Updated Resume for 2010

Hello to all! I am actively seeking a full time copywriting or marketing specialist position.  My current resume is posted below--I'm very appreciative for any leads, so please feel free to pass along the info to anyone you know who might be looking for a copywriter or project manager/director.  While I am seeking a full time position, I'm also happy to assist with freelance work.

Timina Stengel
Senior Copywriter

Phone:  704-728-6775
timina@jstengel.net

Senior Copywriter


Professional Summary:  Highly accomplished senior copywriter with over a decade of experience developing and implementing creative, informational and sales content in traditional print, Web, ecommerce and social marketing mediums. Very strong presentation and interpersonal skills. Proven ability to turn new initiatives into profitable, long-term successes. Successful working both independently and as part of a team to achieve deliverables on time and within budget.

Creative Writing * Marketing Message Development * Online Content Development Ecommerce * Search Engine Optimization * Social Media Strategy & Content Creation Public Relations & Press Management * Project Management * Team Leadership * Strategic Planning * Initiatives Roll Outs * Process Improvements * Client Retention & Relationship Building

Professional Experience

Tek Systems, Charlotte, North Carolina, December 2009 – Present
National technical staffing services firm.

Content Manager/Copywriter and Communications Specialist Contract Roles

TIAA-CREF
Working on site at TIAA-CREF in IT Service Communications to manage information and coordinate internal communications.

Wachovia
Worked on site at Wachovia, which is presently merging with Wells Fargo. Responsible for writing merger communications that met Wachovia’s style guidelines, managing projects and overseeing content from the idea phase through the quality analysis phase. Utilized the Vignette content management system and worked collaboratively with project managers, designers, search engine optimization specialists, information architects and programmers to complete a variety of ecommerce projects.

Freelance Copywriter & Editorial Consultant, Charlotte, NC, 2003 - Present

Collaborate with a variety of freelance clients—small businesses to Fortune 500 companies--on a wide spectrum of projects. Industries served include: real estate, mortgage, banking, education, media, entertainment, search engine optimization, lumber and materials distribution and professional services.

Key Highlight:

• Freelance columnist with the Charlotte Observer for a second time, beginning in September 2009.

Client Feedback:
“Timina, the style, design and editing of this interview copy is outstanding. It blew me away! I’m also impressed with how you really understand what we do, which isn’t easy to do. It took me 30 years to figure it out! Thanks again for your creative and innovative approach to my work.”—Robert T. Yokl, CEO of Strategic Value Analysis Savings, Skippack, PA

ClickCom, Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina, 2008 – 2009
Web design and development firm with a national client base.

Director, Copy and Content Management

Chief leadership responsible for overseeing the copy process on all projects involving copywriting/editing, content creation and organic search engine marketing. Executive leadership on special projects; created applicable marketing and training materials; and facilitated a smooth roll out of the WordPress content management system. Catalyst for creating more streamlined procedures, increasing quality control and client retention measures.

Revenue Generation:

• Turned a newly created position into a profitable role by generating $40,000 in copy services inside my first three months as Director.

• Recovered customer relationships with clients who were ready to leave ClickCom, Inc. and saved the company losses of over $20,000 annually.

Key Highlights:

• Spearheaded the project management of Oscar award winner Stephen Schwartz’s Web site. The Wicked and Godspell composer had several unique requirements involved in his project, which required vigilant oversight and collaboration with the graphic design and programming teams.

• Successfully developed content and worked with the executive leadership for Girls on the Run (based in Charlotte) to create an effective Web presence.

Client Feedback:
“Timina went to great lengths to help me last year when I first enlisted her writing services, which I can proudly say are fantastic. She has since written numerous articles for my weekly e-zine and for both my Web sites…She has always been helpful and has reached out numerous times to do what it takes to solve my problem(s) quickly and restore my faith in vendor relationships beyond the call of duty. In this day and age, just getting someone to respond is a chore, and Timina, on many occasions, has reached out and helped me on a weekend, which is unheard of in the workforce nowadays.”—Robert T. Carr, owner of TLC Incorporated and TLC Garage Works and Chamber President, Gambrills, MD

“I appreciated Timina’s interest in the project, which clearly showed in her understanding of the product and what we needed the Web site to accomplish. Timina was able to accurately capture the message of Pandora’s international brand.”—Molly Carroll, Marketing Consultant and Charlotte-area radio personality

JS Consulting, LLC, Editor, 2000 - 2008, Milwaukee, Wisconsin & Charlotte, North Carolina
The #1 Watchguard training firm in the Southeast and a premier IT consulting solutions provider.

Marketing Copywriter, Public Relations

Managed special projects that involved developing and implementing Web copy and e-marketing initiatives for clients in a variety of industries, including lumber & building materials distribution, banking, real estate and manufacturing. Directly responsible for generating publicity that resulted in expertise requests from the Charlotte Business Journal and invitations for the company’s IT security technicians to speak before the FBI.


Higher Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, GPA 3.73, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 2003
Kappa Tau Alpha, journalism honor society, top ten percent of MU’s graduating class of 2003
Search Engine Optimization Best Practices course at Hippo Internet Marketing, April 2009
Social Media Marketing course at Hippo Internet Marketing, September 2009

See My Charlotte Observer Columns Online Now

You can now see my Charlotte Observer columns online.  Please feel free to comment! I know the link is crazy long, but it's actually a search on my name, so you can go to the page that lists all the articles I've done. 

http://search.charlotteobserver.com/search-bin/search.pl.cgi?product=pubsys&live_template=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.charlotteobserver.com%2F867&collection=ENDECA_INDEX&fields=*&sf_meta_site=CharlotteObserver2&preview_template=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.charlotteobserver.com%2F867&results_per_page=20&aggregate_key=meta_rollup&sort=pubsys_story_release_dt+desc&sf_pubsys_section_id=844%2BOR%2B865%2BOR%2B853%2BOR%2B850%2BOR%2B854%2BOR%2B851&sf_pubsys_story=Timina+Stengel

Happy Holidays & Charlotte SEMCLT Group Meets Tomorrow!

Happy Holidays to everyone! I apologize that this blog has been largely ignored throughout the month of November.  I, like everyone else, tend to get completely, maddeningly busy during the holidays.  And since being laid off in June from a full time copywriting job and now having exhausted my unemployment, I have picked up extra hours as a part-time retail manager at Southpark mall's Janie & Jack store (owned by Gymboree).  And you know how the retail world is during the holiday season--a lot of crazy hours. 

I am still interviewing for full time copywritng/content manager roles and am hopeful (and very prayerful) that something will soon work out so that I can have a more normal schedule again.  With two small kids, I definitely need it!

All that said, I am very excited about tomorrow evening's Search Engine Marketing of Charlotte group's holiday party.  It's currently booked full (so glad I RSVP'ed early), but if you want to see the agenda, check out http://www.meetup.com/The-Official-Charlotte-SEO-Search-Engine-Marketing-Meetup/calendar/11807537/.  The evening's topic will be about social media with several area leaders on a discussion panel.  Should be good stuff--I'll update my next post with key highlights.  And the group usually has streaming video and a video podcast available for those unable to attend.