Don’t Go It Alone: Joana Donovan On The Secret Of Getting Hired In Today’s Market
By Fiona Slusarev
It’s said that it takes a village to raise a child, but how many people does it take to get one person hired? In a time where online job boards seem to have never-ending position listings, each seemingly already inundated with hundreds of applications, it is easy to feel lost when looking for work.
Wellington’s own Joana Donovan, CEO and founder of Propel Résumé and Career Services, breathes humanity back into the hiring process. From recent college graduates to those making a career pivot in later life, Donovan shows her clients how to tell their own story through résumés, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles.
Growing up in New York as the daughter of immigrants from Brazil and Tunisia, Donovan’s life-long passion for learning was ignited as she learned English watching Sesame Street with her family. She credits her upbringing for making her “resilient and scrappy,” both necessary traits for her careers in real estate and finance.
Returning to school, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English in 2022 from the University of Central Florida. In that same year, Propel was launched. From her previous gift basket business based in Wellington, Donovan knew the community would embrace Propel with open arms. She believes the small-town feel of Wellington to be integral to the success of her business.
“I think that Wellington has deep roots, and people value those deep roots,” Donovan said. “And that’s the foundation of how they bring in newcomers, like myself. They continue to grow that foundation.”
Donovan believes that Wellington’s community connection is unique; it is not something she experienced living in New York or New Jersey.
“There is a protective barrier around the town that enriches other people who live [here],” she explained. “They give back to people who live in town. They’re super supportive. No matter who you meet — whether you’re part of an organization or you’re not, I think it’s like a small-town feel, even though we are growing.”
It is this sense of interconnectedness that translates into Donovan’s mission at Propel. She is a strong advocate for networking whenever possible. Simple, everyday conversations might introduce you to a new opportunity you had never thought of.
“Sometimes those discussions, the conversations that you have with people, lead to opportunities, and that networking piece, to me, is the most valuable,” Donovan explained.
While artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used to sort résumés, and large numbers of candidates vie for a single position, human interaction stands out. Donovan noted that, “You have to speak to people. You can’t just submit and hope that it sticks. You have to go the extra mile.”
Also, there must be something about you individually that makes you a unique asset. That is, you must have a personal brand. Creating this narrative for employers can be daunting. Donovan is able to meet each client where they are. She shows them how to create their own professional story.
“If you don’t know who you are, and you don’t know what your brand is, neither will the reader,” she said.
At Propel, Donovan shows her clients how to see themselves in a new light. Seemingly mundane tasks are reframed as evidence for personal brands. She reflects on an administration worker’s self-described day: “I came in. I answered the phone. I left.” Donovan works to help the client parse through what they actually do. “They never take a step back and look down at themselves to identify what do they actually bring to the table,” she said.
Organic conversation between Donovan and her clients forms the backbone of Propel. She is invested in discovering what makes each individual tick and what motivates them to get out of bed in the morning. For her, simply rewriting a résumé isn’t enough; she is telling her client’s story.
However, clients have to put in the work. They need to critically engage with the moving pieces of their identity and professional history. Donovan is here to show them how, and to prompt them to reimagine who they are. “They help me, help them, find their brand and their voice,” she explained.
It is this connection to her clients that uniquely positions Donovan as a professional storyteller and advocate. She is able to market job applicants in a more holistic way. They are not just a summary of skills; they are a complete person. Her clients aren’t trying to match their applications word for word to the job description.
“They talk about themselves and are different,” she said. “They give the person who is ultimately going to read the document a better sense of who they are on a team.”
Often, Donovan finds that clients are searching more for a proponent and partner, than pure résumé guidance. With experience across multiple careers, she understands the emotions and challenges that job hunters face.
“They’re looking for that camaraderie, that advocacy, that partnership, that someone is on their side. And that is what makes me different from the next person,” she said.
Donovan provides a refuge in an otherwise isolating process. Everything is intentional in the application process, but she is happy to remind people that “no road is a straight line.” A specific role or responsibility at a job may lead you to a niche that you never knew existed, but nonetheless, suits you perfectly. No time is wasted. Experience becomes evidence for a client’s personal brand.
This ability to appreciate each nuance and become an advocate for her clients is integral to Donovan’s method. It is also what she finds most rewarding.
“I think, having that connection with people, is really the joy,” she said. “It’s not even the writing anymore, it’s really the joy of being able to tell someone’s story and be a support person.”
The interpersonal approach to the hiring process harkens back to the warm reception Donovan received when moving to and starting a career in Wellington. The importance of connection echoes throughout her work, and she intends to further strengthen the community by creating a local educational seminar on writing, coaching and LinkedIn this upcoming January.
For more information about Propel Résumé and Career Services, call (561) 291-8832 or visit www.propelresume.com.
