Career Skills 

"Tanja was instrumental in my success in getting a new job that came with a promotion. I had been interviewing for a year and actually getting less and less successful in my attempts. A friend recommended that I work with Tanja on my interviewing and self-presentation skills. Tanja helped me pinpoint some mistakes I was making in my non-verbal communication, helped me craft and rephrase my messages, and provided me with frameworks for successful interview answers. Very importantly, she helped me get my confidence back, which interviewers instantly picked up on and I received lots of praise on how I showed up in interviews and conversations. Working with Tanja was definitely a great investment in myself!" Ariana

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"I had the pleasure of working with Tanja Szabo for about 3 months, and I can confidently say she is an exceptional interview coach. Before working with her, I was getting plenty of interviews, often making it to the final round, but something was missing—I wasn’t securing the offers. I knew there was something about my interview style that wasn’t resonating with employers, and that’s where Tanja came in. Tanja is incredible at identifying weak points and tailoring her coaching to address them. In my case, I struggled with keeping my answers concise and to the point. She helped me focus on delivering clear, structured responses by using the STAR method, which transformed how I shared my experiences. Her guidance gave me a new level of confidence during interviews. Practicing and refining my “story” with her beforehand made me feel much more prepared and in control. What truly sets Tanja apart is her communication style. She’s incredibly astute, quickly grasping the nuances of my background and experience, even though my industry isn’t her area of expertise. I would highly recommend Tanja to anyone looking for an honest, straightforward coach. She doesn’t use flashy gimmicks—her practical approach is exactly what you need to succeed". Ana (Professional Development Client) 

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"Before I took Tanja's guidance towards the end of 2023, I had already been job hunting for 5 months without success. Though I had solid qualifications and several years of experience in the tech sector, I was finding it difficult to get responses from companies even for job descriptions that I thought I was a great fit. Tanja helped me understand the nuances and the importance of tailoring resumes to individual job descriptions and walked me through some of these job applications. Most importantly, she also showed me how to use these approaches in a broader sense so that I was able to do it on my own for several job applications.  Within a week, I was getting back three times the number of responses from potential employers. In another couple of months, I was contacted by the hiring manager of a very large tech company in the Bay area which soon led to a job offer. Tanja helped me understand and discuss the non-technical aspects of the job offer with the manager, and I was able to reach a compensation package that is far above what I was willing to settle for during my initial months of job hunt. Tanja is straightforward and honest. This was especially important to me since I was skeptical at first after having gotten poor advice and recommendations from people who tried to be helpful beyond their expertise. Tanja will let you know when something is outside her area of expertise and this earned my confidence in her and her advice, which ended up serving me very well in my job. I highly recommend Tanja and am grateful for her help all along the way in securing my current job!" - Joseph (Professional Development Client) 

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"Working with Tanja has been the greatest personal and professional investment in my career! Tanja assisted me with interview preparations for many incredible roles. Tanja provides honest and open constructive professional feedback and helped me to polish my interview skills. As a result of my work with Tanja I was able to secure several high visibility roles which allowed me to propel my career forward tremendously. She also supported and assisted me during very difficult interview preparation tasks. For instance, she helped me to polish my executive presentation that I successfully conducted to senior corporate leaders. Not only working with Tanja equipped me with an array of incredible interview skills, but it also allowed me to realize the level of my professional competencies and gave me confidence to step into the interview process with the sense of accomplishment and high level of preparation. I work on interview preparation with Tanja continuously, especially when I go through the interview process for a highly desirable role. Tanja is an absolute wealth of knowledge and professional experience! She is an absolute treasure and she builds a tremendous amount of value while supporting me in my interview preparation process. I cannot thank Tanja enough for her incredible efforts allowing me to realize and maximize my professional skills and talents! " 

Kristina K. (Professional Development Client) 

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"Tanja is amazing! I start my new job in a week and she was there for me through every step of the way! From getting my resume written from scratch and tailored to my field, to tackling the interview head on, negotiating my salary, making sure I made the best impression in my emails, and most of all calming down the numerous anxieties, concerns, and questions I had along the way. She made navigating this yearlong process so much easier and I’m so grateful to her! I couldn’t recommend her more!" – Katie

