I, Renuka Tandon, am a Certified Image Consultant, among the first few in India, formally trained and certified in this new sunrise industry, from the Image Consulting Business Institute, India (ICBI), under the Curriculum of Conselle Institute of Image Management, USA; prescribed by Judith Rasband, a Certified Image Master in the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI)
While my initial drive to become an Image Consultant was to help professionals build their Personal ‘Career’ Brand and complete the candidate’s presence in the marketplace, but now it has grown to have a much larger scope. In the last three years, Personal Branding and Image Management have evolved to become the need of every ‘professional’ to succeed in their roles and for most ‘corporates’ to help achieve their goals. Having been a part of both industries, I foresee a strategic seamless integration, which I am already incorporating into my consulting sessions.
People need to recognize their inherent strengths and represent themselves well in their target marketplace, to give themselves that winning edge! With my qualifications and experience, I believe I can work with them to LOOK, FEEL and BE the ‘BEST’ they can be.
I now offer innovative approach by synergizing Image and Brand strategies for professional success and business growth… and help each build a personal “ASSET” called a Personal-Brand-n-Image.
MY JOURNEY: I started my career in the IT industry, as software developer. This passion for new technology led me to become an entrepreneur in 1997, when Internet first came to India. I founded TanNet, a recruitment services site (www.tannet.com) which is among the first three recruitment websites in India. Faced with the challenge of low Internet penetration in India and the absence of individual email-ids at that time, TanNet became a specialized IT recruitment firm.
For 10+ years, I interacted with hundreds of professionals across all levels and serviced many multi-national companies. My success came from understanding exactly what the company wanted (since I was part of that world earlier). I could close a position with 80% shortlist ratio against the average industry norm of 40%… 100% more! I recognized that the real problem for the huge rejection ratio in the industry was how the candidates presented themselves and their resumes. In 2009, I became a ‘Certified Professional Resume Writer’ (CPRW) from Professional Association of Résumé Writers & Career Coaches (PARW/CC) – the 1st in Maharashtra and among the only three in India!
Armed with the qualification and experience, I advised candidates on on-line branding, writing branded targeted resumes and job-search techniques for career success. However, when well-qualified candidates were rejected because of their self-presentation styles, it tore my heart. As I pondered over this problem, the answer came to me in the form of an advertisement for becoming an Image Consultant (a new industry in India). I immediately knew that THAT is what the candidates needed. I enrolled for the FIRST batch in India and was trained for a year under the Curriculum of Conselle Institute of Image Management, USA; and became a Certified Image Consultant (IMPA) in early 2011.
I soon realized with excitement, that the scope was much wider than I had envisaged earlier, I was at the threshold of a new industry in India! An industry that could seamlessly be integrated with all my years of experience to benefit individually and collectively … the employer, employee and the business! That was my WOW movement!
NOW: 2011- till date
As a Founder and Chief Consultant of ACE IMPRESSION – (Image Consulting and Personal Branding), I consolidated all the trainings, certifications, vast knowledge and expertise of last 12 – 15 years into one entity – ACE Impression (www.ACEimpression.com) – helping each to strategize and create an “ASSET” called Personal Brand-n-Image.
I now offer innovative approach by synergizing Image and Brand strategies of Appearance, Communication and Etiquette (ACE), for professional success and business growth. With my skills, qualifications and of course the passion to bring out the best in people, I work with professionals, senior executives, corporate CEO’s, entrepreneurs and business owners, for professional advancement and business growth. Going forward, I would love to work with high visibility clients like politicians and celebrities. And finally a full circle around, to provide technology-based personal brand-n-image solutions for anyone, who wants to LOOK and FEEL good!