Page 18 - The Holiday Issue San Diego Woman Magazine

Women of Distinction

Analia Mendez ployment opportunities. Take

me for example, when I got
SERVING THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED my first job fresh out of high
school the electric light was
By Carol Heath just coming into its own and,
not really but again you get
my drift. Analia has never been
Photos by Dawn Nicoli/Nicoli Productions away from the ever-changing
career opportunities that exist
along the way, I’m sure her to transition into her new ca- in today’s marketplace.
shoulder was used many times reer. Analia has started a brand
to shed a tear or two. new career, well, sort of, it is still Signature Careers is a natural
advising and counseling, but next step for Analia, and she
Variations of the title Direc- no longer college students. hasn’t forgotten her roots so to
tor of Career Education and speak. Although Analia and her
Advising have been on her Analia found a void in the staff can help anyone transi-
college office doors in 3 differ- career-transitioning world, and tion into a new career, Analia
ent states. The explanation of she has now filled up that hole. focuses on active duty military
why Analia worked in so many Her new business is Signature personnel about to retire. That
states has to do with her other Careers; a virtual offering, that shouldn’t surprise anybody as
job. She is a UNITED STATES makes it very easy to get all the much of her life was spent as a
MARINE WIFE, yup all caps, not necessary information received, military wife.
a typo. This is a title she is very then processed and delivered.
T NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE proud of, and I applaud her That is a very simple explana- Analia coaches men and wom-
Ime the number of truly distin- service to our country. Many tion of what Analia is doing en who are still in the service
guished women we have living people forget when a Marine for adults, who are for various of their country, and counsels
in San Diego. I had the pleasure is deployed to a new post their reasons, wanting to transition and advises them on the many
of interviewing Analia Mendez, family is also deployed. into another career. opportunities they might have
who just happens to be one of in the job market. Many of
those distinguished women. Each time her Marine husband In case you have checked out these men and women are not
Analia has been in the higher was sent to his new post, Analia of the world lately, you may not aware of the training they have
educational system for over would pack up the house, and have noticed that more and had while serving and how that
seventeen years. But I’m getting her two sons, and follow. That more older adults have to work training can relate or fill a need
a little ahead of myself here so meant setting up a new house- longer and longer before they in the job marketplace. Analia is
let’s start from the beginning. hold, finding new schools for can retire. Often times these the perfect person for this job,
the boys, and a new job for Ana- adults find it very difficult to because she has been training
Analia was born to immigrant lia. Sounds like tons of fun, but find employment. They may for it almost all her life.
parents in the northern Cali- she did it willingly as she knew have already retired from a job,
fornia city of Modesto on July that this was the life of any mate they may be tired of the job Analia has a certain grace when
27th. I left off the year on pur- that was married to someone in they have and are ready for a she talks about helping adults
pose, it is not a typo. Although the Armed Forces. change, the list goes on, but transition careers, almost like a
since I am older than dirt, she the result is in order to transi- ballerina dancing to Swan Lake
seems like a baby to me. She Master Sergeant Valdivieso has tion into another career, they or the like. It seems so natural
joined a large family consisting now retired from the Marine need help. for her and her commitment to
of 5 girls and 2 boys and was Corps. and Analia is also ready helping service men and wom-
the third in line of siblings. She for the next stage of her life. It’s hard to know where to en and civilians is genuine and
is the first female in her family She is presently still The Direc- start as things have changed sincere. If you are at that stage
to graduate from college first tor of Career Education and so much in the corporate and of your life when you are ready
with a BA in Psychology, then Advising at UCSD, but is about non-corporate world of em- for that next career Analia
a Masters in Counseling. Not Mendez and Signature Careers
too shabby from a kid who is here to help.
was raised in the small town of
Riverbank, California.
Signature Careers: https://
www.signaturecareers.org
Analia hit the ground running as
they say, whoever they are, and Facebook: https://www.face-
began guiding and counseling book.com/signaturecareers/
college students with career
choices and the required classes Instagram: @signaturecareers
to achieve their goals. Of course,
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.
com/in/analiamendez
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