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"I'm a college student who has worked as a self-employed handyman for years but I don't have traditional work experience. I'm getting ready to enter the workforce and the knowledge Tanja provides has been a major help to better understand what employers are looking for. She helped me build my resume in a manner that would stand out as well as showed me how to tailor my resume for each application. She always knew where to point me for government jobs or scholarships that applied to me. Tanja has been able to calm my worries by providing me with sound advice and expertise to give me realistic expectations which helped take away much of the stress. She never minds my random questions and talking with her is always enjoyable. I would recommend her to anyone looking for job advice or job hunting." – Tommy​

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"I had the privilege of being a scholar in Tanja's Career Skills Development class at the English for Heritage Language Speakers program at Georgetown University. She approached the course very practically: everything was geared toward what needs to be done to get a job.  I can honestly say that I do not know how anyone can get a government job without a course like this. We refined our resumes and created several formats for various types of positions for which we might apply; we wrote innumerable cover letters for real jobs we applied for and Tanja endlessly edited them without losing her fantastic sense of humor. We practiced interviewing and since then, the questions we've practiced have been asked of my colleagues and me by various interviewers. That really boosted my confidence during the interviewing process. I very much appreciate the effort Tanja puts in preparing for the class, as well. She's always willing to admit when she might not know something and find the answer. That is to say that her already encyclopedic knowledge base continues to expand. To top it all, she understands schedule constraints and realities of life and tailors her course to accommodate her students' circumstances, while relentlessly pursuing the goal of developing skills needed to get a federal job without undue pressure.  In summary, this was a very useful and helpful course taught by a fantastic instructor who is always willing to go an extra mile for her students. I highly recommend Tanja as an instructor. She will not only teach you well, but make it fun along the way." 

2020 EHLS Scholar

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Academic/Work Skills 

"In a nutshell, prof. Tanja’s guidance is extremely practical and effective. I first met her at the Johns Hopkins Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), fall 2014. Thanks to her extraordinary ability to spot student’s needs and provide adequate solutions, I was able to pursue my academic career. While English has literally become the lingua franca, she shall equip you with appropriate skill sets to open new opportunities."
Ju Hyung Kim (Defense Analyst, Ph.D. candidate at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies)

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"Tanja was my communications instructor at English for Heritage Language Speakers (EHLS) Certificate Program at Georgetown University in 2018. The program was designed to train non-native English language speakers to improve writing and professional communication skills and become strong candidates for federal positions. Tanja helped me analyze my strengths and weaknesses as a presenter and to improve my professional communications skills across all levels. Her curriculum was designed around the idea of refining presentations skills through various exercises and providing regular constructive feedback while analyzing my performance. Her training has helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, prepare and present professional briefings, and address any subsequent questions from the audience in an efficient manner. I often refer to her classroom material for guidance as I prepare briefings in my daily work functions. I highly recommend Tanja if you are looking for an outstanding coach to improve your professional career and communications skills!" 

Yelena Butsay 

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Teaching English 

"I had a pleasure of being Tanja's student last year. She exceeded all my expectations. Tanja explains complex topics clearly and uses diverse teaching methods to cater to all learning styles (Reading and discussion are my favorite). I think I met all my criteria for ideal teacher in one person. What is truly beneficial for me was:

-we always had the adjustable plan: what and how to learn; 

- second: there was not a problem to go back to Tanja with the same question few times; 

- third: The class materials were not only extremely interesting but also provided new knowledge. I really enjoyed it. There are unlimited topics to discuss with Tanja as a person if you want to improve your speaking skills. 

