Cathy Severson

I haven't done a lot of things in my life the way they are supposed to be done. Because of some interesting choices early on, I was married, divorced and a single parent by the time I was twenty-two. Feeling the need to turn my life around, I returned to school, completing a BS degree in Education. Four months after graduation, I married my current husband. Soon after our wedding, we quit our lucrative jobs, moved to a small town to start a new business, which we sold two years later.

By the time I was 35, I'd worked at fifteen jobs, some great, some not so great. But through it all, I was fascinated with the job search process, the world of work and finding purpose. I started writing resumes professionally when we moved from Colorado to Califo
ia in 1982. I continued learning, studying with Richard Bolles, author of What Color is Your Parachute. Soon I was back in school to get my MS in Career Counseling, graduateding from Califo
ia State University, Northridge at age 41.

I am passionate about helping people fulfill their career dreams. I have worked with students and adults at Pierce College, CSUN, Ventura County Government, Conejo Valley Adult School, Carson One Stop, the outplacement firms Drake, Beam, Morin, Inc. and Right Management

I specialize in adult career issues. Working with recent college graduates, they’re able to transform their Liberal Arts degrees into a fulfilling career. Often women who are returning to the workforce don’t know where they want to go professionally or how to get there. Many mature adults have faced lay-offs, burn-out or just the desire to work at something meaningful to them. Through Passport to Purpose, people are encouraged to dream really big dreams, and then to develop concrete actions to make their vision a reality.

Creating the acclaimed VISTa Life/Career Cards has allowed for the expansion of my work. The cards are now being used by therapists and career professionals around the world. While simple and fun to use, they allow a person to visually connect to their core identity. VISTa answers the questions, “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?”

We’re moving into a new and exciting area. With an extended life of thirty years from what it was, growing older is definitely about getting better. For many people this is an opportunity to connect to a greater purpose and meaning in their lives as they retire and explore new opportunities. Retirement Life Matters consists of a website that brings experts in the areas of finance, health, relationships, travel, and new aging to provide tools and resources for people in transition. In addition, weekend retreats are often annually, as well as books, and CD’s to make the rest of your life the best of your life.