Since she first arrived in the US in 1988, Mariela Dabbah has been involved with the Latino community developing programs to help adults understand the cultural differences that make it hard to navigate the American system successfully. Working in both the career advancement front and the education system, Mariela’s focus has always been on providing practical tools and valuable insight to Latinos in order to help them overcome the difficulties caused by these cultural differences. Based on her personal experience and extensive research, as well as on numerous conversations with experts in both the public and the private sectors, Mariela wrote her well regarded books. She has also developed several workshops and speaking topics to help companies and organizations address these issues. Although her programs are usually tailored to the needs of her clients, here is a sample of the basic programs she offers.

Mariela's Speaker Reel

Keynote Presentations

See details about Mariela as a keynote speaker under Other Work, Consulting & Speaking.

Recent speaking engagements include presentations at: American Express, Citigroup, HBO, McDonald’s Corporation, National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA), Junior Achievement, and National Society of Hispanic Journalists.

Workshops & Speech Topics

• Networking for Success: Establishing Meaningful Relationships
  Using practical, hands-on tools as well as down to Earth examples Mariela helps participants overcome all kind of barriers and learn the art of establishing long-lasting, meaningful relationships for career success. The audience becomes immediately engaged in networking activities. They get a quick taste of the results they will obtain once they implement Mariela’s suggestions on a regular basis.  This workshop can be designed for:

• Networking for Business Development
  The focus of this workshop is on developing relationships to bring more clients into the organization.

Duration: half a day workshop (4 hours) or 2 hour presentation.

• Networking for Personal Development or Career Advancement
  The focus of this program is on developing relationships to enhance your personal life and to create a large net of contacts that will always help you advance in your career.
  
  Duration: half a day workshop (4 hours) or 2 hour presentation.
  
  
• Using your Latino Advantages to Advance in your Career
  Based on the book The Latino Advantage in the Workplace®, co-authored by Mariela Dabbah and Arturo Poiré, this workshop will:
  • Make participants aware of certain Latino cultural traits that, if used appropriately, can help them advance in their career.
    
  • Make participants aware of how the same traits can become an obstacle for their growth if they are unaware of the impact these characteristics have in their professional life.
    
    Duration: half a day workshop (4 hours) or 2 hour presentation


• Navigating the American System with Ease
  Understanding how the system works is the key to success for immigrants. Using her books as the backbone of these workshops, Mariela confronts two particularly important issues: the labor market and the education system from the Latino perspective.
  
  
  • Introduction to Finding a Job in the US
    During this workshop all topics related to a job search are introduced and discussed briefly making participants aware of the peculiarities of the American job search process. Topics include tools and resources, writing a resume, preparing for the interview.

  Duration: 4 hours.

  • Resources and Tools to Succeed in your Job Search
    Knowing the tools and resources at your disposal is the first step to finding what you are looking for. This workshop helps participants learn how to use the Internet intelligently, the best places to look for jobs, best Latino job boards, associations, etc.

  Duration: 2 hours.

  • Building your Best Resume
    Highlighting the differences between resumes in the U.S. and Latin America, this workshop teaches participants the key elements that need to be present in their resumes. It helps people resist the urge to be humble and enables them to focus on their achievements. 

  Duration: half day (4 hours) or 2 hours.

  • How to Prepare for a Job Interview in the US
    Taking into consideration the different interview practices in the U.S. and Latin America, this program emphasizes the need for preparation and rehearsal before arriving at the job interview. Students learn how to research companies, the proper dress code and the most frequently asked questions.

  Duration: half a day (4 hours) or 2 hours.

  • Introduction to the American School System
    Parents who have not attended schools in the US feel intimidated by the system and fail to be good advocates for their children. This program provides key information to understanding how schools work in the U.S. such as: choosing a school, special programs, preparing children to enter school, parent participation and more.

  Duration: half a day (4 hours) or 2 hours.