I highly recommend Tanja to anyone looking to deepen their understanding of English. Oksana Vorobiova. " 

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"Tanja was my communication teacher at Georgetown in 2014. She was also my tutor for the one-on-one communication skill sessions. Tanja was always very patient, encouraged me to articulate my thoughts without memorizing the sentences, gave me ideas for how to transition from one talking point to the next more smoothly, and helped improve my pronunciation. I still remember Tanja teaching me how to pronounce words like “Clinton” where the “t” is silent. We tried several times to make sure I got it. Until today, I still think of Tanja whenever I pronounce Clinton and other words like that.  In addition to being a good mentor for communication skills, Tanja is also a teacher who cares deeply about her students, not only academically but also our well being and the challenges we face in life. I strongly recommend Tanja to anyone who may need professional training in communication." 
2014 EHLS Scholar, Georgetown University

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"Tanja is one of the best teachers I've ever had. I took her classes and tutorial in 2017 and 2018 at SAIS at Johns Hopkins University. In academic English courses, her teaching style was very practical. For example, at my current consulting business, I'm still following the presentation style she taught us in her class. I know she spent a lot of time to prepare for our classes. I appreciate her detailed feedback and effort. Without her support, my school life would have been much harder."

Kiyotsugu Manabe (Finance, Competitiveness & Innovation Global Practice at World Bank, Committee Member at DC Development Forum and Founder and President at IDPC) 

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“Tanja was one of my Professional Oral Communications instructors at Georgetown University’s English for Heritage Language Speakers (EHLS) program in 2018. She also coached me for the program’s cap stone presentation at the EHLS Symposium in front of a large audience of government and private sector employees. Tanja has an uncanny ability to pull out capabilities one might not think she possesses. She provides very clear instructions, notices and corrects systemic mistakes, and supports her students with all her heart and energy. As an extremely nervous public speaker, I value the latter the most. I highly recommend Tanja for anyone looking to improve their professional communications skills, or learn how to structure concise and clear arguments and create engaging presentations."

EHLS Scholar, 2018

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"I took English Listening & Speaking Advanced High I with Tanja at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Fall 2018. She was a very competent and humorous teacher. My spoken English improved a lot that semester. Tanja made studying English very joyful. I learned a lot and felt very relaxed and happy when I was taking her class. She encouraged us to do a lot of practice. For example, she asked us to share an episode of a podcast we had listened to with other classmates. My English speaking improved a lot when I was preparing for the summaries. I felt I was learning something new from the podcasts and sharing it with my friends rather than finishing an assignment. It was a pleasure to learn English with her!"

Ruiyue Sun

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"In 2016, I did a master's program in the School of Advance International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and as an international student I was required to take a few English classes. That was how I met Prof. Tanja Szabo who helped me so much with my English speaking skills. Her classes were magnificent, I had the opportunity to practice so much through different exercises designed by Prof. Szabo. Without her professionalism and helpful feedback, it would have been extremely hard to finish such a big challenge since English is not my first language."

Alvaro Tobon, Colombian Army Officer

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"I was privileged to take professor Tanja Szabo's course at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in 2013. Her teaching methods have a real impact on how students learn or improve their English skills. Tanja is well organized, patient, kind, and very friendly. She explains the difficult sentences or words in simple English. She is the best teacher and an adorable person."

Jahandad Mermarian

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"In 2012/2013, I was a student at Prof Tanja’s class. I took reading and writing courses with her. As a foreign student, I confess that I learnt so much from Prof Tanja, thanks to her unique style of teaching and her way to manage interactions with different students from different nationalities and levels. All her classes were extremely helpful and useful . Despite her kindness and the friendly behavior, Prof Tanja is someone who truly knows what she teaches and she knows very well how to make others lean and love the subject. I struggled a lot with my writing at the beginning, but because of her patience and help, I had known noticeable progress in writing as well as in reading. I will always be grateful for all the things I learnt from Prof Tanja, be it the subjects she taught or about life in general."

