LATEST PLACEMENTS

When a client is placed, we prepare a few case notes and are happy to share these with you. In spite of the continuing recession, our clients are receiving offers and are being placed regularly. After reading the placement notes below, you may wish to view our client videos and see clients speaking about us and how we helped them accomplish their goals. As you would expect, specific company names have been removed.

Jeff M. - - Ideal Job - "Gun Shy" But Beats Out Internal Candidate - No Relo

Here is a note from Barbara Limmer, Jeff’s Campaign Director. “I'm thrilled to report that Jeff has accepted the position of IT Manager for XXXX near his home. Jeff is a very nice guy, but admitted he was a bit "gun-shy" about interviewing after having a bad experience previously.

He had a sensitive issue surrounding his departure from a previous position and he needed help. He concerns were in answering the interview question of why he left and how to sell himself in general.  He was seeking a position outside of consulting, which was what he was doing when he became our client. He also was just plain tired of the extensive weekly travel that kept him away from his family.  He had two main goals:  1) To get back into the mainstream of IT where he can head up IT Services, and 2) to be able to live in his home town with his wife and children.

As we began to develop his job search strategy planning it was clear he had several impressive successes. We also began to focus on how he could “sell” the added value he brought to the table and how to display confidence, while retaining his southern charm and likability.  Jeff chose to go through the Phoenix Experience in order to enhance and solidify is presentation skills.

During this process, we introduced him to behavioral competency interviewing, something with which he had no experience with and he knew nothing about. During his Phoenix Experience, we engaged him in several practice sessions, including one with our nationally known Behavioral Interviewing expert, Ron Venckus. We also put him through a tough panel interview.

The Phoenix Experience affects many people in many ways but all agree that they are learning new concepts and ideas to which they had never been exposed. It is a tough and intense time for any candidate. In his own words, he said that he felt he had "failed" in Phoenix. But, he realized as a result of these sessions what he really needed to work on. He continued to practice his answers long after his visit to Phoenix using the DVD recordings of his entire visit with staff feedback.

When the time came for "real" interviews, he was not only familiar and comfortable with this interview style but after a full day of XXXX interviews, he was told out of all of the candidates interviewed, including an internal candidate, he was the best prepared.  Jeff told me that none of the questions that came at him surprised him. He knew he was ready with his "inventory" of stories. He also "closed" the interview as we had coached him.

During his search, we also worked on networking strategies and tactics, which really paid off. He saw a position on a major job board. He knew a good friend of his, a former plant manager at the company, might be able to help him get “inside” the process. Within days he had a phone interview with HR, then the hiring manager, and then a full day of interviews on-site. He ended up beating the internal candidate for this position.

His new position brings him back to doing the kind of IT work he loves and, he now gets to live in the same city with his family. Both of his search goals were achieved. Jeff said, “I firmly believe that if it were not for the training I received from you (SC&C), both the education as well as the actual practice, that I would not have gotten this job.” 

Gene B. - Left Corporate World - 9-Yrs. Small Business Owner - Back In Corporate World After 6 Interviews

Here is a note from Jo Ann Moser about Gene’s journey which 10 months ago. He said that his goal was to either land a new position in his home area in or relocate his family to Florida, in order to be closer to his aging mother.

He enjoyed an exceptional career with a world-wide aircraft engine manufacturer. However, he wanted to try his hand at running a small business and so in 2002, he purchased one. It went well until the recession hit. Like many small business owners, his firm could not sustain the sales required to weather the larger economic storm.

It was then that Gene decided to return to the corporate world. His concern was that his skills would no longer be desired, having been out of the corporate environment for nearly nine years. As part of our overall focus, we spent a considerable amount of time on interview practice and developed the stories required to communicate, not only added value, but on “building the bridges" between his business ownership and how those skills could transfer back to the larger companies and how his contributions could benefit them.

After a series of six interviews with a very large company in his targeted geography Gene has accepted a position as a transformational Leader overseeing Oracle implementation.  He is pleased with the package he was offered and the fact that he will not have to relocate his family. Also, he is delighted that he is back in the fold of a large corporation; a company that will be able to offer him lots of opportunities moving forward.

 

Frank P. - 2.5 Mo. Search - $200K Base - Bonuses: 10% Signing, 20% Performance

Here is a note from Barbara Limmer about her latest placement. " I'm pleased to report that the position Frank has accepted the position of VP of Development at XXXX, responsible for building sales in the Northeast. He accepted this position last month, but continued his interviews with another company in the Midwest.  After several meetings, he learned the Midwest position would  not be available until middle of next year, so he made the decision to accept the "the bird in the hand" offer from XXXX.

Frank came to us in after several leadership changes at his company led to the elimination of his position.  He was targeting the healthcare industry, and preferred to stay in the northeast.  His challenge was in articulating his achievements and success stories in a way that would have impact outside of his company.  We worked on using his SHARE stories in behavioral interviews, and he followed our Job Search Activity system.  Within two months, he had two very serious opportunities, and negotiated a serious offer closer to home."

TITLE: VP Of Development
COMP: $200K base, $10k signing bonus, 20% annual bonus, and commission plan targeted at $320 if he secures accounts in excess of company targets.

 

Juli C. - New Industry - 90-day Search - $150K Base - $20% Performance Bonus - 20% Guaranteed Bonus - $5K Signing Bonus

It is safe to say that Juli had a very happy holiday; because that's the day she accepted her offer as Director of Program Management and Process for XXXX. Juli came to us, having just been laid off two weeks prior as IT Director at YYYY.  She was concerned that she had only been with YYYY for 9 months when they had a 25% reduction in force and for family reasons she was unable to leave where she lived.  She was not interested in consulting due to the travel requirements, but wanted to find a position inside a company where she could be the #2 person to a CIO.

Together we worked on defining her selling points, articulating her achievements and success stories in a very specific and results-oriented way, and helping her to truly sell herself in interviews while allowing her engaging and enthusiastic personality to shine through to build "likeability." She feels strongly that her SC&C WebFolio was what got her in the door to the two companies she was actively interviewing with, one of which was XXXX -- an industry in which she had no experience.

We also worked on how to avoid answering "the compensation question" which frequently results in leaving money on the table, and also on "closing the interview," which she used in her XXXX interviews. Per her email to me after interviewing with two people: " I closed with the question..."What have I said today, or what is in my qualifications that would give you pause in bringing me in for this role?" The first guy thought about it and then said, "Wow, great question. I would have to say the only thing would be you don't have a lot of healthcare experience. But that's it, and it's not mandatory." The CIO said, "I'm glad you asked me that.....nothing. Nothing says not to bring you on."

The position they offered her ended up being a higher level than what they had originally defined, as she will now be reporting directly to the CIO instead of a Sr. Director. Goal accomplished! She utilized our negotiation strategies to add a signing bonus to her initial offer and to increase the bonus amounts.  When asked to what she attributes her success at getting this position, she said 1) the webfolio in getting her in the door, 2) being prepared in how to answer interview questions using SHARE stories and emphasizing results, using specifics instead of generalities, and 3) using our info on both handling the salary question during the interview and negotiating after she received the offer. Listen below to her recorded placement interview with Fred Coon, Chairman of SC&C.

 

Ted S. - 4.5 Mo. Search Time - No Relo Required - Multiple Interviews

Here is a note from Barbara Limmer, Ted's SC&C Campaign Director. "I'm pleased to announce that Ted has accepted the position of Director, Performance Improvement for (World Wide Organization) in their U.S. offices. He starts on Monday. Ted came to us with a specialty in Learning and Development, and also had a variety of industries in his background.  In fact, he described himself as an "industry agnostic."  He lives in Maryland, and would have considered moving, but with kids in high school, junior high, and a lousy housing market, he really preferred to stay local. His challenge was to learn how to better sell himself in his interviews.

We worked on defining his achievements and success stories so that they would show overall company benefit and value to his his functionional area, which some dismiss as "staff support, cost center, not directly impacting bottom line." We also worked on his interview skills, including selling his value through the SHARE model, which includes emphasizing behavioral competencies. 

According to Ted, the SC&C packaging did the job, because throughout his search he received many interview invitations; most of them were for out-of-state positions.  After only four months, he received an offer from an organization based in his area, so we discussed negotiation strategies and how to "buy time" because he was simultaneously in late stage interviews with a company in Atlanta.  I said that I would be thrilled to help him navigate through the "high class" problem of having two offers! Sure enough, he did receive the second offer and, after some negotiation, he accepted the local position.

He sent me an email this morning describing his new position and said this to me: "Barbara, thank you!!   I would not have had the success I did without your concerted efforts.  I really appreciated your special coaching and guidance and candid feedback during my mock interviews and your excellent suggestions immeasurably improved my interviewing and networking skills. 

I also want to thank the entire team for their expert and professional assistance. Once again, thank you all for the valuable service you provide. The results I experienced, despite the ongoing economic downturn, would not have been possible without your coaching and the excellent work of the SC&C Team!" 

 

Tom G. - Age 60+ - 15% More Than Initial Offer - No Relocation

Tom came to SCC to determine where his skills could be applied and how to communicate that value to a variety of new markets. He felt that his age was keeping him from landing positions within his primary industry and he was concerned that his termination from his prior employer would not be a hurdle he could overcome on his own.  

Through assessment of his background, his behavioral competencies, and the conditions behind his current situation, his coach, Bill Temple, built a communication strategy that highlighted his exceptional leadership and organizational skills in order to attract the necessary attention, both in written and oral communications. Bill provided Tom with insights on how people address “bad” news and how one can communicate around it through very open, positive communications.  

Understanding how to network more effectively, and use multiple marketing channels to get his message out to the right people, positioned Tom to arrange multiple interviews with key owners attending a national conference, several of which expanded into more specific interviews. The interview training he received made him a far better listener / communicator, and the negotiations help he received from Bill gave him the confidence to defer money issues until after an offer was on the table. 

Tom’s revitalized positive attitude, and proactive approach to the search landed him a terrific VP/GM position with a growth-oriented company in a geographic area close to family, at a pay rate in excess of his expectations (by nearly 15%) and a commitment by ownership to review and revise based on first-year performance numbers.

 

Steve M. - SC&C Alumni - $155K ($20K Over Offer) + 50% Increase In Comp

I received this note this morning from Steve about his latest employment situation. We have helped Steve move twice since he first becaame a client in 2005. His Campaign Director , George Stecyk, is referenced in his note to me.  

Fred: This morning I accepted the position of Director National Accounts for XXXX – George was very helpful in framing the interview process and helping me vet this opportunity versus other opportunities.  I successfully negotiated a base salary of $155,000 (up from $130k) a variable comp plan with a target of 25% and a potential of 50% (double) and I am able to do that from the great state of Indiana!

As always I appreciate the guidance – I feel much more solid with George and the SCC team behind me.  In the coming months I would like to use Michele and the placement team to refresh my resume and Webfolio and linked in profile to reflect my new role with a focus on sales and marketing and less emphasis on the service/operations piece of my career. Steve ....

At SC&C we work closely with all of our clients on their career direction, planning, branding and placement, as we will continue to do for Steve thougout his remaining career. Good Luck Steve!

Fred Coon
Chairman, CEO

Jim K. - New Industry - Signing Bonus - No Relo - 60% Performance Bonus

Here is a note from Barbara Limmer, Jim's Campaign Director about Jim's recent placement. "I happy to announce that Jim has accepted a position with XXXX. He will start as a Branch Manager and run one of their large divisional offices near his home. As part of his written agreement, he will assume the role of VP of their Western Division, within six months. 

Jim originally spoke with Oliver Cornell and they determined the best course of action for his search process. Jim came to us as a client after having been laid off from the company where he had worked for 13 years. In fact, it has been 30 years since he has had to look for a job. His unique combination of experience in both sales/business development and operations/distribution/logistics, plus an accounting degree and Six Sigma Green Belt certification made him an attractive candidate.  The challenge was in defining his value so that it wasn't "jack of all trades / master of none."

We worked on his achievements, success stories, in a way that truly showed the impact he had on his previous employers---millions of dollars in added revenue PLUS millions of dollars saved.  We worked on his ability to sell himself during interviews, differentiate between the "I" versus the "We" in his answers and how to "close" the interview to elicit offers.  We also trained him in our Job Search Activity system to ensure he was using best practices and using his job search time wisely. Finally we worked together when juggling both offers as well as developing a negotiation strategy that increased the initial offer by 6%.

This is a terrific position for Jim because it's a new industry and he's extremely excited about everything he'll get to learn.  This position also allows him to learn the "nuts and bolts" of this industry, before taking over as VP.  It should be noted that he accepted this position after turning down an offer from another company for which he wasn't nearly as excited. He is now in a new industry while still commanding a nice six-figure salary, a signing bonus, and a 60% performance bonus and will step into a general management role as a Divisional VP with a company that he's very excited about.

 

 

Charles D. - 6 Week Search - $165K + Bonus + $10K Signing Bonus - Goals Met

Here is a note from his SCC Campaign Director, Barbara Limmer. "Charles is placed. He was an Outplacement Services client sent to us for assistance, because we had placed five other senior managers and executives from that company within the last year.  

Charles came to us having departed his company, due to unique and sophisticated circumstances that required careful explanation. He was also was very concerned that for years he had put his heart into the development of that company and now, he wondered if there would ever be the chance to create that same type of growth and involvement.  

Charles had an immediate challenge. He needed an effective way to answer the "reason for leaving" interview question, and also assistance in articulating his successes in business, rather than legal terms.   We worked on defining his successes, both on his packaging as well as verbally in interviews, and the week following his Phoenix experience, he went on a whirlwind tour and had multiple sets of interviews with three different companies.

After only 6 weeks in our program, he completed highly successful negotiations and accepted a position that provides him with a better work/life balance than he previously had, at a base salary that is 10% higher than the maximum he was originally told was possible and is now a senior member of a growth driven company.  

He has achieved all of his search goals: a growth company, a chance to participate at senior management levels, a creative work environment and the company recognizes his unique skills and he is fully engaged in applying them at this writing. 

Title: Compliance Counsel
Comp: 165k + (up from original offer of $155k)
Other: $10k signing bonus
Location: East Coast

In his own words Charles says, "Barbara, I will ensure that my former HR VP who recommended SC&C and others are aware of the quality support and excellent service and assistance that I received from you and SCC."

A Follow Up Note From Charles After A Week At His New Job:
"Searching for a new senior level position is always a challenge. I was fortunate to have Barbara assigned to me as my Consulting Campaign Director from SC&C. She is extremely personable & knowledgeable, and more importantly, understands people and has that rare quality of making me feel as I am her most important client. She led me through the process and steps necessary to build my resume and portfolio, always quick to respond to my inquiries. She also quickly and thoroughly responded to my general questions about the recruiting process, as well as advised me on general situations that came up during this period. Her experience in the personnel/staffing/HR area is valuable.

When I traveled to Phoenix to go through my in-person interview and consulting support, Barbara made me feel comfortable, while she and the rest of the team efficiently and effectively took me through the assignments. I cannot say enough about how beneficial it has been to me to work with someone like Barbara. I highly recommend her, as well as SC&C."

 

 

Gary B. - Industry Change - Promotion - 2-Week Job Search - More Money

Gary began his SC&C journey in a conversation with Laura Gabel, Senior Executive Consultant with Stewart, Cooper & Coon. According to Laura, “Through our initial conversation Gary recognized that this was a critical move for him given his age and experience level. He wanted to leverage his background into the best possible position and he recognized that career management, with strong branding and marketing would be an important ticket for him to realize his goal of Plant manager in a tight market.  Our conversations centered on job satisfaction, advancement, a bump up in income and title. He was motivated and decisive, and ready to move ahead with a solid campaign.” 

Gary started his career in manufacturing as an Engineer, making good use of his BSME. The plant where he was assigned was closed, but Gary was lucky; he landed an Engineering and Design job with one of the top 5 engineering/manufacturing firms in America. During his 10 years there Gary achieved the position of Manufacturing Manager, earning his MBA along the way.

When his division was sold, he decided to not to relocate, but rather to feed his entrepreneurial spirit. Gary started what would become a successful landscape design business. After 13 years, and having satisfied his need to “go it alone,” Gary decided to re-enter the corporate world to develop his expertise in Lean Six Sigma. A Director opportunity in that discipline became available with a Fortune 100 company and Gary jumped on it. After only one year, he was promoted to Operations Manager.  

Life at a large government contracting manufacturer is tied to the mood and budgets in Washington DC.  Recognizing this, and believing he had learned as much as he could in his job, he felt the need to grab his career by the horns once again rather than wait for what seemed inevitable cuts that would affect his job. Gary was ready to elevate to the next level as a Plant Manager, ideally with P&L responsibility while driving continuous Improvement agendas. While he had done a fair job managing his career to that point, Gary realized making a change in a declining job market would require a different approach and maybe a little help.

As soon as Gary partnered with SC&C to help him achieve his objective, he began working with George Stecyk, his SC&C Campaign Director. Together they launched the process of branding and positioning by first establishing the value that Gary could bring to a prospective employer. This early effort in developing his successes and the ability to relate them in the form of compelling stories served him well.  We never know exactly when an opportunity will present itself during a campaign. In Gary’s case, this happened very early on, but the confidence he gained working with George made a difference. As he put it, George’s coaching “…really helped a lot in getting me to focus on how to communicate in the interview the value I could bring to the company. The reason they hired me was leadership, continuous improvement, and my operations management skill set, and my top 3 top core competencies.

Thanks again, George, for the help; you gave me a lot of confidence to go forward and accomplish this.” Because Gary believed in Career Management and recognized that in tough times some help would be needed to overcome the competition, he was successful in achieving his goal. We share in Gary’s appreciation of his success; well done.

But, the story does not end here. When a client engages SC&C, we make a commitment that extends beyond the placement date. We will continue to make our on line resources available and continue to updata and host Gary’s Resueme and WebFolio. Additionally, Gary will have the benefit of being able to consult with his Campaign Director at any time, as needed, for career advice in his new position, or to strategize his future career goals.

Greg D. - $120,000 + Bonus - 4.5 Month Search - Senior HR Position

Greg began his career in the food services industry, spending nine successful years there and eventually growing to the point of having his own restaurant. After a successful run, he sold his restaurant for a nice profit. Having managed people for 10 years, Greg wanted to pursue a career in Human Resources; he learned the value of finding and hiring talented and committed people.  After a successful entrée, Greg expanded his experience to include the hospitality, industrial supply and computer services industries, ultimately reaching the executive suite as Vice President for a Fortune 500 company. 

His company underwent a corporate merger resulting in Greg losing his job. With his background in HR, Greg felt he knew what employers were looking for in their candidates, so he felt pretty confident he could land a new job quickly.  After several months of “going it alone” Greg realized he would need to change his approach. Continuing to do what he had been doing only produced the same results, or lack thereof; his confidence was waning.  After several conversations with George Stecyk, Executive Career Consultant and Campaign Director with Stewart, Cooper & Coon, Greg decided enough was enough and he chose to engage SC&C to assist him in his job search. 

Most clients face the early stage of the campaign with some trepidation and impatience at wanting to get through “this stuff” and get into the market. Greg was no exception, but at the urging of his Campaign Director, he took the time necessary to provide the information needed to create a dynamite marketing presence; he realized how important this first phase was to the ultimate success of his campaign. 

Once his campaign “went live,” Greg had some early success in landing interviews, but no offers. George was careful to not let Greg get too high when the interviews came along, or get too low when they did not pan out. The job search can be an emotional roller coaster, and an even keel with a steady, consistent approach is needed to work a campaign.  It’s hard to be objective in this process, but that is what it takes, and the SC&C system really helps here. When clients follow the program outline and accept their Campaign Director’s guidance, good things happen. 

And after 4 ½ months of steady campaigning, good things did happen for Greg when he accepted a position as HR Director for the Eastern US with an international infrastructure and environmental consulting firm. The pay and benefits are great, and he didn’t have to relocate, something that was important to his family. As an added plus, Greg is in a new industry with a company that appears to have a very bright future. Greg said he owes a debt of gratitude to his Campaign Director for keeping him on track and continuing to encourage him when things didn’t look too promising; that made all the difference. 

Thanks Greg, but it’s you who made the difference in your own campaign and career.

 

 

Steve C. - Contract To Perm - $200K First Year - 2-Month Search Time

It is my pleasure to announce that Steve has accepted a position as Director, Sales & Marketing for XXXX, a young high speed Internet company, located on the east coast. He starts tomorrow.

This position will begin as a 90 day contract paying $15,000 monthly. The company will pay all temporary housing costs, transportation, car and per diem while living there, and they are open to another 90 days of coverage after the permanent position kicks in to allow him time to move his family from the Southwestern U.S. In addition, the owner of the company is open to a relocation package and anticipates that the company should be able to compensate Steve in excess of the $200,000 in year one, which was one of Steve's objectives.  

Steve began working with Jo Monaco, Senior SC&C Consultant, and presented a long history of experience in the telecom arena, but wanted to look outside that narrow industry focus. Steve and Joe developed a strategic plan of action and Steve became a client.

