As we all know, there are top 25, 50 or 100 lists for almost everything. As we all also know, it seems that whenever something awful happens, be it large or small, man-made or natural, there are always some folks lying in wait to take advantage of people when they are down and at their most vulnerable.
Dave OptonPosted by Jon
04/26 @ 12:16 PM
04/26 @ 12:16 PM
I noticed that ResumeNotRequired has a less than favorably BBB rating.
It seems that they've also been recently sued by a previous client and lost in Fairfax County General District Court.
For an company within an industry that relies heavily on reputation theirs seems to be concerning.
It seems that they've also been recently sued by a previous client and lost in Fairfax County General District Court.
For an company within an industry that relies heavily on reputation theirs seems to be concerning.
Posted by Vincent Dabney
04/26 @ 10:27 AM
04/26 @ 10:27 AM
Hello Debra:
Thanks for the feedback, and I could not agree more that seeking the appropriate resource for finding a job starts with the applicant knowing and understanding her/his needs based on a thorough self-assessment, market assessment and career strategy. My question has more to do with how one who is armed with a clear, informed set of career objectives, differentiates the talented career management service providers from the unremarkable performers. My brief exploration in this industry has identified some troubling gaps between quality of service and needs of applicants.
Thanks for the feedback, and I could not agree more that seeking the appropriate resource for finding a job starts with the applicant knowing and understanding her/his needs based on a thorough self-assessment, market assessment and career strategy. My question has more to do with how one who is armed with a clear, informed set of career objectives, differentiates the talented career management service providers from the unremarkable performers. My brief exploration in this industry has identified some troubling gaps between quality of service and needs of applicants.
Posted by Debra Feldman
04/26 @ 10:17 AM
04/26 @ 10:17 AM
Vincent-
You have asked a very important question but, have you also prepared yourself by identifying what you expect from a job search expert and specifically what your needs are and where you need assistance? Not every firm offering services provides the same level of experience, the same amount of personalized attention, the same quality of practitioners or has the same approach to campaign management. Investment also varies widely, as does guaranteed deliverables and access to connections, professional references, and talent and skills. Are you planning to search on a global, national, regional or local basis? Are you seeking to change industries, begin a new role, switch careers or re-enter within the same sub-industry sector? How much job search knowledge do you have now? What is your career track record? Do your credentials match your employment goal? Will this require some finesse or is it a pretty straight forward situation? My motto is if a seasoned executive is not a perfect match ( for typical positions,) then they are the ideal JobWhiz client.
For example, if you are seeking one-on-one attention that is not offered universally. If you are looking to distribute your resume or get a better resume, that's one level of service. If you need direction about where to get started or who your target employer market should be, that's another important consideration. Have you anticipated where you may encounter potential barriers and how you are going to remove such roadblocks that may threaten your ability to land the position you want? Are you up to date on social media and online reputation management techniques? Are you already familiar with the job market sector you are targeting so that you can guide your consultant or do you need help in determining where to focus your search. How strong are your marketing and presentation skills? When was the last time you were in the "hot seat" and being interviewed vs orchestrating the dialogue? Bottom line: do you know what you need to know or do you need to start by defining the scope and complexity of your project?
To summarize: I don't know if you can identify exceptional professionals until you can specify where they need to excel in order to complement your abilities and satisfy your needs.
Debra Feldman, JobWhiz.com, Executive Talent Agent
You have asked a very important question but, have you also prepared yourself by identifying what you expect from a job search expert and specifically what your needs are and where you need assistance? Not every firm offering services provides the same level of experience, the same amount of personalized attention, the same quality of practitioners or has the same approach to campaign management. Investment also varies widely, as does guaranteed deliverables and access to connections, professional references, and talent and skills. Are you planning to search on a global, national, regional or local basis? Are you seeking to change industries, begin a new role, switch careers or re-enter within the same sub-industry sector? How much job search knowledge do you have now? What is your career track record? Do your credentials match your employment goal? Will this require some finesse or is it a pretty straight forward situation? My motto is if a seasoned executive is not a perfect match ( for typical positions,) then they are the ideal JobWhiz client.