Hala Hatmi, Morocco

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"Tanja is one of the most caring and professional instructors I have ever had the pleasure to work with. She is attentive and highly efficient when identifying patterns in her students’ writing and speech. Her guidance has allowed me to apply the same skills to identify and fix my own errors more easily, a skill that has helped me grow both professionally and as a person. After graduating from the Georgetown University program in which Tanja instructed me, I saw immediate success as my newly gained confidence aided me in securing a highly selective internship at a DC think tank. I definitely recommend Tanja to anyone, whether they are trying to improve their career development skills, or their written and verbal communication"

2020 EHLS Scholar, Georgetown University

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"I took an advanced English speaking and writing class with Prof Tanja during graduate school at Johns Hopkins. She is very approachable, patient, and full of knowledge. I really appreciate all her suggestions on improving my pronunciation. She is really paying attention to how you speak/pronounce to give the best recommendation. She is also very helpful when it comes to how to structure paper/presentation. I still remember that she videotaped us and asked us to watch ourselves present, which made me a little uncomfortable but this proves to be the best way to improve!"

SAIS Student 2018

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"Prof Szabo is a wonderful professor. I took the professional oral communication course with her in 2016 as part of a scholarship program funded by the National Security Education Program at Georgetown University. Oral communication skills are essential for many aspects of our life. With professor Szabo I learned what it means to say just enough - don’t talk too much or too little. She taught us everything about written, oral, visual and digital communication within a workplace context. She took every part of the course very seriously to ensure we succeeded in every aspect of oral communication: real-time presentations, video presentations and interviews, with accompanying visual aids such as handouts and power-points. Professor Szabo was also accessible outside of class, even requiring us to schedule a meeting with her for our assignments so that we could establish a working relationship with her outside of the classroom. She always answered her emails and was willing to answer questions no matter how trivial they seemed. Her assignments were all relevant and contributed to our improvement as communicators and critical thinkers. You can tell that she puts a lot of time and effort into the course through her attention to detail and her comments. She really does her best to give you a deep and detailed review of your work. I would recommend Professor Szabo because she is a very thoughtful instructor. She gives a lot of great criticism, honest but isn't condescending. She is also very encouraging and makes herself available to her students. She is extremely punctual and expects the same from her students. She is not a very tough grader, but she still makes her students work very hard for the grade. She structures the class discussions very well, she does not have a trouble getting all students to participate. I would recommend Tanja to other students. She is very personable and enjoys teaching. She also takes the time and energy to improve and make sure that we have a great learning experience. She took the time to meet with each student individually outside of class in a more comfortable setting to understand the challenges her students have and she applied individual approach to each student and I could tell it was very effective. This course with her was incredibly valuable. I was not very confident in my oral and written presentation and communication skills before the course, but now I feel a lot more confident in my ability to present and communicate in all aspects of my personal and professional life. I believe that this was possible thanks to the daily/weekly communication tips and instructions that the professor went over every day/week. I would highly recommend this instructor. Specifically, I appreciated her ability to maintain the progression of a discussion over the course of a class, while never devaluing a comment made by a student. In terms of communication instruction, I was thoroughly appreciative of Tanja’s helpfulness and openness during one-on-one meetings. Throughout the course, her very specific constructive criticism on presenting pushed me to rethink and revise my presentation style. I continue to use what she taught us as reference points at my job."

EHLS Scholar, 2015

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"Prof Tanja was my English language instructor during my first semester at JHU SAIS. As a non-native speaker, I found her lessons really helpful for me to get through the hardness of learning at one of the most esteemed International Affairs schools. One of the things that I improved the most under Prof Tanja was my presentation skills. She taught me how to being logical and concise at the same time. I was truly fortunate to meet Prof Tanja. Thank you Prof!"

Siyang Chen

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"Prof Tanja is definitely in the top of the best teachers I have had in my educational journey. She taught me a Professional Oral Communication, a subject matter focussed public speaking course, at Georgetown University in 2019. Professor Szabo is competent, professional, resourceful, has versatile teaching abilities, and fun. Although her main job was teaching the class public speaking techniques, she goes in length to teach you English language, American history, American culture, etc., to put her points in contexts, when necessary, since English language is not my first language. She sent me additional resources to help with my studies. She gave me excellent feedback on my assignments and followed-up to ensure I understood the subject. In short, I strongly recommend Professor Szabo, to any serious student who wants 'Best Bang for Your Buck.'"