As Bill Temple began working with Steve to build up his marketing and branding materials and to prepare for campaign launch, Steve was identified through a LinkedIn search by the Marketing Director for XXXX. After some due diligence on their part, Steve was approached about looking into this position that had been filled unsuccessfully before by recruiters. After significant preparation for the interviews with his SC&C Coach (Bill) and after several weeks of interview discussions with the company, they offered a two step compensation plan. Steve and Bill worked on the timing, strategy and content of Steve’s counter offer and how to present his multiple counters to the company. In the end, the vast majority of things that Steve wanted and negotiated for were provided.  

During this interview process, Bill Temple introduced Steve to another client whose international experience in the Internet infrastructure business was significant and it appears that this relationship may blossom into some significant economic benefits for XXXX and the other company.  Now that Steve has accepted the position, we will continue to complete the worksheets, adding his new position to the pot, so that we can have his materials ready in the event that the 90-day contract period turns out to reveal a need to move on.

Brice S. - CEO - $300K Base - Proper Communication Strategy

Here is a note from Bill Temple, Brice’s’ SC&C Campaign Director.  “It is my pleasure to formally announce that Brice has accepted the position of CEO for XXXX, an American division of a European company. When Brice came to us, he said that it had been quite a while since he had had to market himself and that, coupled with tight economic conditions; he felt would prohibit him from achieving the full potential of the next level in his career.  

He wanted to develop a clear career focus. Up to the point he joined us, he was trying to be all things to all people, which was confusing his company targeting efforts and it was impeding his acceptance at the next level. He also wanted a better communication strategy and proper marketing tools to reinforced and enhance his positioning in his target markets. Most of all, Brice is the type of person that realized that securing professional help was appropriate. As he said, SC&C was the "most professional" help he could find. 

This opportunity came about as a result of being approached by a former competitor of XXXX, when they became aware of Brice’s availability. The timing on this was terrific, as the initial interviews came right on the heels of his Phoenix Experience visit. We used that environment to prepare him for all aspects of the interview process. He had received a series of questions that he needed to respond to, so I worked with him on the formulation of his answers.  

The success of the initial interviews ultimately led to Brice traveling to Europe to meet with key officers in the company. We prepared him for that series of conversations, as well, and he was almost immediately offered the position with a starting salary of $300K, and a very generous package tha was way over the top end for similar positions in the geographic area. Preparing for his interviews with focus on "added value" made the difference.”

Dan R. - Mid-50's - No Relo - Ideal Job - $165K Base - Search Time 2.5 Months

Here is a note from Jo Ann Moser, Dan's Campaign Director. "Dan is placed and here is his story. Dan came to us in late May. He had started his career as an Electrical Engineer for XXXX in 1986 and worked there until 2006 (20+ years) where he progressed to a VP level position. He left XXXX after 20 years to lead a start-up company. Early this year he sold his company's technology to investors because he had found himself at a decision crossroad – invest significant capital to grow or sell the company. He chose to sell.  

He came to us worried that he had been away from corporate America for nearly five years and he was worried he may not be welcomed back or it might be perceived that his skills were dated.  He had had no interviews at the time he began working with SCC. Dan's hope, as well as his wife's, was to stay in his geographic area so that he could be near his children and grandchildren. He also realized that he could make a contribution to his old company and had applied for 18-20 positions but had heard nothing and was concerned that they were no longer interested in him.  

Working together, he began his SCC-driven networking campaign and immediately began connecting with contacts from his time at XXXX. As it turns out, they were happy to see his interest and saw to it that his documents got to the proper parties. While he really wanted to return to XXXX he didn't wish to return to his past role; instead he hoped to take a role in Product Management - an area that had always been his passion. He also worried that he would have to take quite a step back in salary in order to be happy doing a job he liked.  

After our process, Dan was thrilled to accept a position as Director of Product Management where he is overseeing over $20 billion in revenue and 40% of the total company margin for a large division of XXXX.  Moreover, we worked on his negotiation skills and he negotiated a salary amount that was one step higher than the described position he was to now occupy.  

He is also pleased that he will now be spending the last portion of his working career doing what he wants, one that maximizes his skill sets, and where he can get away from the type of position he held before where he was not happy. 

Additionally, he did not need to relocate. On top of all this, Dan closed his deal to return to XXXX on a Wednesday; that Friday all external hiring was frozen. Not too bad!!”

Alan C. - $50,000 Signing Bonus - $175K Income - 2.5 Month Search

Here is a note from Bill Temple, Alan's Campaign Director about the search process. Alan came to us with an extensive food industry background, and, as is the case with many executives, no real experience in finding a job as most of his positions found him. By working through the development of his "product brand" we determined that his love for the industry would drive his opportunities on top of his breadth of experience. We targeted similar companies to those with whom he had worked, and I directed Alan to really work his past business connections to reestablish relationships and open up doors to conversation.

One of those past companies (a former customer) arranged a series of conversations with Alan and from these initial "information meetings" came an emerging job description wrapped recommendations that I had made to Alan. It took several weeks for the process to get formalized, at which point Alan received an initial offer that was much lower than expected. Based on our negotiation discussions, Alan was able to present a value proposition to them that was hard to argue with, and out of that came a large signing bonus and a guaranteed review of the full comp package after his first year of performance.

David O. - $25K Signing Bonus - No Relo - Multiple Offers

David came to us from a position as an interim CFO and Chief Investment Officer for XXXX Corporation. His worked in financial risk management and micro-financing on a global scale made his background unique, and also very niche oriented. Our challenge would be to redefine him and identify the proper environments for his next career move.

A lot of time is spent with our clients trying to understand their career goals and what motivates them. Through the course of working with his Coach, Bill Temple, it became apparent that while David could do a lot of things, he did not have a clear passion for any of them. He needed to find his focus, and his “voice.” Bill worked extensively with David to do just that.

During the course of developing materials, targeting, and interview preparation, David was in discussion with three very diverse organizations; one was an obvious long shot, and two of the three with distinct advantages, one in terms of compensation, the other in terms of location (an international micro bank headquartered overseas). We worked on developing communication and interviewing strategies with all of these options to ensure the best possible outcome.

Another opportunity came about, out of the blue, during David’s Phoenix visit. This position came from his extensive work in community reinvestment activities. One of the company divisions, YYYY, was aware of David’s success and interest in community reinvestment and offered him the opportunity to work for them as their SVP, Chief Financial & Risk Officer. While he was initially resistant to the idea (based on the higher value of the other options he had before him), he was quickly reminded by Bill Temple that not to pursue it would be a serious mistake. This advice saved the bacon because the other “better” deals just disappeared, while YYYY made him an offer he could not refuse.

Taking into consideration the cost of living differences, the nature of the organization and its community commitment, the slower pace that such an environment could provide, the package was more than enough to give David the confidence to accept their offer. Bottom line?  Good salary, $25,000 signing bonus, work days spent overseas and in the home office will not be charged against regular or vacation time.

David C. - Industry Change - Growth Opportunity - No Relo

Dave’s career launched as a High School Vocational Instructor of Industrial Arts. He knew he wanted to expand his career in Engineering so he transitioned to corporations engaged in producing automotive components and assemblies; eventually he became responsible for world-wide and North American customer relationships with two of Automotive’s “big three.” Dave’s success was noted and in his last position he was recruited to one of the world’s largest recreational vehicle manufacturers to lead their Quality, Product Development and Engineering areas. Over time, the company decided to consolidate operations, and placed Dave in charge of orchestrating the move of an entire operation to another state. While this was a big and challenging job, it was also to be Dave’s last with the company; in effect, he was charged with phasing himself out.

Today, most successful executives in today's market feel their strong track record in their industry would have prospective employers calling quickly. As we often see, and specifically in David's case, this did not happen. When it doesn't, the executive is faced with a learning curve that they have never before experienced.  David was no different and quickly realized he would need some help in what was clearly a tough job market.  

Fortunately, he met Oliver Cornell, Sr. Vice President for Stewart, Cooper & Coon. Oliver clearly understood the challenges Dave faced and explained that a more innovative and expansive approach was needed to compete successfully. Dave heeded Oliver’s advice and committed to partner with SC&C in his job search. 

When SC&C builds a client’s job search team, consideration is given to matching backgrounds and behavioral qualities to create an optimum fit and rapport; this is especially true when assigning the client’s Campaign Director. George Stecyk was asked to work with Dave, and it turns out they lived only a few miles apart some years prior. A sense of urgency – not panic - was quickly established. Dave’s team engaged and helped to get him into the market quickly with a new package of personal branding and employer targeting tools. 

Dave was encouraged to stick with the activities and tasks he was taught as part of the education he received from SC&C in the job search process. Filling the week with planned time-sensitive and critical events for each of the key search channels was of paramount importance in building and maintaining a pipeline of meetings and discussions that would ultimately lead to interviews and offers. After a short while, Dave did start to receive invitations for interviews and ultimately offers were presented that weren’t right for him. In one case, he was told by one company they knew their offer was low, but it was an employer’s market.  It’s hard to walk away from an offer, but having confidence in the process he started with George, Dave believed other offers would come that met his objectives.  His patience and belief in the system ultimately paid off.  

Dave not only accepted an important new leadership role in a Sr. Technical Engineering area where he will drive continuous improvement across the organization but, he managed to change industries as well. He is excited by his opportunity to make an impact and grow with his new company. According to George Stecyk, his Campaign Director, “Dave’s steady and persistent approach really helped him succeed. He never seemed to get down on himself or the process, and can now enjoy the fruits of his effort. “

David R. - 1.5 Month Search - $ 10K Sal Increase + $20K Bonus - Multiple Offers

Here’s a note from Barbara Limmer, Dave’s Campaign Director. “I'm thrilled to announce that Dave has accepted the job of Finance Director at XXXX.  He starts tomorrow. While we were diligently working though our worksheets, Dave found himself in the enviable position of interviewing for two jobs, both of which he wanted.  The timing was such that I once made a comment on our call that I looked forward to helping through the problem of having two offers.  Well, he got the first offer on Thursday and then another on Monday at which point I received an email whose subject line made me smile: "2 offers, just like we hoped!!"

Here's the story. Dave came to us as a with a great background in Finance, Accounting, International, and Operations, and experience with some name brand companies and an MBA.  He had worked from XXXX before, but left to devote his full attention to operating a company he had founded 10 years ago that provided services to the new home construction market.  We all know where that went. When that market struggled, so did his business, so he was looking for a finance position in his home town, as he was unable to move.  Also, he lacked a CPA and didn't know if that would pose an obstacle to his search. 

He began interviewing for these positions while still in the process of completing our worksheets, so we switched gears and began working on interviewing, using SHARE stories to sell his background, and closing the interview to elicit offers.  We also worked on how to answer questions about his business not succeeding, and his desire to no longer be an entrepreneur but rather an employee of an established company.

I talked with him daily, first helping him 'buy time" with one company while eliciting an offer from the second company (which came two days after the first offer), then juggling and negotiating both offers, all the while helping him think through which of the jobs he wanted more.  The first company was XXXX and, when they found out he had another offer, they put on a "full court press", having several individuals from the company call him, and even several layers up.  The offer he accepted was $10k more than the initial offer, and they added in a $20k bonus to boot!

Dave said he was thrilled with our assistance, because he admitted he had never negotiated his compensation before, and he really appreciated the process we recommended which emphasized integrity, honesty, and preserving relationships.  His quote below sums it up nicely: "You made a difference in my search and helped me make the best deal with the company I wanted."    

DAVE'S COMMENTS ABOUT HIS NEGOTIATION WITH TWO COMPANIES SIMULTANEOUSLY.

 

Tom D. - $10,000 More Than Expected - 2.5 Months In Search

Here is a note to George Steyck, Tom’s Campaign Director. Sometimes, the bottom line can best be described in the client’s own words so here they are.  “George, I just got a verbal offer yesterday, written offer this morning. I am officially “On Board” HURRAH !!!  Their offer beats my own "number" by + $10K and I am thrilled! I was also able to negotiate a later start date so that we could get back to a family wedding this week. I talked to my new boss by phone (just now) and I am good to go, as well. And, finally, I am so grateful for your support in my search and being my coach through this entire process.  Tom’s remarks in an email to George say it all:  Dear George: “I am so grateful for your support in my search and being my coach through this entire process.  I am at a loss for words that describe how much it has helped to have you covering my back and leading me through difficult times… Graciously and sincerely you have my thanks. Tom.” 

Now, for the rest of the story.  Tom's became a client after speaking with Oliver Cornell. Here are Tom's comments about that phase of his experience with SC&C: "Oliver was extremely reassuring and supportive during my initial “discovery” phase.  Oliver was patient and provided proof that there was value to SCC.  Once I committed to partner with SCC my fears were allayed and I am glad I partnered with such a professional group."

Tom came to us with a real passion for education specifically corporate education. Marrying business acumen with an ability to develop and deliver educational programs to strengthen the talent pool across disciplines for companies in a variety of industries had been at once challenging and very satisfying. Tom’s expertise and career continued to grow over the course of 20 years, building a “Corporate University” along the way and achieving the position of VP, Training and Development for a medical treatment services provider.  

The steady climb in his career ended when Tom was affected by a reduction in force. Recognizing he was facing a tough job market in a narrow field, Tom was happy to work with Oliver Cornell, Senior Vice President of Stewart, Cooper & Coon. Oliver helped Tom express his goals clearly: he wanted to stay in the corporate education field at a Director level or above; he preferred to remain local, though recognized this may not be possible and; he wanted to be employed ASAP. Oliver conveyed the sense of urgency SC&C brings to each client’s campaign and assured Tom that if there was a job with “his name on it,” we would help him find it. 

Tom’s campaign launched immediately following the introduction to his Campaign Director, George Stecyk. During their first meeting George was brought up to speed on Tom’s background and search objectives. Tom’s goals were discussed, a plan of action detailed and subsequent tasks and tactics discussed. Tom wanted to get to market quickly, because of the family and financial pressures he was experiencing. He wanted to get through the initial branding and packaging phase quickly so he could get into the market quickly. However, George slowed Tom down a little so as to not compromise the quality of work required in completing his branding process; the process included his campaign worksheets, the source of the messages his writing team would rely on to paint the right picture for the right audience; the online and written support materials; this step is critical to the success of each SC&C client.

Tom's comments on his job search process and about George Stecyk: "George was a great “coach”.  I really appreciate the personal time and attention.  George motivated me to get the job done.  He was constantly providing positive reinforcement.  When I was off course, he took time to explain better ways to “see” how I could improve.  Most importantly, being unemployed is very lonely and one can easily get absorbed with self-doubt.  George was upbeat and positive; his confidence gave me confidence.  I knew I would get a job because George reassured me that the “ideal job” was out there … I believed George was right, and he was.  I think I got the ideal job for me.  George helped me see to it."

Tom's written evaluation of the WebFolio: "Superb!  This was one of the major deliverables that I saw as a differentiator in presenting my background and achievements to prospective employers.  I had been reading about the value of a web page.  The webfolio definitely exceeded my expectations as a tool for prospective employers to examine. By itself, it was a reason to use SCC ~ but, there is a success story that goes with the webfolio.  As I walked into the “final” panel interviews with the decision maker and two high-level executives, my webfolio was displayed on their overhead projection system.  The first 15 minutes of the interview was based around questions and details from achievements presented in the webfolio.  I can’t tell you how confident it made me feel; I knew instantly that I would be able to “Ace” the interview ~ and I did.  The offer followed a few weeks later."

Nearly two months to the day after “going live,” Tom started his new job. An excellent company, no relocation, better compensation and terrific benefits all rolled into a newly created Director position.

LISTEN TO THE LIVE INTERVIEW WITH TOM

Rich G. - No Experience In New Industry - $150K Base - 3 Mos. In Search

A note from George Steyck, Rich's SC&C Campaign Director about Rich's placement.  "I am very happy to announce that Rich has accepted a new position as Director - Video Deployment with XXXX in PA. He may just have worn them down as he began his interviews with them about four months ago and interviewed for several other Director and VP positions, because the company is growing. Stronger experience and internal candidates placed him in the #2 spot for several of these jobs...that is until now. We worked on his negotiation strategies and interviewing and he now has a $200k+ package and wonderful benefits. He will start as soon as he honors his committment to his family to take them to Disney World."

LISTEN TO RICH'S COMMENTS ABOUT SC&C

Tom P. - Hired By Client Company While Consulting During Search

Good things take time, patience, persistence, and a heap of positive attitude!  Here is a note from Bill Temple, Tom’s SC&C Campaign Director. "It is my pleasure to announce that Tom has accepted a position as VP Supply Chain. 

Tom had not had to look for a job in nearly 20 years. He became very demoralized going through the job search process, but was not one to collapse under that weight. Instead he took positive actions and started his own consulting business in the 3rd quarter of 2010. He was doing supply chain consulting and had developed a small cadre of contractors to support his efforts and effectively utilized SC&C’s extensive database, while he was a client, to prospect for his consulting business. Using the techniques we worked on together, his business did very well.  

In early March of 2011, Tom completed a supply chain diagnostic for a client. They asked him back for a longer term engagement working 4 days a week on site. It was a scramble to manage this schedule yet keep his other consulting going and making “sales calls” to keep his pipeline full. 

Several weeks ago the company approached Tom and offered him a permanent in-house position, which he just accepted. One of Tom’s contractors will be picking up his consulting contracts so that none of his clients is left without support. Please join me in congratulating Tom on his new position, and the great example he sets for all those fighting the job market in the current economy.

LISTEN TO INTERVIEW WITH TOM

Don R. - 17% Increase Base Salary - Got His Desired Location - Multiple Interviews

Don spoke with Oliver Cornell, VP Career Consulting at SC&C and toether,  they reviewed Don’s background which was in global manufacturing operations, analyzed his core competencies, at which point Oliver outlined a placement strategy he felt would work, given Don’s many strengths. Don career has mostly been with Fortune 100 companies, throughout his career. Like most people, Don had always been recruited and had never really had to search for a position; they always came to him.  Now, with a bad economy and highly-competitive job market, Don needed to bring out his unique characteristics and get them seen by companies and industries of interest to him.

Bill Temple, Don’s SC&C Campaign Director, developed a comprehensive search strategy and tactical plan and together they implemented it, all the while working hard work and keeping up the positive energy. Don was now fully in the job search process. Part of the process was developing a new “brand” for Don. When we defined his value propositions, detailed his core competencies and expressed both of those through our unique branding processes, Don had a new brand; he was packaged with all the appropriate supporting online and written collateral material necessary to define his value in the marketplace. Bill and Don also worked on a new communication strategy.

Within 5 weeks, Don was getting calls for positions around the country triggered by his new “brand.” Soon, he was engaged in four very promising interviews. However, they were not in the state he wanted to live in which was Florida. Don decided that he was not going to just take anything that came along, if it did not meet his criteria. From his work with Bill, he realized that he had solid, highly competitive skill sets, and did not need to grab something that was not a good short- and long-term match. During his multiple interviews, he continually worked his networks seeking new leads in Florida, where he really wanted to land.

A VP Operations Executive position came into the picture, along with two other positions brought to his attention by recruiters. The recruiters had picked up his new "brand" from various online sources, including his new SC&C designed LinkedIn profile. This particular company had made a bad choice on a previous hire, and was now behind the gun to get a new person in place. Don’s skills were seen by them as an immediate match but, more importantly, his interviews with them demonstrated his attitude and cultural fit, which gave the company the level of trust they needed to hire.

Don received and accepted the offer, and is now a permanent part of an excellent organization, earning about 17% more than he had before, despite the economy. 

Jason S. - 60 Days In Search - Reunited With Family

Barbara Limmer shares the following story about her client Jason. "I'd like to announce that Jason has accepted a position with XXXX and starts Monday. Jason came to us in February, having worked in management within the retail industry (two national companies) for over a decade. He worked in one location but his family was over a 2 hour commute away, each way, so he only saw them on weekends. The extended separation was problematic in every way, especially with two little ones at home an became unacceptable. His desire was to get back to where is family was located.

Jason began the process by consulting with Fred Coon and, even though his performance numbers were above any within his region, there were issues with a new boss. After working with Fred on strategy, Jason decided to become an SC&C client. With the changes in his current company and the new management wanting to bring in their own team, Jason felt his days were numbered and he knew the pressure was on.

He also admitted that networking was out of his comfort zone, and that he is "not a sales person" so we worked on his ability to sell himself in interviews and we worked to get him comfortable with the networking process and to "reframe" his view of networking and other job search activities. 

He ended up being unemployed for only two months, then accepted an offer to run an operation for XXXX in the same town where his family lived. He knows he will greatly enjoy the work and have a lot of fun doing it, plus he gets to live in the same city as his family. His search goal was realized. He is happy with his SCC experience, said that he learned a great deal and especially appreciates our resume, webfolio, and the networking and other job search activities we taught him."

 

Jeff W. - Distinguished Military Career - Now What?   Wanted Home State Location

After a distinguished and decorated career of service in the US Navy with tours of duty taking him around the world, Jeff retired from active duty and began to focus on the civilian job market. After more than six months of effort in trying search on his own, with no result, Jeff met Oliver Cornell, Vice President of Stewart, Cooper & Coon. Based upon those discussions, Jeff believed he could benefit by partnering with SC&C in his job search. His job search campaign was launched without delay. 

