About the Author

Dr. Charles Michael Austin (or “Dr. Chaz,” as he is known) counsels private clients and serves as a mentor and college professor specializing in career development. He has taught business and communication courses at institutions of higher learning in southern California since 1998, including the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Phillips Graduate Institute, The Art Institute–Hollywood and Los Angeles, Glendale Community College, Chapman University, and Loyola Marymount University.

Dr. Austin served as Career Resource Specialist for business students and alumni at Woodbury University in Burbank, MBA Career Development and Employer Relations Manager at Pepperdine University's School of Business and Management, and Director of Placement at Video Symphony in Burbank. He currently serves as Director of Career Development at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA, where he supervises the career development staff as well as creating, developing, and teaching career development courses. He has presented papers on the subject of career development to the National Association of Women MBAs, the Association for Business Communication, the National Council for Workforce Education, the Society of Educators and Scholars, and the International College Teaching and Learning Conference.

Dr. Austin holds a B.A. in Sociology from The City College of New York, an M.A. in Broadcast Communication Arts from San Francisco State University, and a doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University.