoryCorps › Rob and Michelle Aikman’s story aired on Spokane Public Radio 5/31/16 as part of the Military Voices Initiative › Listen Now (2nd audio, ~27 min in)
• U.S. Air Force › Air Force Spouse Receives Spouse of the Year Accolades

• Military Spouse magazine › Press Release : Michelle Aikman, 2016 Armed Forces Insurance Air Force Spouse of the Year
• Military Spouse magazine › “Michelle Aikman, 2016 Armed Forces Insurance Air Force Spouse of the Year“

• Sandboxx › Interview with the 2016 Armed Forces Insurance Air Force Spouse of the Year
• Home Front United Network “Air Force Wife Sets Her Sights on Getting Spouses Hired“
• LinkedIn Article by my cousin, Chantrice Avery “Our World Needs More Michelles“
• MOAA › “Highlighting How Michelle Aikman, NCRW is “Keeping a Career on the Move®”
• CNN › “Helping Military Families Isn’t Red or Blue“, by Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Sanford Bishop
• ABC News › “90% of Military Wives Jobless or Underemployed ‘Not Acceptable’” (Congressman Sanford Bisho Jr. op ed)
• The Spokesman Review › “Lawmakers Hold Forum at Fairchild”
• Huffington Post > “Why Military Women Can Have It All“
• Successful Military Wife › “Interview with Military Spouse Entrepreneur, Michelle Aikman”
  Successful Military Wife › “What to Start Doing TODAY to be Massively Successful: From 17 Highly Accomplished Military Spouse Entrepreneurs, Authors, & Professionals”
• Clear Channel › “Hiring Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair” – 30-minute program, aired September 14, 2014
• KJRB790 Business Talks › “Business Talks: Hiring Heroes” – 60-minute program, aired September 9, 2014

Authored articles :

LinkedIn Pulse

• “3 Simple Ways You Can Set Your Top Talent Up For Success in 2017“
• “Innovative Prosthetic Design Breakthroughs Could Transform the Lives of Wounded Warriors“
• “7 Reasons I Head Out on an Adventure Vacation Every Year“
• “Should Unemployed People Hire a Résumé Writer?”

FlexJobs

• “How to Attract High-Value Candidates with Flexible Work”  – for employers
• “How to Translate Skills on Your Resume for a Career Change”
• “3 Clever Resume Tricks for Career Changers”
• “Networking Your Way Through a Career Change”
• “How to Turn Your Transferable Skills into Job Opportunities”

Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)

• “What Interviewers Need to Hear“
• “PCS Job-Search Checklist“
• “Are You Negotiating the Pay You Deserve?“
• “How Toilet Paper has Everything to do With Powerful Résumés“
• “The Crushing ROI for Higher Ed: Can a Milspouse Win the Game of LIFE?“
• “Stop Devaluing Yourself“
• “A New Year’s Resolution that Gives Back“
• “The Art of Professional Networking: Gratitude“
• “Members of Congress Listening to Military Families“
• “The Rise of Military Support Organizations: Oversaturated or Overdue?“
• “Why We Need More STEM Professionals Within the Military Spouse Community“
• “5 Ways Technology is Great for Your Career“
• “Stepping In and Out of the Paid Workforce” (Part 2)
• “3 Bold Job Search Strategies No One Is Telling You About“
• “Spouses, Take a Seat”
• “8 Great Résumé Tips from Military Spouse Résumé Experts“
• “3 Ways You Are Going to Make 2016 a Great Year for Your Career”
• “What is Ca·reer Man·age·ment?”
• “3 Common Resume Myths Debunked”

Military Spouse magazine

• “5 Moves to Make To Find New Friends on Base”
• “Employer Spotlight: Down to Business with First Data”- January 2016 issue
• “Employer Spotlight : Down to Business with Hilton Worldwide” – October 2015 issue
• “6 Surefire Ways to Get Military Spouse Scholarships”(digital and print) – July 2016 issue
• “10 Simple Ways to Boost Your Confidence” (digital and print) – August 2015 issue
• “How My Wedding Ring Ruined My Job Interview”
• “Military Life Made Me Question My Identity”
• “Unforgettable—That’s What You Are” – March 2015 issue
• “Remembering the Fallen”
• “40 Ways to Knockout Stress”
• “Thankful To Make It To The Next Day”
• “Are You Forgettable at Work?”
• “Professional Resourcefulness”August 2014 issue
• “10 Giveaways that You are a Milspouse Candidate”
• “10 Tips to Nail Your Next Job Interview”
• “6 Job Hunting Strategies for the Career-Driven Spouse” (digital v2 and print)
• “Is It Time for Combined Spouse Clubs?“
• “5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Everyday”
• “7 Ways to Get Moving on LinkedIn”
• “How Your Next PCS Can Improve Your Career”
• “What It Takes To Find Employment in Today’s Market – Strategic Resumes”