When Jeff was introduced to his Campaign Director, George Steyck, he explained that his goal was to leverage the outstanding experience the Navy provided him to secure a Senior Operations or Human Resources position that would ideally allow him to locate back to his home state.

With these goals in mind, and while still in the information gathering stage, Jeff and George were reviewing his “Ideal Jobs” as part of the branding and packaging process to learn what employers were currently seeking in their candidates for posted positions; the purpose was to find jobs whose content met the “ideal” criterion, so location was not considered. However, one position jumped out as perhaps meeting both of Jeff’s key requirements. It was an Executive Director of Operations position in his home state; the “perfect” job in the “right” location.  So even though Jeff did not have his new resume and WebFolio yet, George advised that he “go for it” as the screening and interview process could take some time, and by then he would have terrific new tools to further strengthen his message.   

In job search, things don’t often happen as expected – this is not news. But, in this case things happened a lot faster than expected. Jeff received a call for a phone interview within a day of submitting his application. George shifted into “interview prep mode” to help Jeff succeed.

Discussions went well and while waiting for the next step, Jeff was coached into preparing his SHARE stories. George felt that the culture of the organization was such that “story telling” would be a very effective technique to employ in the interview should it go that far. Although Jeff thought the next step was a telephone interview, the unexpected happed again. He was asked to fly to their headquarters for an in-person meeting with the Board of Directors. Prepped for storytelling and panel interview nuances, Jeff “aced” the interview.

Almost immediately, while on the road to his parents’ home, he received a call and was extended a generous offer of employment. According to Jeff, “The ‘let me share a story with you’ approach was the only way to go and really worked. Wanted to say thanks George to you and my entire SC&C team.”  Way to go Jeff!

A personal note from Fred Coon, SC&C Chairman:  "I love it when we can help those who served their country honorably in the United States Armed Forces. The whole team is inspired when we read these success stories and are proud that we could make a contribution in helping this distinguished career officer achieve his life and career goals."

Reed P. - Patience Finally Pays Off

It is my pleasure to announce that Reed has accepted a newly created position of VP Products for XXXX, a business development role focused on paper and fiber-related industries. Conversations with XXXX have been in the works literally from the moment Reed signed on with SC&C.

In fact our first full conversation was a jump into interview strategies to prepare Reed for an upcoming conversation the following week. Over the months, while also pursuing other opportunities, Reed stayed touch with the company being very polite, persistent and patient with them as they worked through a number of hurdles to determine if / how to best use Reed's skills. As indicated, the company ultimately created a new position for Reed requiring a high learning curve, and a fair amount of travel when not working virtually from home or working a few days each month out of their home office.

Clay W. - $150,000 Base - Perfect Location - Career Ending Position

Here’s a note from Bill Temple, Clay’s SC&C Campaign Director. “It's my pleasure to announce that Clay has accepted a position as Director of Financial Consulting Services for XXXX. When Clay first came to us he was burned out by the high level of travel and the insecurity in the power industry sector he had been in.  

He had worked with young startups that, while providing high financial incentives, also came with very high down-side risks. He was hoping to find something more stable to ride out the balance of his career.  

While looking as several industry sectors, I reminded him that in such a tough economy it is harder to change industries than to find different segments of the same industry to explore. His best place to start was with people he already knew. Through information gathering he might discover parts of the industry that could use what he has to offer while still providing more security, and that might also get him back to his home state, which was his primary objective.

As a result of these conversations with people he has known for years, three very viable opportunities developed, all in companies without an existing position, but where the people knew Clay, respected his tremendous skills sets, and could immediately see his value. Of the three, the XXXX combined the most attributes that Clay was seeking:

good pay (not the highest offer),  

good stability (very long corporate history - an opportunity to retire from this position),

great challenge (develop market segments for the company they had not broached before

his own business unit

outstanding location (exactly where he wanted to be in his home state)

Clay and I spent a lot of time talking through the various factors within each position, and I had him do an "asset / liability" test on each position to visualize how much was on the positive side vs. the potential negatives. This also gave him a clear picture of how the positions compared. I kept reinforcing what I knew was in Clay's best interests, short and long term, and that led to his acceptance of the XXXX group offer. With three offers in hand, he chose XXXX, and is delighted."

Base $150K  - $160K after 6 months

3-weeks vacation

Full medical, insurance, 401(k) plan

Shareholder status after achieving objectives for first 6 months 

 

Darren J.  -  $675K Package - 75% Increase - 4 MO. Search - From SVP To President

Darren initiated discussions with Fred Coon to begin exploring what his career options were. Four months after he began working with his SC&C team, Darren was employed. The discussions centered on what Darren really wanted to do going forward and ways to enhance his future career possibilities. Bill Temple, Darren's SC&C Campaign Director helped him develop both strategies and tactics for conducting a successful search and outlined the tactics required to make those possibilities a reality.

Darren had a solid background in consumer product marketing, but was having difficulty penetrating new opportunities due to declining economic conditions, and an especially hard time getting to the state desired by his family which was one of his primary search objectives. He explored a number of companies in various geographies and had good interviews with all of them.  

His first position, though, came from a family referral. The company had an opening for a SVP of International Business that Darren was made aware of. After the usual telephone interviews, during which Darren presented his SC&C WebFolio, he received very positive feedback.  

Then, the company flew Darren down to their headquarters and, using the interview control tactics and interview skills he learned from Bill Temple, the company offered him the position of SVP, International Business. Bill worked closely with Darren and that collaboration resulted in an offer of $250K or, 39% more than his previous compensation.  

Taking to heart Bill's advice, Darren kept his name in circulation and continued to accept interviews, realizing the need to “always be looking for the next move,” Two and a half months into the first position, he received an unsolicited call from a multi-billion energy company located in, of all places, the exact town where he wanted to raise his family. He couldn't pass up to opportunity to make his family happy.

They had just started a new marketing division and, based on their conversations with Darren, said that he would be a perfect fit for that job and asked him to accept the title of Chief Sales Officer initially with a comp package worth $675K and, within two months, Darren was asked to accept the title of President.

Jeff M. -- Desired Career Move, Perfect Job, Location and Package --  60 Day  Search  --  Functional Job Change

Here is a note from George Steyck, Jeff’s Campaign Director and Executive Coach about his interesting goals and search process. Not all successful placements result in regular, full time employment. Sometimes, it’s even better.

Jeff’s career in Project Management began in the computer manufacturing industry. After that, he sought and gained industry diversity by working with an internationally known management consulting firm. Here he honed his skills in leading application development projects for a variety of the firm’s clients. The financial services industry began to have great appeal to Jeff, and he successfully moved his career in managing projects to that space where he continued to grow, moving to bigger companies and opportunities along the way.  

Then came the economic downturn. With the financial services industry hit particularly hard, Jeff faced his first involuntary job loss. While Jeff was able to pick up some consulting work, he really wanted to launch an effective job search that would have him managing a project management office for a major player in the financial services, insurance or health care industries. He also wanted very much to work in NYC. After some frustration in the search process he tried to manage himself, he spoke with Chuck McConnell, Managing Director of Stewart, Cooper & Coon – CT. Chuck worked with Jeff to analyze his career goals and reviewed his strengths and liabilities. Chuck developed a suggested strategy and we launched Jeff’s campaign immediately.   

Jeff began to immediately explore all of his options in the market, looking both at his career strategy and the job search direction to support his career goals. with his campaign Director, George Stecyk.  Jeff also discussed with George the option of working as a contractor. He had already incorporated, and felt there could be advantages in joining a firm in that capacity. In preparing for interviews, contracting was always an option that was worked on and incorporated into any job discussion that was on the table.  

Jeff completed his marketing materials, including his SC&C WebFolio and he hit the market hard.  Opportunities began to unfold, almost immediately. The best of these was a PMO management position with XXXX. After several rounds of interviews with executive coaching from George, Jeff was made an offer.  During negotiations, Jeff proposed working as a contractor, offering them a win-win scenario and XXXX accepted.

Now, Jeff has a large role and a challenging job for a Fortune 100 organization in NYC where he’ll get paid for every hour he works, and he’ll be able to participate in the company’s benefits program even as a contractor. The deal was closed 2 months after engaging SC&C and working with George Stecyk.

Every client has different job search goals. Regardless of a client’s situation, SCC is willing and more than able to assist a client in whatever direction they wish to take in his or her career.

Kate P. - Controller To CFO - 20% Sal. Increase - 1/3 Drive Time - 2.5 Mo Search

Originally, Kate began working with Joe Monaco, one of our Senior Career Consultants, who developed a background profile of her work history and listened to her issues then helped her develop a strategy for her search. Kate decided that after all the time of not having had to seek employment in the past, and and the issues she faced that are mentioned below, she needed help and agreed with Joe that a new game plan was required. She became a client and it was then that she began working with her SC&C Campaign Director, Barbara Limmer, who tells her story.

"Kate came to us as a in mid-May, having been a Controller and wanting to move beyond accounting to either finance or consulting, but to stay in her area.  She faced three obstacles. First, she had been with the same company for the last 17 years and, second, she had experienced a difficult and somewhat sticky departure from her last company. Finally, she did not have a CPA, although she has an MBA. 

We worked together to refine her "reason for leaving" interview answer, as well as improving her ability to sell herself without a CPA, both in writing and during interviews.  We also went over networking and job search strategies that ultimately led to this job "just landing in her lap" (her words--but we know this only happens due to her preparation and diligence).  This position not only gets her the CFO title, but also brings a 20% raise over what she was making at her previous job and the drive is  only 15 minutes from her house instead of 45! Thank you to all who contributed to her campaign--Michael Davis and Leslie Noyes as the document team, and Shanti Brown as her marketing specialist.  Thanks to you, we have (her words again)--"another satisfied client!"

Here it is in the client's own words: "Hi Barbara, Just writing to thank you for all your coaching over the last few months.  I am 100% sure that I would not have landed this job if it wasn't for everything that SCC did for me - coaching, resume, website, etc.  A really wonderful job has just landed in my lap. It's a CFO position in a small company where the owner is preparing to step into retirement.  He has brought in the rest of the management team, & I was the last piece.  The salary negotiation tactics we worked on did the trick as did the supporting documentation that you sent. I ended up with a 20% raise over what I was making at my previous job & the drive is only 15 minutes from my house, instead of 45! Please keep in touch from time to time...and Thanks so much!!!

Kate, another satisfied client!

 

Jerry H. - $250,000 + 50% Bonus towards Stock Options - Close to Family

Here is a note to Bill Temple from his client Jerry H. 
My search has reached a successful conclusion with at least two good offers.  I decided to join a well-capitalized start-up company whose production processes cost 50% less than any of their nearest competitors. This opportunity, as well as several competing opportunities, came from a search firm that found my resume and link to my SC&C WebFolio on my Linked In website.  The WebFolio that SC&C helped me construct focused on my entrepreneurial background in alternative energy, including my capabilities finding financing for early stage ventures.   

My wife and I will have to move North but we will keep our home in the South for winter weekend retreats.  My new job is located about a 90 minute drive from most of our extended families. This was also a major factor in taking this position over the alternatives I had before me. 

The most important contribution to getting their attention was the professional look and content of my SC&C WebFolio.  The most important contribution to getting the offer was how I handled my behavioral competencies, particularly in my first meeting with the President. Your opening my eyes on techniques to integrate these into my interviews absolutely differentiated me from others under consideration. Also, it was extremely helpful, in the hour before the interview, to review my behavioral competency aids you provided, my accomplishments and linking those to my SHARE stories. I aced the interview because t hey gave me everything I asked for. 

The President told his staff not to fight me over cash compensation.  They were heading toward a $200K base, and using the strategies we discussed before the interviews, I communicated through the search firm that I had alternative opportunities and needed the higher base to compensate for owning two homes etc.  I also stuck the number in the employment application.  I am at the highest stock option number except for the president. I also busted their curve for management compensation, so I think I did pretty well.

Good equity package too.  And, I will live much closer to my extended family. Not bad. Your preparation, advice, WebFolio, your helping me conduct results-driven marketing efforts, and the WebFolio were invaluable. My heartfelt thanks to you and Stewart, Cooper & Coon.

Title: CFO
Compensation: $250,000
Stock-Bonus Plan: 50% bonus plus options to buy $650,000 of common stock at most recent VC round price
Benefits: All health, dental, ST and LT disability plus minimal life insurance; moving allowance to cover temporary housing and search (estimated $20,000)

Randy D. – 5 Mo. Search – No Relo – No Formal College Degree – Offered Two Positions

Here is a note from Barbara Limmer, Randy’s SC&C Campaign Director about his recent placement. Randy came to us five months ago, having been laid off due to a restructuring and expense reduction. His background was in banking/credit unions, not exactly a booming industry in these days and times. He had several issues facing him.

First, he had signed a 6 month non-compete clause with his previous employer, and was beating head against the wall applying to jobs online, not getting any response, and he knew he needed help. Second, Randy had worked his way up the corporate ladder through his “smarts” and plain hard work but was unsure what his lack of a college degree would play when being considered by other banks or financial institutions.

Randy was very diligent in networking and job search activities. We also worked on interviewing and answering difficult questions, and by focusing on industry the tough and career-specific questions he was able to strengthen interviewing skills. Moreover, we worked on his social media strategy, especially his Linked In profile, integrated his SC&C WebFolio and both his online and printed collateral materials to optimize them as search tools. We provided Randy access to our extensive databases where he conducted extensive research using those tools to identify decision-makers at companies he wished to target.

He began interviews very early into his search with us and was being considered for two different jobs at XXXX but he was caught between two divisions in a “turf war” about which opportunity would be best for him, and this caused a three month delay.  After 5 months, he received and accepted offer for VP and Manager with XXXX.  When asked to what from our SCC program does he most attribute his success, his answer was the dedication from his coach, who he always knew he could count on, our extensive resources, his social media strategy and the support that he received from us.

We also ask our placed clients to fill out a questionnaire for us to help us improve our services. Here are Randy's answers.

1. The Initial Consulting Process: How satisfied were you with the similarity between what your initial executive consultant presented to you and the services actually delivered by your Campaign Director and the other members of your SC&C Support Team?

__x__ Very Satisfied

2. Courtesy and Professionalism:  Please state your level of satisfaction with the level of courtesy and professionalism of the SC&C team.

__x__ Very Satisfied

3. Your Campaign Director and Staff Support Team: Please state your satisfaction with your Campaign Director.

__x__ Very Satisfied

4. Your Resume:  Please state your satisfaction with your resume.

_x___ Very Satisfied

5. Please state your satisfaction with your WebFolio©

___x_ Very Satisfied

6. Your Target Company Calling Team: Please state your satisfaction with our verbal and online communication with your target company marketing specialist.

____ Very Satisfied

__x__ Satisfied

Your Summary Comments: "It has been a tough road and Barbara was always there for me. SC&C was very good and it was a great team effort and I truly enjoyed everyone involved."

Montegomery S. - Multi-Channel Marketing - Ideal Job - 6 Month Search

Monte’s career in Financial Management got its start in the insurance industry. After that, he gained some industry diversity by working in the travel industry and later, for a private holding company where he oversaw the financial performance of a portfolio of four separate organizations. When the owner decided to divest of all his holdings to pursue other interests, Monte’s job was eliminated. 

While he had a solid foundation in finance, working his way to CFO level, Monte was concerned that his most recent industry experience would hamper his marketability and, after speaking with Oliver Cornell, Monte decided to partner with SC&C in his job search. 

We launched his campaign without delay. While still in the information gathering stage, Monte and his campaign Director, George Stecyk, were reviewing Monte’s “Ideal Jobs” as part of the branding and packaging process to learn what employers wanted in their candidates for these positions. One CFO job, in particular, stood out as one he would put at the top of the list. In addition, it was in an ideal location. So even though Monte did not yet have his new resume and WebFolio, George advised that he “go for it” as the screening and interview process could take some time, and by then he would have terrific new tools to further strengthen his message.   

Life's chance circumstances sometimes create interesting opportunities. That happened here too. One day, while networking with a former college buddy, Monte mentioned the job he had applied for and it turns out that his friend said he knew a member of the Board of Directors for the company. George advised Monte to contact the Board Member and ask if he could “name drop” when he contacts the CEO. He got the green light and this had the immediate effect of fast-tracking an interview. 

SC&C understands a job search doesn’t always take a prescribed path, and in this case, Monte’s Campaign Director shifted gears to help him prepare for the several interviews he had. In the mean time, we completed his new marketing materials which helped put his candidacy over the top resulting in an offer.

Monte is very pleased with his new job. He’s in the right location working for a company that serves the public good; something he had expressed strong interest in. Another successful campaign made so by utilizing multiple channels and doing what it takes with the help of a professional approach and support.

Ed S. - Company Stability a Problem - Ex. Military Officer - 4.5 Mos. In Search

After a distinguished career of service in the USAF with tours of duty in the Balkans and Middle East, and with excellent flight credentials, Ed left the Air Force as a Squadron Commander,  He easily obtained a job as a pilot with an international air freight company flying Boeing 747’s around the globe, and later with Delta Air Lines. Employment in the aviation industry is very volatile, and Ed found himself furloughed several times. 

What he really wanted was more stability and less travel.  Ed pursued work where he could utilize the operations and logistics experience he gained in the Air Force. He was successful in networking with ex-military colleagues to secure a position with an Aviation Training consulting firm serving US and international clients’ military branches. Contracts became scarce and Ed’s position was eliminated. Stability, once again, became the central issue. 

Ed spoke with Fred Coon, CEO of SC&C, and those discussions led to the development of a career strategy attack plan Ed felt would benefit him. He partnered with Stewart Cooper & Coon to position him better to make the next strategic move and George Stecyk, a Senior SC&C Campaign Director, was assigned to Ed's search to make the career move happen. 

Ed's goal was to secure a Manager or Director of Operations position that would ideally allow him to work near or from his home. He also wanted to grow his professional career in that direction and was really energized by large, complex, time and mission critical projects.

George Stecyk, Ed's SC&C Campaign Director, designed and launched his campaign with those objectives in mind. One of the pillars of SCC’s approach to defining a successful campaign is aggressive and expansive networking, and we believed that Ed could especially benefit by tapping into his military network. All other channels were pursued as well but, in the end, a former general who now heads a unit of XXXX, his new company, was the link and key that unlocked the door to his new job. When he viewed Ed's WebFolio and the value proposition it detailed, he created a job immediately so that Ed's skills could quickly be applied to some of the problems XXXX felt needed to be addressed.

Eventually, Ed will have to relocate but, in the meantime, the company is providing a car to help with the commute. His upside pathway is direct and certain to the post of Sr. VP, Operations and Training.

 

William P. - 18 Week Search  - $125,000 Stock Options - Industry Change

William came to SC&C and spoke with Joe Monaco, SC&C Executive Career Consultant about his search issues. Joe helped William define those issues and outlined tactics to address each one of them. It was then that William chose to partner with Stewart Cooper & Coon.

Before working with SC&C, William told us his story. He had a 20 year career with a highly respected multi-national manufacturer of wood-based home construction supplies. However, he had decided that to enrich his life and support the direction he and his family had decided was best for them he knew he had to change industries. He felt that he needed to better define his broad skill sets and, in order to be be seen as having significant value to his targeted industries, he would need to add to start-up and sales management accomplishments to his credentials.

He did the following to resolve that part of his career change. First he started a business, built it up to a profitability level sufficient to sustain future growth and profit and then he sold it for a profit. This provided him skills in starting and growing business in a new industry, sourcing offshore manufaturing partners, total company P&L management, financing, venture capital and general management level responsibilities.

Then, he then joined a Financial Services firm where he not only learned another new industry, but more importantly, he was able to apply his start-up experience in a new market and focus more on honing his sales and marketing skills. He built a successful practice and felt that he was now ready to begin looking for opportunities with companies where he could leverage his wide array of international business development, start-up, sourcing and new sales skills.  It was at this point that he sought the assistance of Stewart, Cooper & Coon.

As he began working with his SC&C Campaign Director, George Stecyk, George and William developed strategies and tactics to attack the five major challenges to his successful candidacy. These challenges were as folllows: First, William had made many career “detours.”  Second, he wished to concentrate on geograpy in proximity to his home, becuase he wanted to settle his family down and allow his children, who were entering their teens, to have a sense of permanence and negotiated a separation. Third, he wanted to be a part of a growing enterprise with the prospect of equity as a reward for his contributions. Fourth, he wanted a "green" sector and an environmentall friendly company. Fifth, while he had a highly successful track record in launching overseas operations had found that when applying for positions these days, all that was being offered were temporary positions that required nearly 100% travel.

Each of these was addressed and each was part of the SC&C strategy during our job search campaign attack. Bottom Line? Eighteen weeks after his campaign launched by SC&C, William accepted a newly created position as Supply Chain Manager for a new and well capitalized mineral resources company.  In this position, he controls about a third of the company’s total operations.

 Great comp plan, $125,000 in stock options, fabulous benefits suite. For William, with his track record, C-Level senior management and ownership participation is just around the corner.