For example, if you are seeking one-on-one attention that is not offered universally. If you are looking to distribute your resume or get a better resume, that's one level of service. If you need direction about where to get started or who your target employer market should be, that's another important consideration. Have you anticipated where you may encounter potential barriers and how you are going to remove such roadblocks that may threaten your ability to land the position you want? Are you up to date on social media and online reputation management techniques? Are you already familiar with the job market sector you are targeting so that you can guide your consultant or do you need help in determining where to focus your search. How strong are your marketing and presentation skills? When was the last time you were in the "hot seat" and being interviewed vs orchestrating the dialogue? Bottom line: do you know what you need to know or do you need to start by defining the scope and complexity of your project?
To summarize: I don't know if you can identify exceptional professionals until you can specify where they need to excel in order to complement your abilities and satisfy your needs.
Debra Feldman, JobWhiz.com, Executive Talent Agent
Posted by Vincent Dabney
04/26 @ 08:30 AM
04/26 @ 08:30 AM
Hello Dave:
This article is very timely as I am currently transitioning from consulting and an educational sabbatical to full-time employment. My questions and concerns have less to do with identifying the career management scam and more bout differentiating the unremarkable, but nevertheless legitimate service providers from the exceptional performers. All firms claim to be exceptional, but 23 years of executive experience across many industries tells me a different story.
What advice do you have for the executive that is very discriminating and looking for high-performing organizations?
This article is very timely as I am currently transitioning from consulting and an educational sabbatical to full-time employment. My questions and concerns have less to do with identifying the career management scam and more bout differentiating the unremarkable, but nevertheless legitimate service providers from the exceptional performers. All firms claim to be exceptional, but 23 years of executive experience across many industries tells me a different story.
What advice do you have for the executive that is very discriminating and looking for high-performing organizations?
Posted by Debra Feldman, JobWhiz. Executive Talent Agent
02/22 @ 10:45 AM
02/22 @ 10:45 AM
Looks like a few words got dropped from my post. Contact me anytime if you have questions.
Debra Feldman
Debra Feldman
Posted by Debra Feldman, JobWhiz. Executive Talent Agent
02/22 @ 10:42 AM
02/22 @ 10:42 AM
I took a quick look at the Resume Not Required website. Strangely, it has a copyright 2001. The site layout is the same as at least one other competitor company of which I am aware.. A typical business practice is for these firms to use multiple URLs to capture and make contact with prospective, unsuspecting, often desperate job seekers. Here's one caveat worth remembering if you are still seduced by promises that should sound too good to be true to you, be suspicious of a company does not clearly show the names of principals and staff or if you cannot easily determine who owns and manages the company. Making themselves anonymous seems to be a common practice among unscrupulous these job search firms precisely because they are constantly reinventing themselves under a new name to escape their horrible reputations, poor BBB ratings and bad press. Be sure to get to know not the sales contact but the individual or individuals who will be your agents, helping you write your marketing documents, conducting research, and performing the services for which you are paying the company. A company is only as good as those delivering the services; these firms are notorious for burying their true identity so that you will not unearth their sordid pasts.
Posted by Anela
02/21 @ 05:43 PM
02/21 @ 05:43 PM
BASIC INTEREST: Property/Facilities Management and Construction.
Posted by Bob
12/15 @ 08:04 PM
12/15 @ 08:04 PM
Mary,
I was scammed by ResumeNotRequired (RNR). Thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours wasted. I guess my desire for a career change allowed me to be naive, trusting them and their contract.
Horrible experience
I was scammed by ResumeNotRequired (RNR). Thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours wasted. I guess my desire for a career change allowed me to be naive, trusting them and their contract.
Horrible experience
Posted by Bob
12/15 @ 08:01 PM
12/15 @ 08:01 PM
Mary,
Unfortunately, I was scammed by ResumeNotRequired (RNR). I guess I was so desperate I became naive and trusted them and trusted their contract.
Horrible experience.
Unfortunately, I was scammed by ResumeNotRequired (RNR). I guess I was so desperate I became naive and trusted them and trusted their contract.
Horrible experience.