EHLS Scholar, 2019

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"I took English speaking classes at SAIS with Prof. Szabo. She always arranged cool topics for us to discuss. The topics ranged from politics, the core curriculum at our school, to daily life, which gave us opportunities to get in touch with American culture and slang. Prof. Szabo is a very responsible and funny professor. Highly recommended!"

SAIS Student

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“Tanja taught me at SAIS in 2014 and she was the best English tutor I have had! Her course structure is well planned and tailored into the participants’ need. Her teaching style is casual and friendly that encourages in-class discussion and participation. I enjoyed her teaching and hope you find it so too, if not more!” 

Lina Yu 

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"I met Tanja when I was pursuing my M.A. degree at Washington, D.C. in 2016. In my previous undergraduate studies, I had learned English mainly from daily dialogues without systematic training and thus didn’t (and was unable to) pay attention to grammar when I was talking. Her classes helped teach me how to talk accurately without damaging the fluency. I really changed my talking habits and styles after taking the course. I appreciate her help and believe you can also improve your English through her classes!"

Yujin Zhang

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"Prof Tanja has an unflinching desire to push her students to become better communicators, better job seekers, and better human beings above all. That was my impression when she taught me oral communications at Georgetown University in 2018. We had many fruitful one on one discussions about communications and finding jobs, but what I remember most was that one session when she illustrated how the English tenses work. Many non-native English users struggle with tenses, especially while speaking. Despite having been a fluent English speaker for most of my adult life, I still make tense mistakes in my speaking. Ms. Tanja seized on that tell-tale sign and sought to make me sound like a true native English speaker. Realizing that I’m a visual learner, she drew a diagram to explain the sequence of these tenses that I had never seen in all my years learning English. This is only one small example of her approach that is straight-forward, no-nonsense, but tailored to every student. As our studies intensified, she took time to teach our class meditation. She helped us solve the root of the problem, not just the surface symptoms – we all needed a calm mind to handle the chaotic and overwhelming workload. She cares for her students deeply as individuals, and gives what she has completely. I credit my success in finding a job immediately upon graduation from Georgetown to my dedicated professors there, Ms. Tanja being the most helpful. I wish I could spend more time in her class because she is truly a spring of knowledge."

Wei Smith

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"In 2018, I was privileged with Tanja's exceptional class of Professional Oral Communication as a part of a special government program at Georgetown University; a class that analysts, executives, and spokespersons would greatly benefit from. In addition to providing meticulously chosen study materials, Tanja patiently trained us on how to effectively listen, handle conflicts, conduct meetings, present analysis, win negotiations, debate, and professionally communicate. For six months, Tanja generously and professionally helped all students to grow their communication awareness, skills, and agility. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity with a one in million instructor." 

EHLS Scholar, 2018

 

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"I was very lucky to have had an instructor like Tanja during the EHLS 2020 program. She is an excellent Career Skills Development expert!! She always gave additional resources and feedback to students. She made sure we are not only speaking English, but also speaking correct English. During the intensive program, she also encouraged me in many ways to make sure I was mentally and physically ready for all the work. Tanja also teaches very effectively and makes learning a joy!! I would highly recommend her teaching skills and style!! Best instructor ever!!!"

EHLS 2020 Scholar

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"I met Tanja in January 2018 when I entered English for Heritage Language Speakers program at Georgetown University. EHLS offers a unique opportunity to U.S. citizens who are native speakers of critical languages. As scholars, they undergo intensive training in professional communication and career skills essential for working in the government. For 8 months we saw each other almost every day. Tanja was my instructor for Professional Oral Communications. I'm not a native English speaker and my goal was to bring my spoken English up to the ILR3 level which is a professional working proficiency. I succeeded largely thanks to Tanja and her patience and dedication to preparing me and her 17 other students for careers in the federal government. I still remember our group and individual sessions, presentations and symposia, and our informal chats about life. Tanja is a very responsible and goal oriented person, a Professional with a capital "P" (as we say in Russian). Thanks to Tanja, I significantly improved my spoken English, learned how to make presentations and negotiate, and ended up getting a good job in the federal government. If you want to succeed like I did, learn English with Tanja!" 

Viachislau Bortnik