About Abby

The rules of the job search game have changed dramatically in the last few years. An economic downturn has created a very competitive job market where the average number of candidates for a single position has increased from 50 to 500 or more. The popularity of social media sites has caught the eye of corporate recruiters and has become a key job search tool. And we’ve seen a nearly explosive growth in the number of people landing jobs through networking and in unique and unusual ways.

Consider also how many people may be dissatisfied with the job they currently have now. One recent survey conducted by the national executive search firm FPC found that 79% said they “were planning on looking for a new job once the economy improves.”

The unemployment rate has been over 7% and many have been unemployed for more than 27 weeks. At the same time, the U.S. Department of Labor reports that there are currently more than three million jobs available.

About Absolutely Abby®

Abby Kohut, a brave Human Resources professional, has stepped forward to share the secrets of her industry and to help the unemployed fill the more than 3 million jobs. Aside from teaching job search skills, Abby also inspires those that are out of work to not lose faith that they will find a job. Abby, who is known as “Absolutely Abby” because she tells job seekers the absolute truth, has held positions from corporate recruiter to Senior Director of Recruiting over the past 18 years. In 2009, Abby shifted her focus to concentrate on helping candidates land their dream jobs and has spoken to over 300 job search groups. In 2012, Abby and her husband Ken left their home in NJ to travel across the country in an RV in order to fulfill Abby’s goal to educate one million job seekers. This cross country speaking tour is a project which has been self-funded since its inception. You can learn more about Abby at www.AbsolutelyAbby.com.

Abby has gained much media attention since she wrote the book “Absolutely Abby”s 101 Job Search Secrets”. She was selected as one of the top 100 influential people online according to Fast Company Magazine and was named as one of “The Monster 11 for 2011: Career Experts Who Can Help Your Job Search”. AbsolutelyAbby.com was named as one of the Top 100 Career Sites by Forbes in 2013. Abby has been featured on several dozen television news and radio segments, including Fox News, Good Morning Connecticut, and Bloomberg Radio. Her advice has also been featured in newspapers such as the NJ Star Ledger, The Daily News, Inc. Magazine, Urban Male Magazine, and LA Weekly and on top career sites such as Monster, CareerBuilder, HotJobs, WorkChic, and The Ladders. For Abby”s press appearances, please click here.

Abby’s career began in computer sales. She worked for a computer reseller for five years, managing major accounts such as Bear Stearns, Grey Advertising, Gartner Group and the Museum of Natural History and was elected into Apple’s Million Dollar Club. Although successful in sales, Abby felt most passionate about hiring and mentoring new sales reps for the company. That passion motivated her to launch her career in Human Resources and career development.

Abby’s next successful recruiting project was at Cheyenne Software, where she recruited 500 employees in two years, effectively doubling the size of the company. Following that, Abby worked for Kaplan, Inc., a world leader in educational services, for seven years. Abby took on various roles including Senior Director of Recruiting and Career Development, which offered her the opportunity to lead a team of recruiters responsible for filling staff and management positions across the country. In particular, Abby led teams that hired 50 Customer Service Representatives in two months and 900 part time K-12 teachers in four months. She also career coached and mentored many top internal applicants into new roles within the company.

As a Staffing Consultant, Abby managed several recruiting projects for Alpharma, Inc., one of which helped them double the size of the division, from 300 to 600 employees. Abby also led the expansion of a national outside sales force and support staff for the Economist Intelligence Unit, Economist Magazine and CFO Magazine. As the Interim Director of Recruiting for Beth Israel Medical Center and St. Luke’s – Roosevelt Hospital, Abby managed a large recruiting team responsible for filling 1,000-2,000 positions per year and developed written documentation around their processes and procedures. Most recently, Abby managed an expansion project for LEO Pharma and helped them grow from 6 employees to 300 in 2 years. While on a mission to help one million job seekers, Abby has been continuing her Human Resources career.