Posted by PastEmployee
11/10 @ 04:45 PM
11/10 @ 04:45 PM
As a former employee of Advanced Career Technologies aka: ITS, Americas Job Network, Mckenzie Scott I would like to plead with any and all prospective clients or employees to reconsider doing business with them or any other name they decide to change the company to in the future. Having been behind the scenes I saw first hand the way they do business. Having potential employees take money out of their own pocket to start working with an extremely high turnover rate to never be reimbursed is very unethical in my eyes. But that's just where it starts. Clients pay out hundreds if not thousands of dollars of money they in many cases cannot afford in the hopes this company will find them a new position. This doesn't happen for most clients. They end up in the same place they started in: Unemployed. The only difference being now they are in a very hard financial situation usually due to depleting savings, assets 401k's and credit cards to pay for this service. Within the recruiting department There are unethical practices in place such as discrimination and asking questions to prospective employees that are illegal. I was told when being hired as a recruiter that the sales force was given "hot leads". This was supposedly people that had responded to an ad for the service and had filled out a questionnaire to see if they were a good fit for the service. Sounds great right? Come to find out they own over 200 domains and websites that advertise job postings related to all industries and job functions. These "hot leads" are people who believe they have applied for a job, not applied for a job placement service. The owner and his son both have a convincing story as to why the company has changed it's name due to a consultant telling them it was better to consolidate to make the services easier to understand for clients. But every time new complaints arise online and in the media the company changes it's name and corporate name. I beg of you to do your research as not all companies of this type are scams but i can tell you from first hand experience this company has no ethics from the ground up and still to this day operates illegally when it comes to hiring practices.
Posted by Dave Opton
05/27 @ 08:36 AM
05/27 @ 08:36 AM
Michael,
Certainly you should not be "paying" someone to get you a job. No one gets anyone a job other than you.
That said, there are plenty of very legitimate services that can be and are of great help in preparing someone for a successful job search and coaching them through the process.
The issue, of course, is to know how to separate the legitimate individuals/firms from those that are simply out to get you to write the biggest check they can.
The ease with which the Internet makes it possible to communicate simply compounds the problem.
Certainly you should not be "paying" someone to get you a job. No one gets anyone a job other than you.
That said, there are plenty of very legitimate services that can be and are of great help in preparing someone for a successful job search and coaching them through the process.
The issue, of course, is to know how to separate the legitimate individuals/firms from those that are simply out to get you to write the biggest check they can.
The ease with which the Internet makes it possible to communicate simply compounds the problem.
Posted by Michael Repoli
05/26 @ 08:04 PM
05/26 @ 08:04 PM
I am a CPA delaying retirement because of permanent damage to my retirement savings.
Because I have my resume on the internet I get emails and telephone calls each week.
Most are people trying to sell me their services to get me a job. I have clearly stated to these folks I am NOT going to pay anyone a fee to get me a job. The employer should pay the fee or advertise on their own, not using an agency.
The latest thing I am seeing is people writing to me telling me they can help and there is NO FEE. The gimmick??? They want to sell me a franchise.
Also, there is one particular job in the West Palm Beach area which is a one year contract for someone with substantial tax experience which is paying only $35 hr. Apparently they are not getting qualified applicants because I seem to get a call every two or three weeks from two or three of the same companies, one of which is "Radiant" I believe. These folks are probably using a US number and calling from India,because they all have the same accent. If they knew anything about HR or the accounting profession and they have seen my resume they should not have to be rocket scientists to realize someone who is a former managing partner of a public accounting firm is not going to work for $50k or $75k yet they continue to call.
Because I have my resume on the internet I get emails and telephone calls each week.
Most are people trying to sell me their services to get me a job. I have clearly stated to these folks I am NOT going to pay anyone a fee to get me a job. The employer should pay the fee or advertise on their own, not using an agency.
The latest thing I am seeing is people writing to me telling me they can help and there is NO FEE. The gimmick??? They want to sell me a franchise.
Also, there is one particular job in the West Palm Beach area which is a one year contract for someone with substantial tax experience which is paying only $35 hr. Apparently they are not getting qualified applicants because I seem to get a call every two or three weeks from two or three of the same companies, one of which is "Radiant" I believe. These folks are probably using a US number and calling from India,because they all have the same accent. If they knew anything about HR or the accounting profession and they have seen my resume they should not have to be rocket scientists to realize someone who is a former managing partner of a public accounting firm is not going to work for $50k or $75k yet they continue to call.
