Congratulations to Krista Pickens, our latest Success Story! Krista was promoted to Manager, Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action/ADA-Section 504 Coordinator at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Krista's job duties include the following:  I am the case manager for all EO investigations, mediations/negotiations, and external responses and the Affirmative Action program.  I oversee all ADA Accommodation Requests and access complaints throughout the University system.  Additionally, I conduct presentations throughout campus, educating staff, faculty, and students about discrimination, sex harassment, the ADA and other University policies.  Finally, I am part of the University's leadership team, so I am learning about management, goals, resource management, etc.     Krista, what was your employment situation prior to finding your new job?  I was the EO/AA Investigator for the University. Which skills from your prior positions helped you apply for and obtain your new position?   Research. How did you find out about your new position; and how long had you been looking for a position?  I wasn't looking - our manager moved to another position and the opportunity became available. Are there any specific job search strategies you would like to recommend to others?  Research the position and its specific needs; and, then, visualize how you would fit into that.  I think it allowed me to relax "a bit" and project my vision - of me in the job - to the panel during my interviews. Krista, could you describe how your AIPS schooling impacted your ability to find this new position?  I really believe I would not have secured my original position at the University, let alone the promotion, without the writing skills or the confidence I developed during the paralegal course.  I have used the IRAC method for every competitive writing test I have taken and in every report and recommendation or response that I have written, and it has made the finished product easy to follow and logical.  Plus, having a team (thank you, all AIPS staff and faculty) giving such helpful and supportive feedback, not to mention the occasional "cheerleading," really helps the confidence.  Think:  "Stephanie (Brodin) said I can do it - so I can!" Krista, do you have any other words of wisdom for us?  Just to keep moving forward and improving, so that if opportunity presents itself, you are ready to seize it.  And gratefulness!  I cannot believe the difference in my own energy when I try to find and focus on the positive aspects of challenges vs. the negative side - not always easy, but "so worth" the effort!     You are truly an inspiration, Krista!!  Thank you for sharing your story, and for allowing us to share it with everyone else!