By Maggie Biunno

Between the hours of 5 and 6 a.m., the shrill sound of the alarm abruptly wakes individuals around the world from their slumber. The workday has begun.

The usual morning schedule includes brushing teeth, showering (or skipping it) and finding an appropriate outfit to wear. Then its off to the car, bus or train to the office. One might imagine that working at home would entail snuggling with the down comforter until 11 a.m. and then lazily spending another hour watching TV. For Dawn Rosenberg McKay, class of 1988, it is very much the opposite.

“You [think you] get to work in a bathrobe and fuzzy slippers,” she says. “But I don’t do that. You need a system.”

McKay’s home wasn’t always her workplace-but now as part-time stay-at-home-mom and a freelancer for About.com, her office is found right inside her house in Port Washington.

How did McKay end up where she is today-after graduating from the University with a degree in marketing? Simple…if you follow very carefully.

Her first job was with a small advertising firm where she stuck around for only a year, explaining that the company had a lack of creativity. McKay decided to go back to school and earned a Masters in library sciences from Queens College. She worked for nearly ten years for Paine Webber Investment Bank (currently UBS) but a business library just wasn’t her perfect match.

After joining the team at the Hempstead Public Library, McKay found herself at home amongst the Job Information Center. In 1999, she received certification at the University to be a Career Development Facilitator. She even started her own research company. And the rest is history!

An expert on careers, McKay helps individuals find their passion-urging them to be flexible towards opportunities that may come their way. A typical day’s schedule as a guide in the About.com world involves checking e-mails for her two domains-Long Island (under the Cities and Towns channel) and Career Planning (for Career and Jobs)-and then writing blog posts, articles and compiling weekly newsletters for members.

“She writes in a very friendly and personal style while still being professional-something not everyone can master,” says Elissa Vallano, associate editor for the Towns and Cities channel, where McKay is a guide for Long Island, covering local eateries, events, education, government, recreation and more.

McKay’s writing style landed her two book deals and adding “author” to her résumé for The Everything Practice Interview Book and The Everything Get-A-Job Book. The Interview Book dives deep into the root of any and everything you could be asked on an interview-covering what you would do if you were hired, your work history and even what questions might be illegal for an interviewer to ask. Get-A-Job can help with fine tuning your résumé, but also more tricky concepts such as how to score a job over an interview held at a restaurant.

Her writing on the Web and in her books will help you find a solution to those nagging questions you’ve kept bundled up inside when it is finally time to face them…and find a job. But for something more specific, McKay is always within reach with a few strokes of the keyboard and a final click of the mouse.

You can contact McKay through her sites at CareerPlanning.About.com or LongIsland.About.com.

Dawn Rosenberg McKay (about.com)