Posted by Steareemarp
05/26 @ 06:23 AM
05/26 @ 06:23 AM
Hello. What better http://google.com or http://yahoo.com ?
Posted by John
04/24 @ 01:39 PM
04/24 @ 01:39 PM
I wanted to find out the scoop on AMC Tampa executive recruiters.
Thanks,
John
Thanks,
John
Posted by Dave Opton
01/31 @ 01:27 PM
01/31 @ 01:27 PM
Paul,
I could not agree more.
I could not agree more.
Posted by Paul M. Mathews
01/31 @ 12:53 PM
01/31 @ 12:53 PM
As a career coach and passionate about transition, the economy and the stress of unemployment, I am very sensitive to the bottom dwelling scammers with "too good to be true" promises during a "time share" sales process. They are damaging our industries, outplacement and career coaching. We need to get back to a world of under-promising and over-delivery and restore a reputation of an industry created by people who wanted to help people under stressful situations because we are great at it. Paul M. Mathews-Hire Aspirations-The Birch Group
Posted by Dave Opton
12/07 @ 08:45 PM
12/07 @ 08:45 PM
Fred,
Appreciate your posting the survey results from your LI group, from the discusssions that our members have on the same subject, I would guess their results would be at least as high if not higher.
Part of the issue that an organization such as ours which is neither a career marketing firm or a job board, but rather a 22 year old private career and business network for senior level executives is that somemtimes people who do not know us simply make an assumption as to what we're about. It's frustrating sometimes.
If you feel it would be helpful to either yourself and/or anyone else in the LI group that took the survey, I would be more than happy to lead whoever would like to join me on a tour of ExecuNet so that they could really understand that not only are we not in the same arena as the types of firms I was trying to warn readers about, but indeed we have worked for years to help people avoid falling prey to them.
Feel free to contact me if you or anyone else in the group would like to take me up on my tour offer.
Appreciate your posting the survey results from your LI group, from the discusssions that our members have on the same subject, I would guess their results would be at least as high if not higher.
Part of the issue that an organization such as ours which is neither a career marketing firm or a job board, but rather a 22 year old private career and business network for senior level executives is that somemtimes people who do not know us simply make an assumption as to what we're about. It's frustrating sometimes.
If you feel it would be helpful to either yourself and/or anyone else in the LI group that took the survey, I would be more than happy to lead whoever would like to join me on a tour of ExecuNet so that they could really understand that not only are we not in the same arena as the types of firms I was trying to warn readers about, but indeed we have worked for years to help people avoid falling prey to them.
Feel free to contact me if you or anyone else in the group would like to take me up on my tour offer.
Posted by Michael Repoli
12/07 @ 01:38 PM
12/07 @ 01:38 PM
I want to commend you for the great discussion on placement firms and career coaches. I recently was approached by a recruiter first asking if I was interested in a Tax Director position in DC paying $500k. I informed them I didn't want to live in DC and wanted to stay in the south - so they came back to me with a position for $300k in South Florida. I asked if the employer paid the fee and I was told yes, but since then have not heard from them. Coincidence? I think not. I told them for the money they were talking about in salary, they could find a tax attorney with more credentials than I have. (I am a CPA with heavy tax experience but cannot command $300k or $500k). Seems to me I was being baited.
Posted by Fred Held
12/06 @ 02:58 PM
12/06 @ 02:58 PM
Guess what, I can do the 99% on lindedin.com and in fact have. I have done it for friends of mine. when you have 1100 contacts some one you know works at the target company.
YES I CAN. I am proud to share that I have a 99% success rate making the connections for clients with targeted decision makers which they designate; contacts, not offers or placements, are my guaranteed deliverable.
So you are saying that each jobwiz client 100 out of 100 has found a job while working with you. That is truly outstanding and unusual. Keep up the great work. I believe you. Know one ever lies on line.
Every JobWhiz client has landed as a result of our joint efforts. I am happy to introduce individuals evaluating my services to a client reference.
YES I CAN. I am proud to share that I have a 99% success rate making the connections for clients with targeted decision makers which they designate; contacts, not offers or placements, are my guaranteed deliverable.
So you are saying that each jobwiz client 100 out of 100 has found a job while working with you. That is truly outstanding and unusual. Keep up the great work. I believe you. Know one ever lies on line.