Dwight H. - No Relo - First Non-Family Senior Decision Maker In Company History - Time In Search - 8 Weeks

A note from Leslie Noyes, Dwight's SC&C Campaign Director....Dwight came to SCC looking for a senior financial leadership role after a voluntary resignation from his last company. While he parted on very good terms with his last company and continues to serve on the board, he felt this was best as the CEO was moving in a different direction than Dwight would have like to have seen. 

He interviewed with XXXX and, although everyone on the senior leadership team really liked him and identified him as a good fit, they were not ready to move forward with hiring a CFO because they were a family-owned company and the founder/CEO, did not like the idea of hiring an "outsider". However, the company lacked financial leadership and ended up making some serious errors during their rapid expansion thereby causing a critical cashflow issue.

They had remembered Dwight from his interviews which we worked on before he went there and called him to ask for his assistance, due to his extensive experience with finance and his relationships with bankers throughout their state. Although still not ready to move forward with a permanent CEO they did ask for Dwight's help as a Consultant.

Dwight accepted and successfully resolved their immediate cashflow issue, which he very diplomatically showed them it was due to the lack of attention on the financial structure during expansion. The company agreed and offered him a position. The President and CEO was still not comfortable with a non-family member being in a C-Level position, so he offered him the position of Controller and assigned him total responsibility over financial strategy. He reports directly to the CEO. He also negotiate a salary and perfomance review every six months for the first year and very nice annual increases thereafter.

Randy S. - CFO - 20% Increase in Incentive Comp - Less Commute

A note to Bill Temple from Randy about his placement. "Bill, thanks for the kind words and again, thank you for your help in my search.  My boss at my former company called me when he heard I was in search.  It was then that I put XXXX on my company target list, because I had heard that they had recently discharged their CEO and they had an acting CEO.  My former boss was also a member on the XXXX Board of Directors and he was implementing the restructure plan. 

He indicated that he became aware of my availability when Erin (my SC&C marketing specialist) had called and presented me to him as part of her marketing on my behalf. He and I met for lunch, and he outlined the upcoming management changes the BOD had initiated, which included the replacement of the CFO.  After getting caught up on my career accomplishments since our last working together, he indicated that he would get back to  me in two to three weeks to update me on the progress of the restructure. 

We met again, and he made the proposal that I join XXXX as their new CFO right away.   The Corporate CFO was scheduled to leave, and bringing me in early would put me in line for that position.   I also met with a number of members on the XXXX senior management team and apparently passed muster.  Since joining XXXX , I have also started to interview with the BOD members about the corporate CFO position and, if a new permanent CEO is named soon, I will interview with he or she as well.  I am told they are getting close to selecting a new CEO, but do not know the timeline.  To date, I have met with two BOD members (BOD Chair & Audit Committee Chair), and will meet with the BOD Treasurer next week. 

And yes, during these interviews, I continue to align my accomplishments and share stories withtheir current operating problems and issues. I also try to confirm if my background meets their needs as well.  The feedback received from the two BOD members was positive and they indicated that my background is a good fit.  Again, Bill, I would like to thank you for all of your valuable guidance and assistance in my search process."

Saleary: Increase with incentive comp 20% of base salary vs.12% at my former company.

Deferred incentive comp.  10% of base salary vs. 0% 5. 

Retirement: Employer contribution 12% vs 8%

Commute: 25 miles shorter.

    

Kent S. - Functional Change - Upgraded Job And Is Now In Line for CEO

Here is a note from Bill Temple about Kent's search. " Kent came to us from one of our client companies who had downsized and provided Kent our outplacement services. Kent ran across a position for VP of Sales for XXXX that had being listed by a recruiter / business coach that had been working with the management of the company and really understood the company's issues.

Kent initially built a very positive relationship with the recruiter/coach and made her as much his advocate as he was for himself!   In an interview process that took over 60 days, Kent never lost sight of his objective: build value, build relationship, build trust, and give the company a reason to buy. They did! Not only that, based on Kent's excellent interviewing and negotiating skills that he learned from SC&C, he increased the scope of the job to Vice President of Sales & Marketing, with a straight path to the CEO slot when the owner retires.  

The biggest challenge for Kent was understanding the fears of the existing CEO who knew he needed to start preparing an exit strategy for himself, but was afraid that his loss of company control would ruin the company. I worked with Kent on intuitive and special management skills that he was to employ during the interviews with the CEO. He conducted very diplomatic conversations with the CEO, overcoming his fears, and landing the offer.  As a footnote: Kent worked very hard on implemening our techniques and was so well prepared and trained to "manage" his interviews better that he ended up training the HR director on how to interview, as she had not done so in years."

John N. - Industry Change - No Relo Required

Here is a note from Bill Temple, John's SC&C Campaign Director. "John came to us having been out of work for many months, at least, out of a full time position. Since leaving his former company, he had been helping a local medical device company but it was not generating much in the way of income.

We developed an approach strategy for the marketplace, defining his credentials clearly as a regional sales executive, and targeting companies / industries that expanded away from where he had been into other areas where the same type of customers were likely to be found.   Because of his terrific attitude and positive, proactive efforts (along with a lot of ongoing support from his Coach), we decided the best course was for John to find an interim position and to continue his specific search. He never dropped the ball during this entire course of events. His commitment to his career ultimately landed him an interview with XXXX Corporation.

We worked on his interviewing skills and John was successful in communicating his skills and ability to work in an entirely new industry segment and landed the position of Community Relations Director. This opportunity will bring John the stability he needs and allow him to work in an environment where he can be of significant value to people - something he is very well positioned to do!"  

In John's own words:   "I truly felt the reason I got the job is my strong sales background, my strong face-to-face interview skills further sharpened by all my time and training with Mr. Temple! I was prepared, confident, did my homework, used my SHARE stories at the right time, and acted like I had the job and was now just trying to figure out how to build collaborative relationships with each of the 7 people I interviewed with. I cannot thank you enough, Fred, and all of the good people at Stewart, Cooper, and Coon for your help. These times are tough and if your not Always prepared for an opportunity, you most likely will miss out."

Gregg W. - General Manager Manufacturing - $120K+ - 2.5 Month Search

A note from Barbara Limmer, Gregg’s Campaign Director....."I'm pleased to announce that Gregg, who started with us just over two months ago, has accepted the position of General Manager for XXXX., an aerospace company.

Gregg came to us after about a two-year passive job search, having worked in manufacturing but was becoming bored in his most recent position.  About a month after he started with us, he was let go from his company, significantly increasing the urgency to find a new and meaningful position.  He desired to move to the South/Midwest US, but we determined that the real priority was getting back on a career trajectory where he could hold a high level operations position manufacturing complex products. He wanted help building effective marketing materials, coaching on how to network and build relationships, and how to best present himself.  He also needed help with how to craft his "reason for leaving" interview answer, having been let go.

After having interviews with several companies, he accepted a position with a company after only a little over two months in search. His new position has a very high potential for payoff because the owner told him that he would participate in significant stock offerings and bonuses and get a piece of the action when the company is sold in four years.

Gregg says that the SCC program helped, especiially in giving him solid advice on his strategy, defining of his achievements and stories, working with him, hands-on, to help him deliver these in a powerful way during his interviews our and our being a "sounding board" to talk things over as they occurred.

Salary: Six-Figures and he negotiated $10,000 more annual base salary
Other: Stock, Stock Options, Bonuses, Complete Relocation Package

 

David P. - Age 53 - $135K Base - 15% Bonus - Great Relocation Package

Here is a note from Jo Ann Moser about her latest client placement. "David has accepted the position of VP of Inventory Control and Analysis at XXXX. David is in his early 50's and had worked throughout his career for companies that supply to big-box retailers. Then, in his late 40’s he accepted a position at a circuit manufacturing company as Operations Manager. This would have been fine except for the fact that the company was family-owned and had managed to get itself into some financial difficulty, due to over-investment in capital equipment.  

Jim M. - $230K Base  - 15% More Than Expected + Guaranteed Bonus - 6 Mo. Search - Multiple Offers

Bill Temple, Jim's Campaign Director gave us the following: "It is my pleasure to announce that Jim has accepted the position of Senior Vice President, Finance for XXXX. Before landing this offer, Jim had another offer on the table with a company in Abu Dhabi which, while not a bad offer, had some issues with it related to being part of a "family" business in a culture that can change its mind in a moment and provides no job security.

XXXX, however, was dragging its feet somewhat until we strategized tactics on using the offer from the other company as an incentive to pick up the pace, which they did. In the course of one week, everything changed on the XXXX front, and they bent over backwards to get Jim through the process with an offer in hand. Jim starts tomorrow.  Jim tells me that the Phoenix Experience was of great value to him. It gave him the understanding he needed to be able to prepare and "control" the interviews as they occurred, and reviewing the DVD prior to interviews, helped him to remove additional roadblocks to his success. Here are his comments in an email to me the other day."

"After working with Bill Temple and the SC&C team for the last six months I am happy to report I have successfully landed a role which is well aligned with my short and medium term career objectives. Also, the Phoenix Experience and the interviewing practice and guidance was a major part of my success.  I repeatedly leaned on the SHARE story approach through all of my interviews and it proved to be powerful in all settings.  I reviewed the DVD from the meetings ahead of all key interviews which allowed to me stay away from some of my weaker tactics and stay “on message” in a concise manner.  

I certainly believe SC&C was a key element in my search and ultimate success in securing two offers at the same time.  However, I certainly did not maximize the potential offering of SC&C but this was related more to my personal strategy and circumstances rather than the resources not being available.  I would certainly recommend SC&C to a mid to upper level executive in the midst of a career change."

Base $230K ($10-15K over anticipated, and top of the range for this position)
Guaranteed bonus for years 1 and 2
Relocation package, but can remain where is is for the foreseeable future.

Alan R. - Landed As New Company Owner - Careers and Life Direction Changes

Here is a note from Barbara Limmer, Alan's Campaign Director. "Dear SCC team, I'm happy to announce that Alan has "landed" and is launching an exciting new venture. He is no longer seeking traditional employment but, after many discussions with me and with other advisors, decided to launch his own International Marketing business.  

Alan came to us in Sept. 2010 as an executive with deep experience in marketing, international sales, operations and manufacturing. He knew he was no longer a fit with the leadership of his company, which had been acquired within the last couple of years, and he sought assistance in moving beyond the industry in which he had spent the last 15+ years (apparel). 

Obstacles he faced, in addition to changing industries, included "branding" himself beyond the traditional boundaries of marketing vs. sales vs. operations, and packaging his experience which didn't necessarily line up with specific job titles aligned to specific years (his positions had morphed organically with responsibilities added and titles changing frequently). We also worked on articulating his experience and selling his value during interviews. 

While visiting family in Phoenix, I invited him to sit in with a client I had in town for their SC&C Phoenix Experience; he later said that was of tremendous value getting to observe another client, listen to the feedback, and offer his own feedback to that client. 

After multiple compay interviews, much soul searching and crowned with by being laid off from his company with a nice severance package, he decided to start his own company. His new company offers services to help client companies increase their competitive advantage. Services include web marketing, social influence marketing, high-performance websites, integrated multi-channel marketing, planning/marketing for international sales growth, and IT systems analysis, design and development. 

He is using the materials that the SC&C branding and marketing team and I created for him as the basis for his company's marketing materials; he says that our whole process helped him come to this conclusion to capitalize on his experience and passions to launch his own business. He feels we made a difference in his life and his future. Thank you to Mike Fox and Geoff Coon for your outstanding efforts on his resume and webfolio and marketing materials, and to Shanti Brown for your persistence and follow-through on his target company calling campaign. Please join me in congratulating Alan on this exciting new chapter of his life!"

Alan H. - Ideal Job - Ideal Location - Great Package - Multiple Offers

George Stecyk, Alan's Campaign Director, provides an insight to his placement. "Alan’s career was launched as an Industrial Engineer in the technology/communications space. He progressed, gaining valuable experience in Operations and Supply Chain Management, eventually landing a job with Sun Microsystems. For ten years, he managed operations and supply chain operations. Then, Oracle purchased Sun Microsystems and his position was eliminated.  

His SC&C Placement Campaign was conceived, designed and launched with an eye toward securing a new job in the high-tech manufacturing space. His number one location choice was in a specific southeastern city and state. We worked together and developed a dual placement simultaneously focusing on both Supply Chain and Operations. Because of the finite geographic and industry market he was targeting, we really emphasized the importance of working each and every one of the eight marketing channels on a weekly and continuing basis.  

His first opportunity arose early in the campaign with Cisco, through a network contact. This “sure thing” played out for a frustrating several months and eventually evaporated. Had Alan not continued to work the campaign as he had been coached through his SC&C program, he would have lost a tremendous amount of time and any momentum he had in his search; not to mention the great let down with nothing in the pipeline.  

Then, he found himself in the position we all wish for; having to decide between competing offers. Based on compensation, and perhaps more importantly on company culture, climate and growth prospects, Alan accepted an offer by XXXX to become their Manager, Supply Chain for one of their major divisions where he will design the supply chain. The job is in his target city and state in the “green” side of the high-tech industry. His new company has a history of steady growth and Alan believes he has found a home with great potential. With persistence and an even keel, Alan accomplished his search objectives."

Title: Manager, Supply Chain
Compensation: $120k + Employee Bonus Plan
Perks:  Stock Options, Employee Stock Purchase plan
Benefits: Insurance: Medical, pharmacy, vision, dental, FSA, 10 days PTO, unlimited sick leave,
72 hours holiday pay, matching 401k
Extras:  Life insurance with AD&D, STD and LTD

John H. - 4.5 Mo. Search time - $200,000 + 100% Bonus

John came to us in early November, having spent the last 10 years at an HVAC manufacturing company in a variety of executive sales, operations, and divisional roles.  He had been passed up on a number of promotional possibilities, and felt it was time for him to continue his career trajectory elsewhere. He had a non-compete with his current employer that was valid for 2-years after leaving the company should he leave, so he couldn't work for one of his competitors.

We worked together to define his core competencies, achievements, success stories, as well as implementing best practice job search strategies and activities. After 4 1/2 months he secured multiple interviews with a variety of companies. He accepted a position with tremendous growth potential.  He is very excited about this because the current company President will only be staying on another 3-4 years so John is in the perfect spot to be his successor.

Although he speaks very highly of our entire program, John says that the thing he most appreciated about working with us was our ability to define him as a "product”, develop his marketing package, our calling companies to secure interviews, the interview practice and feedback, and the ongoing coaching.

VP Franchise Sales
$200K + up to 100% of base in bonus
Relo allowance $37,000 triple-net grossed up
Stock options based on performance

Robert D. - Functional Change - Perfect Job - Search Goals Accomplished

A note from George Stecyk about Robert’s search…"Robert’s career developed around the accounting and financial functions within the companies where he was employed. He had been exposed to the healthcare industry while working for a firm that provided diagnostic equipment to the industry. This sparked an interest in healthcare and several years later he landed a job as Controller for a major hospital consulting and accrediting organization. His ultimate goal was to secure a CFO position within a hospital. Changes at his current employer created an uncertain future, so he launched a job search campaign aimed at the hospital market hoping to land a position as a CFO. 

We identified several potential obstacles he might face: Robert had no previous in-hospital experience; he did not have a CPA; he had six years of experience in companies serving the healthcare industry over the past ten years; he would have a lot of competition. In addition, he would be a relocation candidate as he wished to move from the Chicago area to the South or Southeast; companies often prefer more local candidates. 

We launched the campaign with an emphasis on all aspects of networking (personal, influentials and associations), direct targeting and media search. Recruiters and posted positions were explored but we were cautious about not spending too much time on these less likely channels. Opportunities came along somewhat slowly, but Robert did have several that went well down the road including on-site meetings. Something I compliment Robert on is his focus on his message. He was diligent in crafting “why” statements that would “speak to” the targeted individuals. In addition, he had his resume tweaked to tune the content after hearing feedback from interviewers.

He was interviewed by XXXX, a hospital management organization. They were searching for a CFO for one of their hospitals in the South.  They offered – he accepted, after some serious negotiation sessions a series of counter-offers. This is really an excellent opportunity for Robert as it puts him “in hospital” and makes the possibility of future changes to larger hospitals much more realistic. The real win here is making the successful transition to a Hospital CFO position – exactly what he wanted.

Charles C. - 4.2 Mo. Search - New Function - No Relo Required

Here is a note from George Stecyk, Charles’ SC&C Campaign Director. “I am very pleased to announce that Charles has accepted a new position as Manager of Safety for XXXX. He is truly passionate about safety and it came through when we were developing his SHARE stories.  While he had been involved in safety for nearly 12 years as part of his job responsibilities, he held a Safety Manager title for only two years; this was a potential barrier. One of his goals was to secure a management position where his sole responsibilities would center on designing, implementing and monitoring safety programs.

His new job offers him the challenge of “owning” the organization’s safety programs. He will oversee safety at 20 facilities staffed by more than 800 employees; he’s the organization’s top safety official.  He has been given freedom to analyze, recommend and implement programs further expanding his knowledge and expertise in his profession. All this in as Charles put it, “...an absolutely no-stress environment.” This job will also give him the flexibility to continue the pursuit of his MBA, positioning him for bigger opportunities in the future.

His success was due entirely to his positive attitude and consistent level of effort. I really felt like I was along for the ride helping set direction, making occasional course corrections and offering advice at the point needed. As a coach, I couldn’t have asked for a better client. He willingly sought and took the  advice I gave, he followed the program, completed assignments ahead of schedule and even let me stretch him some by utilizing his WebFolio during phone interviews; he really liked doing that and was very proud of the way he was presented. Once we got the campaign launched, Chuck averaged an initial interview each week. Somewhat surprisingly, most of his interviews came from job board applications; his new job was posted on Craig’s List! Just goes to show you can never predict where the jobs will be found, and why it’s so important to really work those channels.

The story may not be over. He continues to receive calls regarding new opportunities, from the activity we generated in his campaign. One would have him in a safety consulting role to assist in the Gulf clean-up, and another would offer a role as a safety auditor representing OSHA and other agencies through a contract arrangement. Both would be financially lucrative; stay tuned."

David R.– 20+ Years One Company – Game Plan Worked - $125K + Great Package

Dave’s career was dominated by 20+ years with one company. A widespread reorganization resulted in job loss during very tough economic times in a location where the number of likely employers in manufacturing was limited. Dave was very concerned about being pigeon-holed by his experience with one company in a narrow market; relocation could not be considered. He was also worried about the amount of time a search would take, given the geographical and other specific restrictions he had placed on the job search.  

The campaign was conceived, designed and launched with an eye toward an industry change to take advantage of the local market environment. Great emphasis was placed on networking activities as the preferred way to communicate value and avoid being defined by the industry in which he spent most of his career. As with all effective campaigns, we ensured all search channels were worked on a weekly and continuing basis.  

A potential opportunity arose with a competitor of his former company through his networking efforts, but there was not an immediate job available to fill. Dave had to develop a game plan to work a persistent follow-up campaign to keep his candidacy for this potential job visible. That persistence paid off. Once the job was approved, Dave was right there and was successful in scheduling an interview. While there was some competition, Dave’s relationship with the hiring manager had developed to the point that he was the most preferred candidate. A couple of rounds of interviews later, he was presented with an offer.

Dave is excited and very relieved to be working at a great company and in a job he will enjoy. Offer includes a base salary and bonus comparable to his previous job, and it includes a company vehicle and an additional week vacation. Dave views the upside potential for this position as being very good. 

Title:  Business Manager, Western US
Starting Salary: $125k plus 20% bonus
Perks: Company vehicle
Benefits: Full Package with extras and vacation time above company policy
Start Date: March 10, 2011

Sarah M. – VP Job Created - Work/Life Balance – Significant Income Increase

Here is a note from Sarah. “I first met James, President and CEO of XXXX Marketing in 2003 as a customer of his firm.  His company provided our firm (my former company was a household name) with direct mail and fulfillment services for a customer loyalty program. When I left my former company in the summer of 2010, I let everyone in my network know but the resulting feedback was nothing more than the typical “good luck” response from everyone.

Having no luck in my job search, in November, I engaged the Stewart, Cooper and Coon team and the coaching you gave me showed me how to immediately use new tools, and methods to meaningfully engage and expand my network. I also learned how to present/communicate my value in key comments and conversation. The process I learned from you (Bill Temple) enabled me to reach out to connections in a more orderly, structured and process-driven manner.  Through the course of this process, I contacted James, using my newly acquired SC&C skills and tactics, to touch base and “remind him” I was still around.   He responded immediately and we chatted by telephone about a potential opportunity to work in his organization.

I followed up and he told me that his COO had resigned that morning. He was changing his approach. He wanted to restructure his organization and create a Senior Leadership Team consisting of 4 "key" Vice Presidents who would report directly to him and who would lead the company.  He asked that I create a job description for myself and detail what I thought this role should be.

Using key phrases and skills that we worked on Bill, I developed the job description and created a brief overview of the role and how it would contribute to the leadership team at XXXX.  James said that it was exactly what he was looking for and that he would be back in touch quickly.  In the next several days, he provided me with some guidelines on how he wanted to compensate the role and asked that I respond with my own needs. 