Additional Articles:

• “Why Military Spouses Should Consider a STEM Profession” – National Military Family Association (NMFA)
• “Sinking to Soaring – 7 Steps to Position Yourself for Success” – National Military Family Association (NMFA)
• “5 Lessons from Moving my Business Across State Lines” – Military Spouse Business Association (MSBA)
• “Job Market Competition is Fierce! Are You Prepared?” – Fairchild Air Force Base newspaper
• “Hire Me! I am a New Grad!” – Aim High Writing
• “Beyond College: 3 Musts for a Successful Launch” – Aim High Writing

Presentations

Presentations to industry colleagues :

• “Minimizing Our Risk of Failure: Applying Risk Management Strategies to Résumé Writing”
            presented to the National Résumé Writers’ Association (2015)
• “Mind the Gap: Resume Strategies for People with Paid Work Gaps”
            presented to the National Résumé Writers’ Association (2014) (Conference preview with Bridget Weide Brooks of Resume Writers’ Digest, conference excerpts prepared by BeAResumeWriter.com)
• “Do You Need to be Certified? YES! Here’s Why and How to Get There”
            participated as a panelist at the National Résumé Writers’ Association (2014)
• “Quantifying Accomplishments”
            presented to the National Résumé Writers’ Association (2013)

Additional presentations, training sessions, seminars :

Hiring, Sourcing & Retention

• “Attract, Retain & Engage Top Talent and a Diversified Workforce”
• “The Secrets to Attracting & Retaining Great Talent” (overcoming diversity imbalances from the Talent’s perspective)
• “Tap Into the Hidden Talent Within the Military Community”

Planning for the Future

• “Labor Market of the Future” ~ Panel Discussion participant
• “The Future of Job Seeking”
• “Will You Be Prepared for the Job Search in 10 Years?”

Networking & Professional Image

• “5 Ways to Improve Your Professional Network”
• “Get Moving on LinkedIn®”
• “LinkedIn® Secrets”
• “LinkedIn® Etiquette”
• “Etiquette and the Hidden Job Market”
• “Power Up Your Professional Image”

Positioning Yourself for Opportunity

• “Career Management Crash Course”
• “Progressive Employment Strategies”
• “Insights Into Volunteering Gateways”
• “Making the Most of Your Early Technical Career Experiences” ~ Panel Discussion
• “Putting Your Best Foot Forward”
• “The Boundless Potential of a Nonlinear Engineering Career”

Discovering Your Value & Your Options

• “Quantifying Accomplishments”
• “3 Ways to Track Your Accomplishments”
• “Transferring Your Skills to a New Career”
• “Translating Non-Paid Work on Résumés”
• “Tackling the Resume Gap”
• “Power of YOUR Path”
• “A Day of Self-Discovery”
• “Why They Should Hire You”

Career Planning

• “Charting Your Course”
• “Tips for Military Spouses”
• “Career Planning for Stay-at-Home Parents”

Communicating Value & Self-Promotion

• “Build a Powerful Professional Portfolio”
• “Powerful Professional Portfolio Secrets”
• “Strategic Résumés that Work!”
• “The Engineer’s Guide to Résumé Writing”
• “Branding with Transferable Skills”
• “Targeting and Translating”
• “Innovative Self-Promotion”
• “Lose the Cheese. Promote Yourself Like a Pro.”
• “Sell Yourself in 30 Seconds”
• “Resumes 101” (for high school and college)
• “Advanced Resumes”
• “Rapid Resume Reviews” ~ Workshop
• “Nail Your Interview, Don’t Blow It!”
• “Rock Solid Interviews”

Career Transitions

• “Time for a Change: Strategic Career Moves”
• “Navigating the Hidden Job Market”
• “Moving Again: 7 Steps to Maintain Your Career” (as a trailing spouse)
• “Launch Into the Professional Scene”
• “Job Seeking 101”
• “Retired Seeking Employment”
• “Making the Cut: Job Search Strategies that Will Get You the Job”

Gender and the Workplace

• “Challenges of Working in a Male-Dominated Environment”
• “Maintaining Your Female Identity”
• “Progressive Employment Strategies for Women in Engineering”

STEM

• “Science Technology ENGINEERING Math” a fun and interactive presentation introducing 6th graders to college and various engineering disciplines including chemical engineering, utility engineering, forensic engineering, validation engineering, and a special NASA Mars project.

If you would like Michelle to speak at your event, please contact Michelle.