Every JobWhiz client has landed as a result of our joint efforts. I am happy to introduce individuals evaluating my services to a client reference.
Posted by Scott Overholt
12/06 @ 12:05 PM
12/06 @ 12:05 PM
To Debra and others like her, I do not consider you on the list of scam artists, even though your client pays your fees. The first sign of a scam artist is THEY call YOU. My wife recently absolutely needed a coach because she had not been in the job market for ten years, her resume was three levels too junior for her current position, she had neglected her network, and was flailing away at the online job sites all day. She needed the proper focus, and we agreed to and paid a flat fee for defined services from a person I have known for years. We were happy with yes2yes, the service we used (this is not an advertisement for yes2yes, and the site admin can delete the reference if appropriate). But there is a client reference. The coach didn't promise a job. the coach only promised to make my wife the best job searcher she could be, making the best of what she had to work with. If you expect more, folks, buyer beware.
Posted by Debra Feldman, JobWhiz, Executive Talent Agent
12/06 @ 11:52 AM
12/06 @ 11:52 AM
On the other hand I have never seen one such company that can say "we have worked with 100 people and 80 of them are happily employed" Can you?
YES I CAN. I am proud to share that I have a 99% success rate making the connections for clients with targeted decision makers which they designate; contacts, not offers or placements, are my guaranteed deliverable. Every JobWhiz client has landed as a result of our joint efforts. I am happy to introduce individuals evaluating my services to a client reference.
YES I CAN. I am proud to share that I have a 99% success rate making the connections for clients with targeted decision makers which they designate; contacts, not offers or placements, are my guaranteed deliverable. Every JobWhiz client has landed as a result of our joint efforts. I am happy to introduce individuals evaluating my services to a client reference.
Posted by Fred Held
12/06 @ 09:57 AM
12/06 @ 09:57 AM
Recently a group in LI conducted a survey of its members. The survey asked how effective were Career companies such as your. Over 50 people answered with NO ONE POSITIVE ANSWER. Not only were the answers negative there was some passion and emotion behind the answers.
On the other hand I have never seen one such company that can say "we have worked with 100 people and 80 of them are happily employed" Can you?l
On the other hand I have never seen one such company that can say "we have worked with 100 people and 80 of them are happily employed" Can you?l
Posted by Victor Parrott
11/23 @ 01:51 AM
11/23 @ 01:51 AM
I filled out the SET marketing questionnaire. When I spoke with an agent about SET and what it stood for, he said it was used for marketing and wasn't an acronym. The sent me a hardbound book (2010 Edition!) by Robert J. Gerberg, The Professional Job Changing System.
They wanted $3,500 and it could take up to 20 weeks with their "plan." It was a risky decision,do I skip paying rent and hope I land a job in the next two weeks or do I keep doing what I've been doing?
I opted to pay my rent but I'm still unemployed.
They wanted $3,500 and it could take up to 20 weeks with their "plan." It was a risky decision,do I skip paying rent and hope I land a job in the next two weeks or do I keep doing what I've been doing?
I opted to pay my rent but I'm still unemployed.
Posted by Alex Sokolik
11/22 @ 01:49 PM
11/22 @ 01:49 PM
Dave:
As a former Land Development /Acquisitions exec,I am finding it very difficult to get past HR for Siting /Acquisiitons for Wind /Solar Firms.
May I attache a resume?
Kindest regards,
Alex Sokolik
As a former Land Development /Acquisitions exec,I am finding it very difficult to get past HR for Siting /Acquisiitons for Wind /Solar Firms.
May I attache a resume?
Kindest regards,
Alex Sokolik
Posted by Alan Booth
11/22 @ 12:03 PM
11/22 @ 12:03 PM
I am NOT a career coach in any form but an experienced job transition person who has changed careers 4 times through networking; i,.e. connecting to key people for advice on both me and how my way of thinking/experiences might lead me to XXX profession. Those people I have engaged are the absolutely best people that helped me in my search for new assignments. Now as an executive coach, people who connect with me for regarding referrals to a career coach tell me what they are really looking for is [1] someone to hold them accountable for maintaining a high energy search and [2] the emotional support to help in maintianing a sense of self worth and motivation.
Lessons learned from and about six-figure leadership and executive career management