After three brief communications, and with your support Bill, I accepted an offer of employment with XXXX in one of the 4 new V.P. positions.  The offer is creative and, as a result of an SC&C client exercise, allowed me to prioritize my values and family needs. I was also able to offer and accept a balanced compensation package that not only met my salary needs, but is innovative in its bonus structure, and provides 4 weeks of vacation to create a strong work/life balance.

The offer also allows me to earn substantially more income than I’ve made in the past and, at the same time, provides unique approach to the market. This is a great career move up for me. Thanks Bill!”

Pat M. - $180K ($20K More Than Recruiter Said Possible) - Industry Change

Here is a note from Barbara Limmer, Pat’s SC&C Campaign Director. “I'm thrilled to announce that Pat has accepted the position as VP of Planning and Marketing for XXXX in IL.    Pat came to us in 2010, having spent the last six years of her life in the real estate industry. Her goal was to secure a high-level marketing position within the Chicago area and changing industries was a challenge for her. 

She had been out of work for 6 months and had concerns about being able to sell herself in interviews and break out of the Real Estate industry – especially given that she was also targeting a relatively small geographical area. She also admitted to being uncomfortable in the networking process.

Pat was one of our Phoenix Experience clients and visited us in Phoenix earlier in 2011. After our series of sessions with her and with the help of Ron Venckus  (Behavioral Interview Expert), Fred Coon (Company Founder) and me, she realized that she not only had a lot to offer but also that her engaging personality would contribute greatly to her "likeability" in interviews.  Through our work on interview preparation and practice, she walked away much more confident that, in "real" interviews, she was much truly able to sell herself.  

We also worked together to define, isolate, and develop action plans to overcome her “fears” about networking and, after taking a leap of faith and doing it, she realized how helpful and uplifting it is to just get out there and have conversations with people.   

In the early part of 2011 she found herself in late stage interviews with three companies, and ultimately received an offer from the company in which she felt she had the best chemistry and fit. The offer was $20k higher than the maximum the search firm had told her they could go (and $5k above what she had made previously), the industry change positions her for more exposure to healthcare and nonprofit industries, and also puts her into the Strategic Planning arena in which she had limited previous experience.  Best of all, she no longer has a one hour commute each way to work---this position is only 10 minutes from her house!

When asked to what she attributes her success, she said, "It was the interview preparation and practice, especially the Phoenix experience, as well as SC&C's understanding of multi-channel marketing tactics that work that helped me learn how exploit a variety of channels simultaneously It worked and I am really happy with my SC&C exerience."

Title: VP of Planning and Marketing
 Salary: $180k (20K more than the recruiter told her was possible and $5K more than she was previously making

Full Benefit Package

PS:  Pat has asked SC&C to continue working with her in an executive coaching capacity and to assist her with her successful on-boarding for this new position, in addition to working on planning for the next steps in her career.

Dan R. - $250K Base + 50% Bonus + $45K Relo + Equity - 20 Years Last Job Search

Here is a note from Bill Temple, Dan’s SC&C Campaign Director:  I wanted you to know that Dan has accepted the position of CEO/President for XXXX, LLC, and starts his new role on Monday.  Dan is excited about the opportunity, even though he had hoped to move to warmer climates (this position is in the Northeastern US) he sees this as a great chance to build a company up in preparation for a probable sale in 3-4 years.  Dan was called by a recruiter for this position. The recruiter had been provided his name through his network he had maintained over the years. During the call he used his interview skills we had worked on, very effectively, and within minutes of his first phone interviews with the company they had him scheduled to fly in to meet with the retiring CEO and other executives to view the operations.  

Dan did a great job of controlling the interviews, getting confirmations of his value, and ultimately "asking for the order." When the offer was extended, he reviewed with me the conditions and we talked about how to improve the conditions to make it a better risk for him and his family. He did a great job! 

Base Salary:  $250K - up $25K from his original offer
Bonus: 50% performance bonus  - (up 5% from initial offer)
Severance: One year severance agreement (not in the original offer)
Equity:  2.5% equity kicker over 3 years + 2% additional performance equity
Relocation: $45K relocation related expense reimbursements

Dan wrote us the following, upon accepting his new position: “When I decided to leave my previous employer I did not really know where to start.  I had not looked for a job in 20 years.   I was reading books and doing research on the internet so I knew the process had changed.  The process that SC&C used fit perfectly with my style.  It forced me to dig deep and work hard.  I worked hard on the many SC&C materials Bill provided to me.   I read everything I could.  I discovered that working on the SC&C process was sort of a therapy that helped me regain focus and energy.  Initially I dreaded the process and the phone calls with Bill but it didn't take long before I was looking forward to them.   

If I had to sum it up I would say the greatest thing was Bill......Yes, the materials and process are great in every way but, the way Bill puts them in front of you and gives advice and guidance is really what sets SC&C apart.    

I have talked to countless others about SC&C, and Bill, and I will continue to do so.   The entire team has done a great job and I know we are not done...This is just the first step.....My next step is to get relocated to Arizona once I have accomplished the goals at my new job.   So I will need help in 3-4 years.  Again, I want to thank you for all you have done to help me.....I had no idea where to start and all of you did a great job!"  Dan

David P. - Age 53 - $135K Base - 15% Bonus - Great Relocation Package

Here is a note from Jo Ann Moser about her latest client placement. "David has accepted the position of VP of Inventory Control and Analysis at XXXX. David is in his early 50's and had worked throughout his career for companies that supply to big-box retailers. Then, in his late 40’s he accepted a position at a circuit manufacturing company as Operations Manager. This would have been fine except for the fact that the company was family-owned and had managed to get itself into some financial difficulty, due to over-investment in capital equipment.  

He was looking for a stable company that could utilize his inventory skills, allow him to get back to an inventory/operations position, and a place that would have a much more secure future, since his wife had recently her career at American Express.

David did much research and selected XXXX as a company that he admired and that had experienced growth, even in the past few years during these challenging economic times. As he went through the interview process, he quickly determined that his new position is much more stable than where he was working and it will pay him more than he earns now, as well.

He is very excited now to have secured a position with one of his target companies and a relocation package that takes care of his mid-term family needs as well. David looks forward to the relocation and his new set of challenges and he starts his new life this week. We worked on structuring his final package and it is a really good one that accomplishes exactly what he is looking for."  

Base Salary:  $135,000 PLUS - 15% Bonus

Relocation Package:
      Wife will have three trips back to East Coast each year
      In-writing to relo him back to the east coast within several years
      Lump sum or submit individual receipts for move
      Temporary housing will be provided
      Home-buying trip
      Purchase his present residence and assist with financing at the buying end

Kevin R. - $200,000 - No Relo - $40K Qtrly. Bonus - 25K Shares + Options

A note from Barbara Limmer, Kevin's SC&C Campaign Director.  "I'm happy to announce that after juggling 3 offers, Kevin has accepted his dream position as VP of Product Development at XXXX, a technology company. It is near his home so Kevin will not need to move his family which was one of the search goals he was trying to achieve.

Kevin began with us at the end of March 2010 as a Technical Program Manager who had been working for the past few years as a contractor at Microsoft.  Prior to that, he spent 10 years with Yahoo, including having done a European assignment. He had "grown up" in the field of software engineering and progressed to a Director level but, after Yahoo, he felt his career had stalled. 

Having such a highly technical background, Kevin struggled with "translating" his experience into business terms that non-technical execs would value.  He also wasn't sure if he wanted to continue on the path of program management, but he knew for sure that he wanted to cross over to the business side in order to have more of an impact on company focus and strategy.

Through our process of identifying his strengths, skills, and successes, as well as some soul searching, Kevin determined that what he really wanted to do was product development for a small to mid-sized technology company.  Kevin wanted to participate in the SC&C Phoenix Experience and did so in August 2010. Following this visit, we continued to work on his interviewing skills and job search strategies and tactics.

Then, following his Phoenix Experience visit, things started heating up and Kevin secured interviews with several companies.  In fact, of the 17 companies he had asked SC&C to contact he had interviews with three of them and received an offer from one of them. 

In the process of interviewing, Kevin told me that two of these companies became fans of SCC! Per a quote from Kevin's email: "XXXX’s VPP of Human Resources was really impressed with the calls made by Sherri, my SC&C marketing specialist. She's a fan.  Also, Cameron the recruiter I was working with on this latest offer called me today to ask for SCC details because he wanted to recommend it to a friend. Another fan!" In December, Kevin found himself in late stage interviews with three other companies, leading to three offers. 

XXXX had wanted him so badly that they asked him for a compensation proposal, and due to the amount of work that will be needed, Kevin proposed a high number--higher than his other offers-- and they accepted!  They also included bonus, equity, and stock options. Details are as follows:

* VP, Product Development
* $200k
* $40k annual bonus paid out quarterly
* 25k shares
* Stock options equal to 10% base salary first year, 15% of salary 2nd and subsequent years

Kevin’s Own Words: "I can honestly say I couldn't have accomplished any of this great success, particularly having 3 offers on the table in Dec of 2010, without your expert guidance and unwavering support. I'm recommending SCC to anyone I know that needs a leg up in this job market."

Mike S. - Search Time 17 Days - $240,000 Annual Income – 45% Salary Increase

Here is a short note on a recent placement from Bill Temple who is VP Campaign Director Services. “It is my pleasure to announce that Mike has accepted the position of Enterprise Account Executive for XXXX, a leader in the emerging content management software space. Mike successfully navigated numerous interviews using the training we provided, and negotiated a very nice package which was 45% more than his previous income potential.  

Income:  $240,000
Package:  Bonus, 3 weeks vacation, full benefits package

Al P. - 60 Yrs. Old - No Relo - Ideal Job - Industry Change + 15% Annual Bonus

Here is a note from Bill Temple, Al’s SCC Campaign Director, about Al’s new position as Regional HR Business Partner for XXXX, a national educational firm. His new position gives him an opportunity to help a fast growing organization by leveraging his years of experience with his former company.  

Al had two liabilities. First, he was sixty years old and second, he had been with his former company for over 38 years. Not only was he fighting age discrimination but also a career that had only one dimension, the views and experience at one company only.  He also wanted to return to his specialty area - Human Resources.

Al's challenge was the he had to continually "sell" those with whom he was interviewing on the idea that this was a position of significant interest to him as he, like so many senior executives, was getting the push back about the position not being challenging enough, or paying enough - i.e., the concern that Al would jump out when a better offer came along.

Al was successful in getting past those concerns through a very sincere presentation of himself, his passions and interests, and a constant reminder that he didn't have to leave his former company, but chose to, in order to seek new and different challenges. Al is, and always will be, a man of high ethical character, and his actions during this challenging interview process with other good options available, is a great demonstration of that character.

When XXXX offered him the position, he had two other companies hot on his trail, one that would require a relocation which Al did not want to do, and the other just couldn't get its ducks in order to get an offer to Al prior to his start date with XXXX.  Al sees this position with XXXX as a chance to "get back to basics" in his HR work, make a difference for a company that is making a difference in a totally different industry, and not have the same level of pressures he experience in his 38 years with his former company.  

Goals Accomplished:  No Relo, Industry Change, Six-Figure Salary, 15% performance-based annual bonus and a full benefits package.

Maureen M. - Multiple Interviews - New Position 10 miles from Home in So. CA

SC&C Campaign Director, Jo Ann Moser says: "Maureen had come out of a bad past job experience and was actually dreading career search.  She decided to take a few months off just so that she could decompress and get her mind in a place where career search was going to be tolerable for her.

We worked together, focusing on company targeting and interviewing. She landed multiple interviews, acing all of them and, while she received several offers, she accepted a position with XXXX as Senior Director, Customer and Sales Support. She received a promotion, more money, and is now working less than 10 miles from her home in Southern California - a miracle in today’s marketplace."

Income: Salary: $156,250 - $6.5K more than she was making at her last job
Benefits: Complete Package

Steve S. - Former SC&C Client - $130K Base - $18K At Signing - 2 Mos. In Search

Here is a note from George Steyck, Steve's SC&C Campaign Director about the search. "Five years ago Steve was successfully placed in a new Customer Service Director position with the help of his SC&C team.  His career progressed nicely and grew into a Global Sales Director position until the end of August of 2010, when his position was eliminated due to restructuring.

Steve realized the market had dramatically changed during the past five years so he called and asked if we would help him structure his search to continue his growth in Sales and Customer Service Leadership with a solid manufacturing or distribution company.  He really wanted to go home to Indiana where most of his family is located and this was considered a priority goal for his search.

The main challenge facing his campaign was a short two years in a Sales Leadership position; he was strong in Customer Service and Operations, but wanted to continue growing in Sales and Marketing. In addition, his targeted location limited his market causing him to consider other areas in addition to Indiana.

We constructed his campaign, a modified Executive Recruiting Agent program, updated is Job History, SHARE stories and supporting materials to really focus on his capabilities and results as a Sales/Customer Service Leader. Interview prep was done to help him keep the message tailored to reveal his strengths in this area. Once launched, Steve aggressively networked and got back to the routines he learned during his first campaign with SC&C. He fed his Recruiting Agent target companies to present him to.

Steve worked very hard on his search and was generating interest and multiple interviews with a variety of manufacturing and distribution companies across the country, including an opportunity in Indiana! Recalling the lessons learned from his last campaign for interviewing along with some refresher polish targeting the specific interviews he had scheduled, Steve spent most of November traveling to interviews with five companies, receiving offers from three of them!

The job he accepted is Director Sales and Marketing. He will be a member of the Executive Team formulating strategies to continue this 70 year old company on a steady growth trajectory. He will have the opportunity to impact the company’s direction, something that was an important element for his own career growth.

Steve achieved an opportunity for continued development and growth in Sales Management with a company whose culture fits very well with his own. And perhaps the best part is that he and his family will be moving back to Indiana. Mission Accomplished!"

Paul F. - 5 Mo Search - $30K Salary Increase - No Commute

Paul was in search five months.  Paul had worked in various financial capacities for the same company for 20 years, which we all know is problematic, at best and a career move blocker at worst. On top of all that, he had recently been part of a reduction in workforce and wanted to look for senior level financial positions in the San Francisco area.

He was unable to relocate and needed to stay in his area to be close to his children and was not relishing driving into the city each day. He was a quick study and was one of my best clients because he worked hard on developing his value proposition and branding statements and supporting those with this SHARE stories as we practiced his interview control techniques. He was thrilled with all the support he got, loved all the practice interviewing. Frankly, it makes it easier when the client is really focused and willing to be guided by best practices. He took to heart all that we taught him and the results really paid off.

Paul is now placed with XXXX as Manager of Cost Accounting.  He endured many grueling hours of interviews. He applied the tactics we worked on, effectively utilized his SHARE stories well, and negotiated $30,000 more in salary than was stated in the initial offer. Also, he will participate in a great pension plan. One of the best things for him personally is his short commute… he no longer has to endure a long drive into San Francisco.

Paul’s quote to me was: “Hi Jo Ann, I just received the call we've been waiting for.  I got the job, with a much better than expected starting salary. I want to thank you so much for all your help, advice, and support over that past 5 months.  I'm not sure how I could have managed this process without you! You are truly the best! Paul.”

Neil B. - Industry Change - 4.5 Mo Search - $15K Signing Bonus -  4-Years Out Of Job Market

Here is a quick note from Leslie Noyes, Neil’s SC&C Campaign Director. “Neil is placed. His new title is Manager at XXXX in their Operations & Strategy Group. For health reasons, Neil was out of the job market for nearly four years. Neil did not have any previous consulting experience thus; XXXX was initially interviewing him for a lower level role. However, Neil was able to use his interviewing skills and techniques he learned during our work together and the Phoenix Experience session to create significant added value; they were so impressed that they had him interview with three Principals of the company and, following those interviews, he was offered a management role an entire level higher than the position for which he was initially interviewed.

This position is $10K more per year than his most recent corporate position. Thus, he has accomplished both an industry change and increase in salary at the same time. Today, he turned down second interviews with two companies and told them that he had a new home. Their loss, XXXX’s gain.

Salary: $150,000 + Annual Bonus
Signing Bonus: $15,000 sign-on bonus
Other: 30 additional personal days to use at his discretion, over and above his regular vacation package and a fabulous benefits package.

Glenn I. - Age 59 - $186,000 - No Relo - Industry Change - 60 Days In Search

Here is a note from Glenn’s SC&C Campaign Director, Barbara Limmer. “I'm pleased to announce that Glenn, who became our client only two months ago, has accepted a new position and will be starting on Wednesday."  

Glenn came to us on as a VP of Sales who had been laid off in Dec. '09 due to a downturn in his industry. He waited so long to come to us because in past job searches, he had been successful but realized that what he was doing was definitely not working.

Throughout his career, Glenn enjoyed a great deal of success in Sales and Sales Management; his entire career had been in a very narrow and declining industry, consumer electronics. His primary goals were to move into a new industry as a Sales Executive, and he wanted to remain in the Los Angeles area to avoid relocation.

After less than month with SCC, he had an interview with a search firm who had been hired by XXXX, a manufacturer of high-end consumer products, to find just the right Sales Executive. Glenn’s initial articulation of his core competencies, achievements, and success stories for the purpose of interviewing needed much work.

When he secured the interview with XXXX, we put our interviewing training into high gear and “crammed” for the ultimate exam – eliminating the competition and negotiating a better package.

During his interviews he spent considerable time with the President, the Executive Team, and a number of Key Investors.  In working on his presentations, we focused on the difficult interview questions, how to talk through his stories, how to close the interview, and also how to sell his background not as "consumer electronics" but rather a premium brand, high-end products. We also discussed the importance of connecting with his interviews, building rapport and "likeability" throughout the process.

Bottom line  - he received an offer which was $10k above what the search firm had said was the maximum XXXX would pay.  Not only that, but the bonus structure he negotiated is better than anything he had in the past, plus to his surprise they added stock options to the package that would build up equity.  The options will prove lucrative, because the company is private and plan to offer themselves for sale in about five years---providing a nice nest egg just in time for Glenn's planned retirement. His new position is local and commutable, so he will not have to move. All Goals Achieved!

TITLE: VP Sales (negotiated up from Sales Mgr)
COMP: $140k base (up from 120-130 as told from recruiter) + 15% bonus based on profit goal + .5% on top line sales above previous year  + 4k stock options vested over 5 years with accelerated vesting if company is sold before 5 yrs.

Rudi V. - $140K - 5.5 Mo. Search - Dir. Global Mftg & Supply Chain - Healthcare

Here is a note from Jo Ann Moser about her client Rudi and his acceptance of an "ideal" job this week. "I wanted everyone to know about Rudi’s placement. He has accepted a position as Director of Global Manufacturing & Supply Chain with XXXX (Healthcare). He will start on October 25.

A bit of the story.....Rudi's desire to work for XXXX goes back a long way; he had already interviewed for a few other functions at XXXX before we even began working with him. He interviewed for Director of Design & Engineering- and Commercialization Business Manager.

In the former title, he was the only candidate left but, due to the fact that they believed his systems engineering skills were not strong enough, they didn't offer him the position. As an aside, that position is still not filled after an entire year. For the position of Commercialization Business Manager, Rudi was the only external candidate left but this position was put on hold because of a change in programs at the company.

As part of our program, I encouraged Rudi to keep in contact with the COO and HR director and continue to show his interest in XXXX as an “ideal” employer. What do you know? Two weeks ago they contacted about the Director of Global Manufacturing & Supply Chain function. This position was never posted and Rudi had to compete with 1 internal candidate. We prepared carefully for the interview sessions. He had two meetings for this job. His first meeting was personally with the C OO/CTO (who will be his boss) and one meeting with the HR director.

Meanwhile, it happens that, at the same time he was interviewing with XXXX he also received an offer from another local (smaller and privately owned) company in his hometown when they asked him to run the company as their COO. He really wanted to work with XXXX and, as part of our negotiation strategy, I strongly suggested that he tell XXXX, in a non-threatening way that he would need their decision quickly, because of the timing of the other offer.

He did and they made it clear they wanted him, and not the other internal candidate. Friday he received the XXXX offer which he has happily accepted! I think this is a great testament to a client's tenacity! In Rudi's own words, "This offer exceeded my expectations, Jo Ann! Basic annual salary is $140K with a 30% bonus potential, 160 hrs of annual vacation and a great package as well.”

Fred K. - 5 Mo. Search - Out of Workforce 4 Years - Out of Hope / New Industry, New Function Work-At-Home - No Relo - Social Media Networking Tactics

Here is a note from Bill Temple about Fred's placement. It's my pleasure to announce that Fred has accepted the position of Director, Consulting Services for XXXX in Colorado.  Fred saw a LinkedIn posting and applied to about 7 weeks ago.

Following up on his application, Fred sought out and connected directly with the Senior Recruiter for the company who was out of the office at the time. Being a persistent job seeker, he approached another recruiter who indicated that they already had a number of applicants and were not accepting any new candidates.

