The Careerfolk Team

MCC, LMHC 

Donna Sweidan, LMHC is the founder of Careerfolk. For 20+ years, Donna has offered a unique blend of psychological counseling and career coaching that takes her clients on a journey from soul search to clarity, confidence and concrete goals. She was voted one of the top 25 career coaches and resume writers online by Careertoolkit.com in 2016.

Donna guides job seekers and career changers through in-depth self-exploration to help them find or create fulfilling and meaningful work. The heart of Donna’s approach is creating a compelling brand, an exciting current resume, and an online network that represents what it takes to succeed in today’s marketplace. She is a well-known speaker on the “new” job search, building a professional online identity and LinkedIn.com.

Donna has been quoted in numerous media outlets including the New York Times, International Business Times, Forbes.com, Fortune.com, New York Daily News, Fairfield Parent and The Stamford Advocate, as well as featured on CNN and as job search and resume expert on the NYTV series “Job Hunt.”  Donna is a contributor to the Twitter Job Search Guide and has written a book about creating income security in a world without job security.

Prior to starting CareerFolk, LLC in 2005, she was the founding director of The New School’s Office of Career Development. She has also worked and consulted at DBM Outplacement Services, REA Career Services and served as adjunct faculty at Baruch College, Pace University and NYU. She served as the Career and Business Development Coach for the Connecticut Women’s Business Development Center and as coordinator of disability services at University of Connecticut.  Donna helped start a new career center to create to serve immigrants entering the US workplace.

Donna is a New York State Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a Masters in Counseling from New York University and training at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy, so she is always wearing her therapeutic hat. Prior to moving to the US, she lived and studied in South Africa where she obtained a BA in Psychology from the University of Witwatersrand, and a BA, Honors in Applied Psychology from Rand University, both in Johannesburg.

Donna is an active member in the career development community and serves as a board member of the Career Development Specialists Network.

Senior Coach, Certified Resume Writer 

Tava Auslan is a career coach, certified resume writer and dancer. After earning her BA in Psychology from SUNY Purchase and an MSEd in Counseling from Fordham University, she began her career with Donna at The New School Career Services Center in 2002. There she worked with students and graduates pursuing a variety of careers from academia to international affairs.  She later went on to serve as the Assistant Director of Disability Services where she offered time management training and programming for job search with visible and hidden disabilities.

A skilled counselor, she is compassionate, insightful and delivers the right amount of “push” to motivate her clients.  She is known for her ability to help people assess their challenges, determine where they are stuck and offer tangible solutions to get them back on track. Like Donna, Tava is able to draw upon her counseling and coaching skills to offer a holistic approach to career management. An astute writer, Tava earned her ACRW credential from Resume Writing Academy and crafts resumes that tell a compelling story for job seekers of all ages and stages.

Tava’s dance career has taken her from Maryland to Montreal offering workshops, panel presentations, lectures and mentorship to students across the globe. Her book, “The Little Book of Big Advice” was a #1 Best Seller in Dance Reference on Amazon.com.

This background has shaped her foundation for working with a wide range of professionals and career needs from entry level to senior management with personal branding and career clarity.