Fred used some of our research techniques and located the VP of Services, two levels up from the position, and approached that person directly for a conversation; he received a return email the next morning with a cc back to the main recruiter advising the recruiter to contact Fred. The recruiter did so, and set up screening interview. We worked with Fred on specific tactics to use to leverage into multiple interviews. It worked. From the screening interview, Fred secured the name for the specific hiring manager, went to LinkedIn and Jigsaw and developed background on this person and an email address for the hiring manager.  

Fred presented his credentials directly to the hiring manager and received a call back the next day to set up a meeting and he had a very positive interview with the hiring manager who put Fred through the rest of the rigorous process steps. Ultimately, Fred eliminated of all his competition and received of the offer.  

The initial offer was for a $130K base with an in-target incentive comp of $28K (not capped), so his first year he was going to earn $158K if he was on target. Fred was also able to get them to move on the on-target incentive comp from 20% to 25%, upping the target pay to $162,500. He also negotiated a very generous benefit package. 

Fred's comments: "Working with my coach, Bill Temple, and the SC&C the tools that were provided to help me clarify my career goals and develop my strategy and attack plan - priceless. I had mostly resigned myself that the best I could do was a GM position at around $150K, after taking 4 years “off” to start a marginally successful company.

The SC&C process gave me the confidence and resolve to pursue my “best fit” career objectives. “I am ecstatic; my goal was to be able to get back into a consulting management position with P&L accountability and make $150K. And, of course, now I'm at $162,500 and, best of all, I am able to perform this job out of my home office. Just what I wanted!”

 

Greg R. - 4.5 Mo. Search - New Industry - More Pay - No Relo Required

I would like everyone to know that Greg is placed. He challenged us with four requirements for his search. They were, an opportunity for continued growth in the Quality field, a change of industries, an increase in pay and benefits, and no relocation.  What a set of challenges!  

Greg’s educational background was in Industrial Engineering. His career progressed in that discipline within the high-tech manufacturing space until this year when he decided to change industries. His role was as Director of Manufacturing Quality Assurance, always in the high-tech space. Financial difficulties caused his most recent company to reduce headcount and Greg’s job was eliminated. 

Health Care was one of his main industry targets. The challenge was to determine what was available in the Health field that would transfer from the high-tech industry. We constructed his campaign, SHARE stories and supporting materials to really focus on his transferable capabilities outside of high-tech but continuing as a Quality Professional. Interview prep was done to help him keep the message tailored to reveal his strengths in this area. During his campaign, Greg found an on-line course through which he could acquire his Six Sigma Black Belt certification, further strengthening his credentials. 

Greg worked very hard on his search and was mostly generating interest and interviews with a variety of manufacturing companies, mostly in high-tech. One day, he saw a posting for a Quality position with a health company in his home town and he applied. He was invited for an initial phone interview followed by two in-person meetings; after that he was offered the position.  

His new title is Master Change Facilitator. The emphasis is on improving service quality and efficiency by designing quality programs and implementing Lean Continuous Improvement procedures. His efforts will impact 12 hospitals and 15 clinics in his company-wide health delivery system. His compensation increased 9% from his previous job, and he now enjoys a very good benefits package, something he did not have before.

Greg achieved an opportunity for continued growth in the Quality field, a change industry, an increase in pay and benefits, while remaining in his home town. Entire Mission accomplished!

Sandy S. - $250K Performance Driven Salary - Up to $1,000,000 Equity!

Sandy is a world-class channel marketing executive who was working a consulting job out working for an Asian-based company in telecom. He wanted to get back to a domestic company, and was interested in a variety of industry segments outside of telecomm.  

One of the main goals for Sandy was to work on his career strategy and to explore options available to him. Through the course of working with SC&C on these issues, Sandy became very clear and focused on what he wanted to do which helped him clarify his “passion” for those with whom he networked. The strategic planning set the framework for his "branding" in the marketplace and then, he purchased a drum set from a family. Job related? Here's the rest of the story. It turned out the woman selling the set was a recruiter. Not being shy about creating a relationship under any circumstance, Sandy shared a bit about his background with her. She was impressed and remembered Sandy when a friend of hers with XXXX was looking for a world-wide channel leader.  

That simple introduction led to a series of conversations and relationship building discussions that ultimately generated a great offer from the company. And, as these things happen, no sooner did Sandy accept this position than a number of other very interesting opportunities surfaced for him. When it rains, it pours! At his current company, he is being mentored by a world-known figure who is one of the investors in this company. A dream fulfilled for Sandy!

His base is $190K with an upside bonus component that doesn't cap. Sandy feels he can get this closer to $250K with performance. Additionally, he was awarded 3 basis points in the value of the company which is a new way of awarding equity, similar to stock options. Frankly, this was one of the more attractive aspects of the position, as within a year or so, he could potentially have close to $1 million in equity.

Scott F. - Four Month Search - 24% Sal Increase - 20% Bonus Increase - No Relo

Here is a note from Bill Temple, Scott’s SC&C Campaign Director.  "It is my pleasure to announce that Scott has accepted the position of Senior Marketing Associate at XXXX, Inc. Scott had several search issues that restricted many possibilities for him. First, because of family health issues requiring comprehensive health coverage for his family. Second, he could not relocate. 

Working with Scott was a pleasure. He was a very focused client and together we identified companies meeting his criteria. After much research and study, we developed a target company list and then the real work began. Scott was persistent and worked closely with our team to market his candidacy. His resume and SC&C WebFolio opened the doors and helped him in securing his interviews. His multiple interviews consisted of: He had one phone interview with the VP of marketing, once phone interview with the VP of Sales and two on-site interviews with the VP of marketing and the CEO of XXXX. During these interviews, Scott effectively used his SHARE stories and interview tactics we had developed and he clearly eliminated all other candidates interviewing for the position he had targeted.  

The CEO mad it clear he wanted Scott by instructing the VP of Human Resources to offer Scott a 24% increase in their original offer and to increase his bonus opportunity by 20% and, on top of all that, she was to offer him 7500 stock options.

Scott said, “I feel this is a really sweet deal - and the company is 15 minutes from my house. After dealing with these great folks at XXXX, I feel they've already gone way out of their way to make a very fair package offer for me. I am accepting the XXXX offer and I will withdraw from consideration for a position at a major regional bank where I was in a final round of interviews. I have found my “home” with XXXX.”

Jack C. - Former SC&C Client Returns - Four Month Search - Success Again!

Here is a note from Bill Temple, Jack's SC&C Campaign Director about Jack's search process. "Jack was a client of SC&C in 2005 and wanted our help in finding something more satisfying and a position that would continue support his long-term career strategy. Three years ago, Jack's company wanted to get into the Hispanic market and they posted a position; they received a resume from a highly qualified woman. Even though the company decided not to hire her, Jack felt her background was beneficial and networked with her over the succeeding three years.

When Jack indicated to her that he was looking, and what he was doing in his job search, she referred Jack to her brother, Scott, a partner in a Phoenix-based consulting company, XXXX. Jack contacted Scott and met with him for a few hours April; then in June he met with the other partners. In July, he interviewed with other directors (peers) to learn how the process works and to be measured for his “fit”. At that time, Jack gained a wonderful sense of the culture of the business and the possibilities that existed for him and his growth potential there.  

They wanted to develop a practice called Strategic Services in the banking industry, and Jack had all the background necessary to make this a great fit. Jack was offered the position and negotiated some significant improvements to the package, and then accepted. 

Jack's biggest roadblock was getting past the idea that he had to be a CEO to be happy. The more he looked at this opportunity, the more he saw the short-term potential for him to build a great client base and earn a significant income, and the long-term potential for that client base to generate awareness of alternative career directions as they surface, should he ever need to engage in a job search again." We think, given Jack's track record, that this position will afford him that opportunity to do just that.

Larry S. - $180k Base + 30% bonus + 40% long-term incentive + 6 mos. severance!

Here is a note from Barbara Limmer, Larry's Campaign Director, about his placement. "I'm pleased to announce that Larry has accepted the position of VP of Global Marketing for XXXX, a medical device company headquartered overseas with U.S. Headquarters in the Eastern U.S.

Larry came to us with excellent experience in marketing for medical device companies. He had spent the last four years at a start-up, building the marketing team from the ground up. Unfortunately, due to the economy and the resulting business downturn, his budget had been cut in half and he was ultimately laid off. His primary desire was to secure a position where he could have significant impact. He initially preferred not to have to move from his current residence location, but soon realized that in order to obtain the best job he would need to be open to relocation.

He faced two major challenges: First, although he did have some sales experience, he had never "carried the bag" as a sales rep, which is very important in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries for those who wish to advance in sales management. Therefore, the position he sought was pure marketing, as opposed to VP of Sales and Marketing. Second, during the interview coaching and practice sessions it became clear that he stumbled and stammered quite a bit when trying to articulate his successes and in delivering his career story.

Working together on his channel marketing, networking, and interview practice and feedback, he overcame these challenges. He studied the DVD we prepared while he was going through his Phoenix Experience. He changed his interviewing style and delivery, based upon the Phoenix session, and subsequent feedback from me and, in so doing, he greatly improved the smoothness of his descriptions of his career achievements and presented his stories well enough to close eliminate his competition and close the offers in his "real" interviews. After multiple interviews with several companies, Larry was offered and accepted an ideal job for him--VP of Global Marketing for XXXX, and will be moving to the East Coast within a year.

When he was asked what aspects of the SC&C program most contributed to his successful search, he said it was the great "branding" in his resume and the powerful delivery of his successes in the SC&C designed WebFolio. In fact, he commented that a number of his contacts complimented him on his WebFolio after clicking on the link from either his email signature or his Linked In profile! Moreover, he felt that the interview work done in Phoenix was critical to his getting this job. "

COMP: $180k + 30% bonus + 40% long-term incentive + 6 mos. severance if involuntarily exited (this was important to him since he's relocating across the country from the western U.S.)

Thomas W. - 25% Salary Increase - "Perfect" Job - No Relo Required

Here is a note from Leslie Noyes, Tom’s SC&C Campaign Director. “I am pleased to announce that Thomas has accepted an offer which he is very excited about. The company is called XXXX. His new commute is only 20 min from his home.  

His new position pays a base of 25% more than his last position. His new title is Director of Innovation. Thomas is a creator, his expertise is in R&D and this position will be responsible for reviewing/analyzing and determining which products go forward. It is exactly what he was looking for.  

Thomas came to us as a Product Development / R&D Executive with extensive background in the Packaging Industry for personal care products. He'd last worked for a world-renown personal care products company. Because he was so innovative and good at what he did, they allowed him to continue to run his own company at the same time. As I said, he was a highly-successful entrepreneurial packager, designer, and distributor of unique products that he invented.

However, the business wanted him to focus more on supplier, manufacturing, and distribution issues and less time on the creative aspect of his job. Because of his love for inventing and his passion for creating new products, Thomas desired finding a company where he could apply his creativity in an R&D role.

His challenges were to find the right company where he could focus on creating new products without the responsibility of managing people. He wanted to spend more time on innovation and additionally preferred to move outside of the personal care industry.

Through our process of identifying his ideal jobs and transferable skills as they related to those jobs, we were able to brand Thomas successfully and construct a very strong marketing package that identified his key skills and the added value Thomas brings to any R&D effort. We practiced on his interview skills and, as a result, Thomas could concisely identify and articulate his values and sell them to potential employers.

Thomas attributes his success to identifying what was important to him and capturing his key selling points to deliver in both his resume and throughout the interview process. Hesourced the position through Linked In, which he had previously not been using at all and says, “What I learned from my SC&C coaching not only showed me how to properly construct my LI profile but also I learned how to quickly build and leverage a LinkedIn network; this is something I had never used before and I knew that just putting my resume on LI wasn’t the answer.”  

I worked with Thomas to have him include, as part of his negotiation strategy that he be allowed to continue to manage his private company. XXXX accepted this as part of his package and that business still thrives."

Ann M. - Multiple Interviews - Multiple Offers - New Fast Track Position

Here is a note from Leslie Noyes about her latest client placement. “I am pleased to announce that Ann is placed. Ann is very pleased with her new position at XXXX and feels she found a great position with our help.  

Ann left her last job to relocate with her husband. Ann is a collaborator but also has a lot of new ideas and wanted to be in more of a strategic human resources role. She landed an interview with one company and the prospects seemed good so we strategized for that interview. Appearances are not everything. Her scheduled 1.5 day interview turned in to a half-day session, because her flight was severely delayed and then cancelled. Given that tactical snafu, and since the VP of HR seemed to want someone who "thought just like she did". She determined that this company was a bad fit and when they made her the offer she politely turned them down.  

Shortly thereafter, she was contacted by XXXX which she felt was an excellent match for her. She used all of her SHAREs we had worked on throughout the interview process. Ann quickly eliminated her competition through the interview process and won the offer. Within a week, another company with whom she had interviewed called her for another round of interviews and she politely declined.  

Ann was able to secure the highest pay scale at her hiring range because she negotiated using our practiced tactics. She also negotiated additional monies for relocation. When she asked about a larger bonus structure, increasing her bonus from 10% to 20%, she was told that there was no real structure in place to do that.

Guess what? She was then invited to be on the team to restructure bonuses, including her own. Thus, she is guaranteed minimum of 10% but, depending on what they decide for bonus increases; Ann will have a direct impact upon the entire bonus system, including her own. Additionally, they have already discussed with her the immediate career path in to Regional Director of HR. Currently this position is not yet created but it was discussed with Ann and she will be introduced to the other locations as well. It looks like a fast track for Ann.

Rich B. - 2 Mo. Search - Moved Back To Corporate After 15 Yrs. In Family Business

Here is an email from Jo Ann Moser, Rich’s Campaign Director, about his placement. “Hi all, Rich has placed. Rich has accepted an offer from XXXX as Regional Sales Manager. His territory is the western region- 4 states around Texas. Lots of travel which is OK with him. He will receive a paid a bonus of between 2% and 4% based on sales volume he generates.

Rich came to SCC after working in sales in the family business with his father for the past 15 years.  His Dad had retired and the economy had been very tough on the business.  Rich did not think he wanted to rebuild the business- instead wanted to move into a new position in a larger corporation in a new industry.  Rich is from Texas and was limited to staying within a 50-mile radius of his home, for family considerations.

He was networking with a recruiter who felt he could be a good candidate for the Regional sales position at XXXX.  He interviewed locally and was then flown to the home office where he went through extensive interviews. Upon returning home, he received an offer.

Rich was concerned about his interviewing skills, especially meeting the expectations of a larger corporation and doubted his abilities, having worked in the family business for 15 years.  We worked hard on interview techniques and confidence building. His search time was approximately 2 months from when we competed his packaging. Rich commented on his search in an email to me:  "Thanks for the input and all your help, Jo Ann.  If you ever need a referral for a prospective client, feel free to use me."

Mike W.  - Multiple Interviews - 5 Mo Search - $40K 1st year Bonus Guarantee

 Here is a note from Leslie Noyes, Mike's Campaign Director. "I am very pleased to tell you about Mike's placement. I just spoke with Mike and here is what he said. "I went in to this process at a certain level thinking I knew how to find a job, only to find out I was doing it all wrong, and SCC helped me to do it correctly. As a result, I got a lot of activity and interviews that I didn't have before. This was extremely helpful." Mike is now the Senior VP/General Manager with XXXX. Prior to joining them, he had worked for the two largest organizations in this industry, American Express and Carlson Travel. He was RIF'd in 2008 and this was his biggest hurdle.

Mike had several job offers in the works but with the timing and the great offer he was presented with today, he is bowing out of the others. His offers on the table included a pending offer one from one of the largest banks in the country and he received a call today from a company that Shanti Brown, an SCC marketing Specialist, had contacted. Shanti was also able to secure interviews with a number of companies, Expedia Corporation being among them. He was able to negotiate a better package with XXXX,  including $20K more to his base salary and a bonus increase from 30 to 40%, including a guaranteed first year bonus of $40K. His new company has a lot of room for him to grow and move to levels of increasing responsibility within the same organization.

Title: VP and GM
Salary: $135K Base
Bonus: 40% with $40K guaranteed in the first year
Benefits:  Car Allowance, Health and the usual packages at this level

Charlie J. - 3 Mo. Search - $675,000 package 1st yr. - approaching $1MM in 3-years

I'm pleased to announce that Charlie J. has accepted the job of VP of Sales-North America with XXXX. He'll be working out of his home in the United States. Charlie came to us in three months ago with extensive experience in sales leadership in the technology sector, but struggled with his interviewing skills. Although Charlie is exceptionally skilled in sales and in coaching and developing sales staff and teams, he knew he wasn't good at selling himself during interviews, and also wasn't sure he was establishing a good level of rapport with his interviewers.

After working hard to specifically articulate his achievements and success stories first in writing for his marketing materials, and then verbally in interviews, plus working on tips/techniques to establish rapport and distinguish himself from his competition, he became a finalist for three different positions at three separate companies.  After receiving the initial offer, that he finally accepted, we worked on several negotiation tactics which he successfully employed. Charlie negotiated a package in excess of $675,000 with negotiated increase that will likely put his package near $1 million, within three years. 

Through his use of influencing and persuasion, demonstrating his selling abilities and ability to connect with his customers/interviewers, Charlie was able to achieve his goal of landing lucrative and challenging work (and not having to move) in a very short period of time.

Salary: $225,000 – up from $200k original offer
Other: + $200k variable pay + 50,000 stock options – up 25,000 over initial offer (value $200,000 - Restricted Stock Units valued between $30 - $50,000 annually (+ dividends)
Total Package Year 1 - $675,000 with negotiated package near $1Million in Year 3

Jeff M. - Age (61) - Unemployed Since 2009 - $178,250

Jeff came to us after five months of unemployment. He targeted the Energy Sector. Here are his specific search process timelines, including the dates and steps of the interview processes resulting in his success. We began working with Jeff on April 1, 2010.

1.       Applied for position April 10  (10 days)
2.       Email from company requesting phone interview: April 20  (20 days)
3.       Phone interview with HR:  April 30  (30 days)
4.       Phone interview with Hiring Manager: May 5  (35 days)
5.       First F-2-F interviews at HQ : May 24  (54 days)
6.       Hiring Manager discussion - increase scope of position: June 1  (60 days)
7.       Second Interviews at HQ: July 10  (100 days)
8.       Initial offer letter and telephone conversation: July 22  (112 days)
9.       Final offer conversation and acceptance August 2  (122 days)

Total Time In Search:  4 Months

Reason For Offer: The company confirmed that he was selected because of his excellent background and experience, passion and energy level and his compatibility with their defined corporate culture.

Analysis of Campaign:  Interestingly, age was a major factor that was in play in this search. In this client's case, it worked for him. The competition for a senior position and the number of younger candidates was intense. Through careful SC&C preparation and working with him on branding, establishing value propositions, defining core competencies and his presentation style was he able to deliver those in such a way as to result in a successful search in such a short time.

The conditions in today’s marketplace require careful planning and flawless execution. Unless a client is well prepared with a marketing plan to position them as a highly competitive candidate, they will either not make the cut or they will have to accept a position that is not a good career move and their career will be further behind - both strategically and financially.

Client Debriefing Quote: I believe that my age (61) was actually a plus for this position, though I firmly believe it was a big negative for my overall job search.  In my case, the SC&C process was especially valuable in upgrading my interview skills and this, specifically, I felt led to my ability to negotiate a much better final offer.

Base Salary:  $178,250
Package:  Full Relo, Stock Options, Bonus Program, Temp Living Expenses, Full Dental and Medical, etc.

H.H. - Fortune 500 - 6 Wk Search - $210K Base - 45% Bonus - Ideal Job

Here is a note from one of Bill Temple’s clients about his new position.  “Bill, I have received a job offer (attached) from XXXX as Vice President of R&D. I will oversee all of Product Development of the $300M division and report to the president. This is a dream job in many respects: global leadership position, great Fortune-500 company/culture, substantially higher compensation, great manager and management team, and products that I will enjoy working on.

I get to relocate to my preferred location. The interview process was amazingly rigorous and I interviewed with 15 diverse executives. However, I was quite prepared and did well due to the effective coaching from you. The interview process took about 6 weeks. Surprising, but this position was posted on job board. I applied but it took my SC&C marketing specialist, Pam Longworth, to make the initial contact. One thing I learned is that if one applies to a job board, their resume and collateral materials had better really stand out.

Several key things that contributed to my success to landing this job:1) My marketable background and qualifications expressed in attractive and understandable manner, 2) The wonderful polished resume and SC&C WebFolio, 3) Interviewing skills - I used to think I knew a lot about interviewing until I worked with Bill and learned so much more, 4) Interviewing mistakes - I made crucial mistakes on some of my key interviews before, working with SC&C, but in this one I got it all right.  One thing that really helped me was developing a diplomatic, matter-of-fact answer as to why I left my previous job and ended up unemployed.

Thank you, Bill, for showing me "how to fish" and now I have the skills and confidence in the event that I am on the job market in the future.”

Salary:  $210,000 Base
Bonus: 45% of Salary
Package: Equity Reward Program (25%), Restricted Stock, Vehicle Allowance ($32K), 401K, Complete Relo and other benefits in keeping with a Fortune 500 company at division management levels.

Ted S. - Industry Change - 5 Mo Search - $20K Signing Bonus -11% Salary  Increase

Ted came to us in mid-March, with a 20 year career in manufacturing within the food industry. He did a 4-year stint as an HR manager (which ended 4 years ago), and recently discovered that his passion is Human Resources, so he wanted back into the HR field. He also wanted to expand his career beyond the food industry. He is incredibly smart, having his undergraduate degrees in both mechanical engineering and physics! His only HR experience was from 2002-2006, he had limited geographical options due to family considerations. 

We worked together to create his marketing materials and develop his interview skills so as to showcase his operational background as unique added value rather than a liability compared to his competition of people whose careers were mostly or solely in HR. We also worked out an appropriate response to the common interview question "Why did you leave your last employer?"

After interviewing for several positions, he accepted the position of HR Business Partner at XXXX at an 11% increase over his previous salary. In anticipation of his taking a loss on the sale of his house, he also negotiated the addition of a signing bonus of $20k (despite being unemployed). Also, this position will take him to the location his family most desired.

Ted utilized his unique combination of operations, HR, leadership, and technical expertise, as well as his personal style in connecting with his interviewers and communicating the value he brings in order to secure this position. In his thank you email to his campaign team, he said "I was able to obtain a position that offered me exactly what I was looking for and I could not have done that without the great support I received from each of you!"

Title: HR Business Partner
COMP: $160k + 60% bonus + full relo pkg + $1k relo allowance + $20k signing bonus (negotiated up from zero signing bonus). Base is 11% increase over last position despite last position being Sr. Ops Mgr and not in HR, which is typically a lower paying field.

Herbert M. - - $175,000 + Bonus  - Rejoins Old Company

Herbert is very good at what he does. His former company downsized then over 2010, it righted itself. He was not unhappy to leave because of the negative environment he had worked under there. However, in his networking efforts, Herb kept in touch with colleagues at his former employer. His network let it be known to the new management that, under specific circumstances, he might return, since there were previous disagreements about scope of authority and the negative environment created by former management.  

They contacted him and asked him to return. Today, he joined them as SVP - Global Supply Chain. Herbert's biggest concern was the culture of the organization. We worked with him on structuring his negotiation sessions to accomplish his goals and carve out a good fit for both him and the company. He negotiated with them for several months. What made the difference in his decision was a very serious and open conversation with the new management team about how the business should be operated. They liked his approach and that was that. Herb is now in a position to influence the culture of the operation even more. 

Salary:  $175,000
Benefits: Complete scope of benefits

Susan K. –COO– Industry Change - $200K + 40% Bonus – Six Interviews – Three Offers

Susan had been out of work for 4 months when she came to us with no meaningful interviews or leads. She wished to explore opportunities outside the Pharmaceutical Industry where she had spent her entire career. She accomplished that and much more as you will see. Through the SC&C target company calling process, her SC&C Campaign Marketing Specialist arranged six interviews, all of which were outside her previous industry. At the time she accepted this offer she was still actively interviewing with three companies. 

The position is an elevated position as her last position from Senior Director/Team Leader in a Pharma company to Chief Operating Officer from am entirely different industry and she reports only to the CEO. Susan had a lot of distractions both before and throughout the program, some difficult personal issues made it hard for her to focus and she got very down on many occasions thinking she would not be able to find a position in this difficult marketplace. As we worked together, I provided her with the tools she needed to succeed especially networking techniques and strategies which she previously had not been doing. Susan received many leads and information through LinkedIn as a result. She also had a very caring Career Consultant, Art Lane, who empathized with her and was straightforward (and tough, no empty promises!) with her as well. This is what Susan needed to succeed. The job market was beating her down, but with so much to offer, by remaining focused and remaining positive she was successful. This was truly a team effort!

Position: Chief Operating Officer reporting directly to CEO
Salary: $200,000 Annual Base plus 40% Bonus
Other: $500/mo car allowance, $5k relocation expenses, 401K matching, medical 100% paid benefits start first day of employment, Vacation: 4 weeks

David D. - Age Issue - Ideal Company - Two Offers - $150K This Year & $160K Next

Two Ideal Companies - Ideal Job - $150,000 Start/$160K Next Year. Here is a note from David's Campaign Director. "It is my pleasure to announce that David has accepted a position as Director of Engineering, in this instance a COO position, with XXXX. David's campaign was longer than usual but he wanted just the right company and just the right offer. Now, he has both!  David was positive, proactive, and focused on the goals he had set for this search effort. He has another company, YYYY, which offered him a start date later this year. David selected XXXX as his ideal choice and reports to work in two weeks."

Salary:  Yr-1 $150K; Yr. 2 and 3 $160,000 guaranteed
Full Benefits and Relo

Mike R. - 4 Mos. In Search - No Relo Required - CFO

Here is a note from George Stecyk, about his client Mike R. "I am very pleased to announce that Mike has accepted a new position with XXXX. When Mike started his campaign with SC&C, his company was in a difficult situation which was going to be resolved by either: 1.) Restructuring the company to continue in business; or 2.) Selling the company; or 3.) Dissolving the company. As CFO, the amount of time Mike could devote to his job search was limited, because he was so heavily involved with managing the dissolution of the company.

With a tight schedule and limited availability, we launched his search. We regularly discussed networking and ramping up the campaign and focused on the interview training so he would be able to react to potential interest in his candidacy.  Ultimately, just after starting his search, his company went into receivership. The good news is this; within 3 weeks, from that point in time, he was interviewing. After only a couple of rounds of interviews, an offer was made, he countered, they countered and he accepted. Mike now has a great job with a highly respected company in NM. He avoided having to relocate and has significant upside in business development, which is unusual for a CFO, but well suited for Mike's particular background."

Salary: $120k
Package: 10% bonus; 25% referral plan, cell phone, fitness facility on site, health, dental and vision401k; FSA; tuition reimbursement; company wellness program

Bruce C . - Reintroducing You To You - Renewed Hope - A Great Client Story

We have briefly described his situation and have also included a personal note from him to his SC&C Campaign Director, Jo Ann Moser.

Bruce came to SCC after the collapse of the company where he had worked as a VP for 15 years.  It had been a very niche company. His network was weak  and, because he had spent the last 15 years of his career focusing on trying to make the company work, he kept his nose to the grindstone and had not maintained his network nor had he bothered to look around to see what else might be available to him. Then, the company collapsed around him. This left him, like many executives who we see today who are in search, very vulnerable. What follows is his note to Jo Ann Moser.  

"I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of you at Stewart, Cooper & Coon.  Your help and support have been tremendous along the way.  I can't say enough good things about Jo Ann (his Campaign Director) - she was a great resource.  There were two areas in particular that were most beneficial to me. 

1) Interview preparation - having always been comfortable talking with people, the work we did preparing and practicing for interviews helped me focus my responses to insure I was getting "my story" out efficiently and with clarity.  I learned that it wasn't just a matter of being a comfortable speaker - there needed to be a purpose behind what I was saying.

2) Developing skills sets and SHARE stories.  Aside from having SHARE stories at the ready for an interview - the research and soul searching one must do looking at their career and past successes had a benefit I didn't anticipate at the outset. 

 It gave me the opportunity to re-introduce myself to me.  It gave me a renewed confidence, energy and belief in myself.  Being unemployed for the first time in my career was a significant jolt.  Regaining my fighting spirit through this process had many positive benefits to me and my life - in addition to the search for employment.  This was the greatest gift of all!

As I told Jo Ann - you should feel good today, you made a positive difference in someone's life. Thanks for everything....Bruce"

Tim M. - $150K Base - 40% Bonus - No Relo - 5 Month -Search - New Function Area

Tim is an IT professional who came to us in late February, 2010. His position with his previous position ended in January and he had a 6-month severance package. He hoped to either stay in CA, which would meet his family needs. Tim is British and here on a green card. Citizenship is expected later this summer. Tim had a career in IT security but that is not what he most wanted to do moving forward. He wanted work on the global infrastructure side of things.   He described his ideal job as being in Infrastructure Design.

Tim worked his job search campaign, very hard, and did lots of networking; he never missed one of our scheduled calls. He identified a company he wanted to work for, XXXX. Last week he interviewed with them and received his offer this week. He accepted the position title of Western Region Service Delivery Director for the Infrastructure Managed Services arm of XXXX.

Tim negotiated a salary of $150K which was $30,000 more than the $120K they had originally offered him. Tim told me that he was especially pleased with the practice interviewing and negotiating work and training we did with him and he felt that this alone allowed him to achieve a $30,000 or, a 25% increase, from the original amount offered. He starts next week.

Base Salary $150K
Bonus 40%
Package: 401K, medical/dental benefits and stock purchase

Rod. - $140K Base + 20% Bonus + 2-Months in Search - Multiple Search Issues

Rod came to us with fabulous credentials, having an active CPA license, an MBA from UCLA and two Bachelor's degrees in Business and Physics. Although he had great credentials, he felt he needed assistance in verbally presenting and selling himself. Rod is a very quiet person.  He also needed assistance in how to articulate his departure from his most recent employer, because he was asked to leave due to a personality issue with his former boss.  Another issue that became apparent through our process is that, even though at the start he said he was open to relocation, as he began to interview in other parts of the country, his family because increasingly opposed to having to move.

From the start he was getting interest from search firms and recruiters. He interviewed with a several companies during the past two months (one which led to an offer that he declined due to not wanting to move to the “hinterlands.” He had another offer in process when he accepted his current position; he turned it down because it was not in an area pleasing to his family. We worked closely with Rod on his interview and negotiation skills, including his SHARE stories, describing not only what he did but also the value he brought to the organization.  We also worked out an appropriate answer to the question "Why did you leave your last employer?"  His credentials opened the door for him to interview at several companies, but our work on the interviewing and negotiation process played a critical part in his getting the offer he wanted without having to relocate his family. After only two months working with us, he accepted the Corporate Controller position with XXXX which is located in his current town. His family is thrilled that they won't have move.

TITLE: Corporate Controller
COMP: 140K base (10k over what they had initially told him was the maximum they could offer) + 20% bonus

Larry F. - They are still calling - SC&C Networking Tactics Worked Very Well!

Larry is now working with a really fun company XXXX. They make those toys for teenage kids that are wildly popular right now. Larry came from the sports manufacturing industry and he really enjoyed it but opportunities in this industry were diminishing. This problem was compounded because he needed to stay where he was and couldn’t relocate. In his new job, he gets the best of both – a growing industry segment and no relocation.

Before he began his search with SC&C no one was knocking on his door. Larry had 4 interviews that did not progress, thus we focused on developing his network and rebuilding his interview skills, using our SHARE system of interview control. After we coached him, helped him design his network strategy, made sure his tactics were in keeping with the market today, and branded and packaged him to create demonstrable added value, the phone began ringing off the hook.

Larry like so many executives had not had the time to build and cultivate a properly structured and managed network throughout his career. He had never had to do this and it was starting from scratch for him. He jumped in with both feet and developed a great network over time. With our guidance, he built a properly searchable Linked-In profile and built his LI and other professional networks. He even started his own group that had a Linked In presence, as well as face to face meetings. After increasing his networking activity, so did his number of leads. By developing his SHARE stories and being able to deliver them, this time he landed the job!

Here is a note directly from Larry to his SC&C Campaign Director, Leslie Noyes: …they made an offer which was low-ball ($100K base plus $25K bonus), I countered with the fact that I needed a higher base ($125K) which they agreed to along with $1K per month contribution towards insurance premiums and 3 weeks vacation all of which I asked for. Funny thing is since accepting my phone is ringing off the hook. My networking strategy we worked out together is still working for me every day. So far, after accepting my position, I’ve had a face-to-face interview Monday, a phone interview last Friday with a follow up interview scheduled for next week. Go figure after months of nothing on my own, I hook up with SC&C and, suddenly, I'm a hot commodity. Thanks for all your help and support.

Scott M. - CFO - No Experience In New Industry - $150K Base - 3 Mos. In Search

Scott has started his new position. He is working as CFO at XXXX, a medical device company. Scott formerly worked for YYY ( Fortune 75 company) and then most recently ZZZ (Fortune 1500 company) and had his own consulting firm. He particularly focused on health care for this search. He had no experience in the health care industry. We spoke at length about the necessity of developing contacts within healthcare. Scott is on the Board for the YMCA and so I discussed with him how to leverage those contacts, to connect with health care executives. This was successful and it allowed him to speak with a CEO of major hospital and a COO at a large national health insurance coverage provider and many others. One of these contacts introduced him to the President of XXXX, his new company. This position was not posted, the incumbent CFO was not a cultural fit thus a very confidential search was underway and, when they met him, they decided Scott was a perfect match for their company. Industry was no longer was a barrier.

Base Salary $150K
Bonus up to 90%
4 01K, Health Benefits, and the usual at this level in a company.

Tom M. - SVP Risk Management - $10K Salary More Than Board Authorized

Here is a note from Tom to his SC&C Campaign Director, Leslie Noyes. "The FDIC approved the application as of today and I start as SVP of Risk Management at XXXX on Monday. Actually, I meet my boss tomorrow to go over some stuff since he's going to pretty much be out of the office for the next two weeks. Thanks to you, Erin and Art for all the help and moral support. It's been a long several months but you kept me going and I think it did make a difference. I also know we aren't done but merely shifting gears. Thanks again everyone. Tom"

Here is the rest of the story. Tom was downsized by his company who offered him the usual outplacement services which Tom felt would not meet his needs for making a successful career move. Instead, he chose Stewart, Cooper & Coon to assist him with his search. Tom had not interviewed in a very long time and interviewing was not his strong point. We worked extensively on this, as it seemed Tom could not effectively discern or communicate his own value and, as most of us who are over forty were taught to do at home, he minimized his successes.  Working together, we were able to turn that around and Tom learned how to effectively communicate his core competencies and behavioral style and to integrate those in support of his accomplishments. He received encouragement and support from everyone on the SCC team.

Tom used the SC&C interview tactics and techniques to increase his PE ratio and to demonstrate “superior added value”. This set well with the President who went to the Board of Directors and secured Tom another $10,000 above the Board approved base salary level, “despite tight cash flow”. He will report directly to the President & CEO.

Title: SVP Risk Management
Salary Base: $120K + Bonus
Benefits: Health, Dental, 401 K with 50% match up to 6%, continuing education
Start Date 7/12/10

Here is the client survey form Summary Comment provided by Tom:

"I am very satisfied with the overall support I received. I think it definitely contributed to my finding a job sooner than if I had been on my own. I was also left with the impression that the SC&C approach consisted of more actual effort than other firms provide. I’ve continued to talk about my positive experience to other searchers as well as suggesting to the HR director of my former employer that they should consider SC&C as their regular outplacement vendor."

Chuck C.  - 3.5 months In Search!

Here is a note from George Stecyk, Chuck's SC&C Campaign Director. Chuck has accepted a new position as Manager of Safety for the City of XXXX. Chuck is truly passionate about safety and it came through when we were developing his SHARE stories. While he had been involved in safety for nearly 12 years as part of his job responsibilities, he held a Safety Manager title for only two years; this was a potential barrier. One of his goals was to secure a management position where his sole responsibilities would center on designing, implementing and monitoring safety programs.

His new job offers him the challenge of “owning” the city’s safety programs. He will oversee safety at 20 facilities staffed by more than 800 employees; he’s the city’s top safety official. This job will also give him the flexibility to continue the pursuit of his MBA.

Chuck’s success was due, in great part, to his attitude and consistent level of effort. We couldn’t ask for a more motivated client. He willingly sought and took the  advice we provided, followed the SC&C program recommendations, completed assignments ahead of schedule and even let me stretch him some by utilizing his WebFolio during phone interviews; he really liked doing that and was very proud of the way SC&C packaged and presented him. Once his campaign launched, Chuck averaged an initial interview each week. His new position, very surprisingly, was found on Craig’s List!  This just goes to show you can never predict where the jobs will be found, and why it’s so important to really work all opportunity channels. He continues to receive daily calls regarding new opportunities.

Carol D. - $10K Signing Bonus - $235,000 Base - $77K In Performance Bonuses

Word for word from our client: "Heartfelt thanks to all of you for all your hard work.  I could not have done this without you.  You are the best!" Now, the rest of the story from her SC&C Campaign Director, Bill Temple.

Carol has accepted a position as Associate General Counsel for XXXX. At the time of her acceptance, Carol had developed high levels of interest from two other companies and used that interest level to "move" XXXX forward, and improve the negotiations.   This position originated by her looking at the company's website and applying for a position. The company, for some reason, thought she needed a visa, and called her to see if she had one. She did not need a visa, but the call turned into a first-round interview that ultimately led to multiple interviews over several weeks, and a lot of communication with the key contacts in the company over time.

Carol was very communicative with me, allowing me to help her through each step of the process. When the company initially presented the pricing for the position, they were at about $199K base with an estimated $66 K in bonuses. By the time the offer was extended, the base was up to $235K, with a bonus of about $77K. In addition, Carol negotiated a signing bonus of $10K.

Donna S. - Choice Counts!    170K  +  NO Relocation Required

Donna received two offers from different companies. Donna has worked in the digital media space - a very competitive and shrinking industry. This was one of her main concerns and she could not relocate. She just accepted the position of Vice President of XXXX and she does not have to relocate. XXXX is actually a fast growing internet start up. Donna is excited to be able to get in on the ground floor and feels the company has a competitive edge, and with the equity, this could be an extremely lucrative career move.

Title: Vice President of Sales
Base: $170,000
Bonus: up to 15% of base
Commission on top of base and bonus
Equity +401K, Dental + Medical + 1 Year Severance

Gary S. - $20,000 More Than 1st Offered - Only 90 days In Search - 100% Bonus

Gary has accepted a position created just for him, as Value Stream Manager at XXXX, a manufacturer of machinery and equipment. Gary started with us in mid-January and had his Phoenix Experience visit in mid-March.  Like many of our clients, Gary has an excellent background, but needed help in better articulating his successes and not underplaying his value. During his Phoenix Experience visit, we emphasized selling his behavioral competencies, not just his functional and technical skills, and using his warmth and humor to connect with interviewers.  He then had several other interviews at XXXX, and was being considered for a two different positions.  Below, is Gary’s email explaining this position that was created just for him:

“I received a job offer from XXXX today. It looks like a very good offer, salary/bonus/vacation. They have created a new job for me. I will be designing a focus factory for their largest facility. I will mentor and coach a team of star employees from all divisions. This will be a super charged team, a pilot program with high visibility. They want to model the rest of the company after this model. It looks like a good match of my skills and endless advancement opportunities.”

When I asked Gary if he had to select only one thing from SCC that played a major part in his getting this position, he said his SCC resume and all the work involved in thinking through exactly what he did and what his results were.  He said they were “blown away” by the SCC WebFolio and without the behavioral competency interview training by Ron Venckus, they would not have made the offer they did.

Gary is relieved that he will not need to relocate. He is especially happy that the job offer came in at $20k above what they had originally told him to expect and wanted to thank us for making sure he knew what to do and say at his multiple interview sessions.

Title: Value Stream Manager
COMP: $135k + 15% bonus (no cap--can receive more than 100% of bonus depending on personal and company performance)

Kurt A. - Multiple Interviews - Partner Level - 2.5 Months in Search - No Relo

A note from his SCC Campaign Director, Leslie Noyes - Kurt has accepted a partnership with XXXX. This is an executive-for-hire organization. They serve small to mid companies who are in need of interim executive management services. SCC has another client Denise S., who also joined this company and has been doing quite well with them. In fact I suggested to Kurt he speak with her at the national conference which is this weekend.

He's very pleased with the model and the organization's reputation and he said to me yesterday he applied all the SCC learning to help him decide direction and secure the partnership deal. Kurt is very entrepreneurial and was concerned about getting into an organization that would stifle that. He also wished to keep is family in Southern California and this role will achieve both of these goals. Just before he accepted, he had interviews with four major “household” name companies in his target market, California.

Jeff H. - No Relo Required - Dream Job - One Of His Primary Target Companies

Here is a note from Barbara Limmer, Jeff's Campaign Director. I'm thrilled to announce that Jeff has accepted the position of Group Leader, with a defense contractor, XXXX, which was one of his targeted companies he wanted to work for.  XXXX is an FFRDC (not for profit, Federally Funded Research and Development Corporation), and with Jeff's background from the Air Force, as well as degrees in Astronautical Engineering and Aeronautical Science, this is a "dream" organization for Jeff.  Here's his story:

Jeff came to us after a 20-year career in the USAF, with only a couple of years experience in the private sector.  He and his wife were in the process of building a house in CO, and he was not willing to work elsewhere, nor was he thrilled about the idea of commuting back/forth to DC, which is what he had been doing for the last several months with his previous employer. 

Sherri (Jeff’s SCC marketing specialist) did a fabulous job in presenting Jeff to companies, but was not able to get any traction with XXXX, most likely because, as Jeff has now learned, it is very difficult to get XXXX to consider someone unless they come recommended from people on the inside.  Through Jeff's networking and following up on the people with whom Sherri spoke, he was able to get noticed. 

After a few phone conversations, he was invited to DC for what turned out to be an incredibly comprehensive interview process, including a 1-hour "briefing" presentation.  Per Jeff, "6 hours of interviewing and briefing, all with guys with 40 lb. brains – there were more PhDs than there were people in the room. I never knew interviews could be so friendly but so mentally challenging – every person I interviewed with had at least one PhD. Nothing like being the weakest link… I felt like all the interviews went well, and the briefing went fairly well, considering it started late, was interrupted twice, and got cut short."  He even had what we think was a heckler "plant" in the room during his presentation, who asked silly questions to perhaps try to break Jeff's rhythm!

He received an offer within a couple weeks of his visit.  Not only is Jeff thrilled at getting to work for one of his dream companies, but he will also be working out of their CO facility, so he will not need to move or commute across the country on a weekly basis.

When asked what areas of the SCC process stand out most as contributing to his getting this job, Jeff said "Of all the things I did in connection with SC&C, the SHARE story development and my interview preparation were the most instrumental in getting this job.  Why?  Because my one hour brief on analysis and program management was really a tweaked SHARE brief.  Beyond that, rehashing the salary negotiation rules and techniques was helpful too. Below are the particulars of this position:

Title: Group Leader
Compensation: $125K + excellent benefits, including 23 days vacation and 50-100% reimbursement if Jeff chooses to continue his education and obtain a Ph.D.

Malcolm S. - 3 Month Search - Multiple Interviews - Landed Perfect Company

Here is a note from Barbara Limmer, Malcolm's SC&C Campaign Director. "Malcolm has accepted a position at XXXX as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Foodservice in a Western state - in just over 95 days.

 Art Lane, SC&C Managing Partner for Corporate Outplacement in the Central U.S. region developed the working relationship between SC&C and Malcolm's former company and when they reorganized, they asked SC&C to assist those outplaced employees faced with job and career transition. 

Malcolm started with us just a tad over three months ago; He has had multiple interviews, some of which were still in progress at time of his acceptance. He nearly received an offer at YYYY and came in #2; however, YYYY was his second choice anyway. XXXX, where he finally landed, was Malcolm’s #1 choice. When he came to us, he was concerned about his ability to interview well and that was our starting point. Upon conducting mock interviews with Malcolm, I found he was very articulate but like most candidates, he did not establish value, get to the results and incorporate behavioral competencies into his interviews.  

We worked through SHARE stories together, in which he discovered he had many successes, and Malcolm ended up being one of my best interviewees. We conducted numerous practice interviews in prep for XXXX and YYYY (and six other companies with which he had interviews). He really wanted the offer from XXXX so he accepted their offer and is moving this week to his new home.

Here is the REAL Thing. Client Offer Process Notes From Multiple Offers!

We thought that you might be interested in real notes from one of our clients about evaluation of multiple offers and the process of deciding upon which to take.

Day 1 of Evaluation Period: "XXXX Job offer expected Monday. Good conversation with relo manager yesterday.  I had already scheduled a realtor to come out for next Wednesday, but relo mgr wanted me to try to do it sooner, so she got me the name of another realtor, who can come out Monday.  I want to have heard the realistic sale price from a realtor before making the final decision. My future XXXX boss called today to say that they are now ready to issue the offer letter (they wanted me to think over the offer first so as not to negotiate once the letter is received) and she asked what start date to put. I have not officially accepted yet. I mentioned that  their relo person had offered for me  to come out and choose the temp living apt. and that I would want to do that and then I would need to come home and come back with my stuff, so 2-3 weeks. She said ok let's make it April 5th and we can always bump it out. 
 
YYYY - I spoke with the General Counsel yesterday morning, told him I have a job offer from XXXX. He is still interested in me but had one more person to see.  My family will pull for me to take this job if I get it, but it has two drawbacks - 1) company is not healthy and has bad recent history 2) boss works 7 a.m.-7 p.m.  The pluses are 1) in Cleveland 2) would get SEC experience for next job as a General Counsel.
 
ZZZZ - The recruiter knows that I have an offer. The recruiter reports that they are seeing one candidate tomorrow and another on April 7th. They HR VP was told that an offer was imminent from another company for me, and they said I am a strong candidate but their process is their process.  The 2 remaining candidates are both men and both out of town, so the recruiter says those factors bode in my favor with the company.  After the April 7th interview, there would still be the need for possibly 2 of the candidates to meet the CEO. My guess is that this process could take until May at the slow rate they are going. Optimistically, they might be in a position to make an offer by late April.  So it does not look like it will work for me. 

Day 3 of Evaluation Period - I have received the XXXX offer letter via PDF and am expecting the hard copy via Fed Ex today. It does not contain an expiration date but it does state a start date of April 5th, as I mentioned.
 
Both the relo costs and signing bonus have to be repaid if my employment is terminated within 1 and 2 years.  It seems to me, especially after being through what I just went through, where I got laid off after one year that I should not have to repay those if they let me go without cause. So that is one point I know I need to bring up with them. The second is that it does not mention vacation, which is probably just their way. In the verbal offer I was told that 3 weeks is standard but that they would consider 4 weeks if I asked. 

Day 4 of Evaluation Period

The recruiting firm for YYYY called me this morning. She is a veteran, just like you, and has seen it all.  She told me that having a home buy out option from my prospective new employer, as I do, is rare. She also told me that the she has several attorneys and former GCs in her stable of unemployed folks whom she is helping "transition" and the job market is still very bad, so having a job offer is also rare and I am lucky.  I briefly described to her how I am comfortable with the out-of-state offer, company, and people. Her advice was to take the out-of-state job (once I have the info I need from the realtors about market value of my home) when I reach the deadline to do so. But, like you, and like the recruiter for YYYY, she also said that reneging was not an evil thing so if I want to continue with my present company. I should do so.  She did tell me, though, that those weeks will be like walking through the fires of hell in terms of stress level.
 
Later, the recruiter for JJJJ called to say that JJJJ HR VP wants me to know that they understand that I have to do what's best for me and my family and they will not hold it against me if I want to continue to work with them after accepting another job.  Recruiter also told me off the record that the candidate they saw yesterday was strong but somewhat nervous and serious, which the JJJJ folks remarked on since they are looking for someone they can joke around with and get along with because they are super focused on a cultural fit (and I was very loose and joking with them, by the way). Then we had realtor #1 out to get the market assessment under way.

Day 5 of Evaluation Period

I've accepted the job with XXXX. My first day is April 16th. Lots to do between now and then! Please thank everyone on my SC&C team for making all of this possible for me. Your support “made” my career future."

David E. - Partner - 5 Months In Search

We wanted to share a note from a client who sent the following note about an offer he has accepted today to his SC&C Campaign Director, Bill Temple. “Bill – I would like to thank you and everyone that has assisted me in my recent job search. Last week I accepted a position as a partner with XXXX. I’m sure it will take me a couple of months to get everything up and running, but I am genuinely looking forward to the opportunity. Again, thanks for all of your assistance and please let me know if I can do anything in return." We will publish the full details when we secure all of the details on the overall search strategy. Check back for the full story.

Mark B. -  $145,600 - 7.5% Salary Increase - Both Search Goals Achieved

Here is a note from Barbara Limmer, Mark’s SC&C Campaign Director. “Congratulations are in order. Mark has accepted the position of Senior Project Engineer for XXXX in CA.  Mark is literally a "rocket scientist"---he is an Aeronautical and Astronautical engineer who designs rockets for the aerospace industry.   

I've had the pleasure of working with all sorts of technical and IT clients over the years, but Mark's jobs were the most technical I've experienced, and the challenge for him was to articulate his achievements and successes in a way that would be understandable, let alone be perceived as highly valuable, to most business hiring authorities.

His first challenge was that he was very quiet and reserved, by nature, and he was uncomfortable with the interview process. When he visited us in Phoenix, we worked very hard on interview tactics that would help him "come out of his shell" and be able to sell his experience in a way that would eliminate his competition.  The second challenge for Mark was his desire to not move from his home in CA, where his wife had her own business. He did not have to move and he received a wonderful offer in a position in which he will continue to excel. Both goals achieved!"

JOB: Sr. Project Engineer
LOC: CA
COMP: $145,600/yr + Bonus and very generous benefits package

Aaron - 4.5 Months In Search - Relo Not Required

A note from Barbara Limmer, Aaron's SC&C Campaign Director - "I'm pleased to announce that, after receiving and declining 2 previous offers, Aaron has accepted the position of National Business Development Manager for XXXX.

Aaron came to us with a few challenges. For the past 10 years he held a variety of executive roles including President, General Manager, VP Sales, for a number of industries, including printing and publishing, and, for several years, ran his own HR outsourcing company. His strength was that he excelled in three areas – sales, marketing and operations. The issue was how to position himself, since he was strong in all three areas. His other issue was that he wanted to stay in his home area, a particularly difficult market for finding openings for senior executives. 

Working with us on tactics to quickly develop and manage a search network, he reached out to a local CEO group, in which one of the members introduced him to XXXX.  He is also exactly where he wants to be."

Martha O. - Unappreciated At Former Company - Found Dream Job

Here is a note from Marti's Campaign Director, Leslie Noyes. "Marti is placed! She was working for a major defense equipment manufacturer in a fairly limited geographical market and did not want to relocate.  This presented challenges. Her employer had been having several rounds of layoffs. Marti ended up working 7 days a week 12+ hour days. Not a lot of time for job search with 2 young children.  

We worked together on her branding and packaging and focused on Linked-In as a networking source. Marti did not enjoy networking and felt she was "not good at it". She then found a job posted for Director of Global Supply Chain at XXXX and she said "I would love that job!" We scoured her newly created SC&C network for contacts with XXXX. She had a first level connection. She asked him to reach out to the VP of HR at XXXX and he did. Later, she learned that is the only way to get an interview with XXXX is to be recommended.

Her interview process was interesting. She was worried about a few obstacles such as not having global sourcing experience and we developed an interview strategy and worked on mock interviews. HR manager said "I like you, but my boss doesn't.  This was because the "boss" had not met Marti except on paper. The "boss" also said he wanted an Engineer by trade. She was not a registered Engineer but an Engineering Management Professional. As she puts it "I didn't build the machines but I lead the teams that did, and that's how things get done".  

The hiring manager introduced Marti to his boss and asked him to take a few minutes with her. He said "you have 10 minutes". Nearly 3 hours later, he walked her out to her car, she had won him over and everyone else she met along the way. The company culture is a challenge. There are the artists and the business people. They do not communicate and have different ideas and philosophies. They needed a bridge. She presented her key values that we had packaged - leadership style, ability to communicate, and know-how on getting things done. She turned the interview in to a conversation and then aligned her successes with their needs.

When Marti resigned from her present company, her boss said "tell me what they are paying you and I will beat it". They still didn't get it. They never valued Marti. When she got a "promotion" two years ago it was to come with a 20% salary increase, which she never received. She did not counter because XXXX was providing everything she wanted. Needless to say, she is ecstatic."

Industry: Musical Instrument Manufacturing
Title: Director of Global Supply Chain
Compensation: $110K base with 20% annual bonus, 3 weeks vacation
Other: After 1 year will pay for her to get her MBA

Curtis T. - 5 Miles From Home - Multiple Short Jobs Looked Bad On Resume

“Great news about Curtis -- he has accepted the position of Organizational Effectiveness Consultant for XXXX, headquartered in OH.  Curtis came to us last year and told me he was open to relocation. However, the position he accepted with XXXX is only 5 miles from his house in PA.  He admitted to having a few roadblocks in his search, including having had a few short-term jobs due to layoffs.

His new position offers him a chance to utilize his unique combination of HR specialties and it takes advantage of Curtis' experience in both Training/Management Development, Labor Relations, and Safety/Production. Curtis said that he attributes this success to our rigorous process, and helping him to position his brand properly, crystallize his competencies, and by giving him the confidence and structure to properly articulate these during his interviews. He received several compliments on his SC&C WebFolio, as well.  

 He also reminded me that at the time he signed with us, he was talking to a total of four companies, and the reason he signed with us is due to Scot Moses (a senior SC&C divisional recruiting manager) and Scot’s assessment of Curtis' situation, and his communication style during several discussions.

Steve C . - Contract Work Turns Permanent - No Relo Required

Here is a note from Jo Ann Moser, about her client Steve. “A short note just to let you know that Steve has placed. During our search he had been doing a bit of contracting work for a software company in CA. His work was superior, they liked him and he proved himself to be a valuable asset. The "temp contract" position has now developed into a full-time position building websites very specific to municipalities. He dropped me a note to let me know that he will be busy for a very long time to come at this company working as a senior web developer. 

Allan S. - Multiple Interviews and Offers  - 5 Mos. In Search - $150,000 Base +++

Allen is placed and Jo Ann Moser, Allen’s Campaign Director, tells the story. “When Allen began working with SC&C, he was already interviewing with a company in Maine. However, he had not interviewed in a long time and that interview did not go well, nor in previous interviews and he realized it. 

We focused on two aspects of his search process – interviewing and social media networking. He quickly grasped both and we developed his brand and media strategies and worked on his interview techniques so that he could eliminate his competition both before and during the interview process.  He became a very successful networker – took to it like a fish to water. 

These efforts resulted in 11 different positions in the works and was interviewing and receiving multiple offers. He finally selected XXXX as the best strategic positioning for his next career move, best money, and best package offer.”  

Title: Division President
Industry:  Food Service
Salary: $150,000
Package: home sales assistance, realtor fees, closing costs, they assume the house as soon as an offer is written), car allowance, guaranteed first year bonus 25% up to 50%, several weeks in a hotel with a rental car and $9K toward living expenses until he and his family are settled.

Katherine H. - $135,000 + Bonus - $10K More Than Last Position

Here is a note from Bill Temple, Katherine's SC&C Campaign Director. "Katherine had been working on this position before she ever joined with SC&C. She now wishes to continue to receive our guidance on properly positioning herself for continuous growth in her career over time. Katherine and I worked on interview and communication strategies over the past weeks to make sure that she did not loose this opportunity. Katherine did a great job in following through, and while the decision took a LONG time for the company to make, it is a great offer at $10K over her last position in banking, with a very solid benefit package."

Salary:  $135,000 + Bonus
Benefits:  25 Paid Days Off, Generous 401K, Medical/Dental/Vision/Life
Relo: Not Required

Robert C. - 4 Months In Search - Two Job Offers - Achieved Relocation Goal

Here is a note from Robert’s SC&C Campaign Director, Barbara Limmer, about our newest placement. “I'm pleased to announce that Robert has accepted his second job since beginning his relationship with SCC. 

He had a varied background, with experience in both the medical device and oil industries. One main criterion for this search was that he didn’t want to move from his home location. His functional background included customer service, sales support, operations, and credit. Through using our tools and process, he received multiple interviews soon after "launch", and received his first offer from a security system company only 3 months into our program. 

  I worked with him through the first negotiation, as well as juggling timing for the processes at both companies. Ultimately, XXXX took longer in their decision making process than the first company, so he accepted the first company's offer. Almost immediately, XXXX offered him the position he had been hoping for; he accepted and resigned from the security systems company. 

When asked to what he attributes all the attention he received, interviews and 2 offers, he said that he had looked actively for a couple months prior to engaging SCC and got nowhere and nothing started happening until he put his “SCC branded resume and WebFolio out there. He also said it was also due to all the things we worked on during his search; those being search strategy, market analysis, branding, interview and presentation tactics including the 1-minute commercial and proper methods for follow-up calls and scripts. He specifically lauded our tactics for managing interviews and the guidance we provided on the negotiation process."  

Title: Dir. of Customer Service
COMP: $100k base + 10% bonus + 3 wks vacation + both 401k and Pension

Rod B. -Two Offers - $250K Base Salary + $40K Signing Bonus - 4 Months in Search

Here’s a great story. Rod returned to the U.S. as an ex-pat after executing a highly successful combined strategic and operations venture covering four foreign countries. Rod wanted to work with SCC because he knew of our success in guiding clients through the decision processes for changing industries. However he said that he would not close himself off to opportunities within his current industry, for the right offer. 

After working with this Campaign Director, Leslie Noyes, Rod implemented a two-pronged approach covering two separate industry strategies. After four months as an SCC client, he was offered a position as Chief Operating Officer for XXXX.  While he and his wife were house hunting and scouting out their “new” town before making a final decision, he received a call from YYYY company. Rod explained that he had received an offer from XXXX and that if they would move quickly he would speak to them. They flew him to their headquarters the next day and he never returned home!  

We quickly worked with him to get him ready for these specific interview sessions. He met with both investors and senior management at YYYY and they offered him Senior Director Level role at double the salary being offered by XXXX. He accepted the offer. Part of his requirement was 60 days be allowed for him to relocate and to facilitate his on-boarding process. Better yet, as his signing bonus, he will receive full salary for the duration of those 60 days.  

Rod's reputation in the industry is what landed him the interview. This position was never posted. In Rod's opinion, twice the income he was making and the generous benefit, high bonus potential and relocation package was the right combination. He accepted and will report directly to the President. As part of his signed agreement, Rod will participate in the generous performance-based bonus program that could potentially double his income, because the company is in a growth mode.

Salary: $250K + bonus
Signing Bonus: $40,000
Complete Relocation Package

Steve S. - $130,000 Base - Career Path Defined - 2.5 Months in Search

Steve is placed! His search lasted 2.5 months. Our clients who are offered the Phoenix Experience are put through rigorous training. His feedback from that was that "he had a lot to learn." During each Phoenix visit, we digitally record the client during the several types of interviews they undergo with our team. It was literally a few days following this experience, and after he studied the DVD we provided to him with our feedback, that he received a call from a retained recruiter to screen him for a Director of IT position.  

The recruiter said that the company was going to be very particular on the “right” fit. The recruiter had already identified candidates but when he had read the SC&C developed resume, he wanted to know more about Steve but that he needed the survey back ASAP. They emailed him an extensive and exhaustive survey that was 17 pages of questions. Not knowing the length of the survey Steve said, "sure, I'll have it to you by morning." This was at 9:00PM.

When he received the survey he called his SC&C Campaign Director, Leslie Noyes, and until midnight, they worked together on the answers, to make sure Steve knew how to sort through the “trick” questions and in addressing the “behavioral” aspects of his successes. The next morning, he turned it in and the recruiter said it was far better than any of the other submissions and he felt that the employer would agree.  

They immediately flew Steve out for a F2F meeting. He was the only candidate. They very quickly offered Steve the position and made it known they wanted him. Steve said "I feel like I completely got my money's worth out from SC&C and I would not have gotten so far without the work that we prepared and the coaching and training I received".  

His position has a career path built into. Steve will report to COO. He will be most senior level IT executive. The intention is to promote him in to VP, then CIO. When he reaches C-Level he will be eligible for Equity Share program. This company has a 70-year history of retaining and promoting performing talent. The company is looking to grow exponentially over the next few years. Steve intends that to happen as well.
 
Title: Director of Technology
Salary: $130K
Bonus: Target 30%, potential up to 45% of base,  Sign on bonus: $4k
Relo: full pack and move, one year housing allowance, stay in their company-owned Bed & Breakfast until he can move, Full medical, dental, 401K matching, Vacation: 4 weeks 

Jeremy S. - Entrepreneur - Life Choice - Now Running Two Companies

A note from Leslie Noyes, his Campaign Director:  “Jeremy has landed! He has TWO new positions! Both of these are non-traditional positions and are, in fact, exactly the type of opportunities he was seeking. Jeremy is very entrepreneurial.  His last company was a start up and is still flourishing. However, he was spending nearly full-time in the middle-east and he felt that his wife and newborn needed him more. These two companies he is now managing are in different parts of the county but Jeremy will remain in Las Vegas, where he currently resides with his family. 

From day one, Jeremy told me he was a deal closer. What is interesting is Jeremy did not think he had the right network to help connect him. I showed him how to properly build, nurture and manage his existing and newly constructed network and guess what; he implemented our strategy and landed these two positions. I also worked with him on deal-closing techniques and most specifically how to demonstrate his “value” to the decision makers at each company  - both hired him. He did a great job of closing entrepreneurial deals that give him exactly what he wanted from the search.

Position 1:  Company XXXX - VP of business development for the western US

Position 2: Company YYYY - Director of Finance

Jim R. - "Outsider" No Experience At Job Level - 5.5 Mos. In Search - $130K Base

Here is a note on Jim's placement from Leslie Noyes, Jim's SC&C Campaign Director. "Jim has placed as the Director of Store Operations for XXXX. Jim is one of the very first “outsiders” to be employed at the Executive Level with this firm, since the firm was founded in 1921.

The company was looking for someone who had been the head of Store Operations. Jim did not qualify because they said they would only consider someone who had previously held such a role. It turns out that Jim was the only candidate whom they considered who had not held that specific role. He had previously reported to this level.  Here is the "rest of the story".

Jim won this job based on cultural fit and convincing senior management he was not only the implementer but also the developer of strategies. His SHARE stories were CRITICAL. I had unique insight in to this process because I was able to work directly with the recruiter that was screening Jim in this process.

When she selected him as a candidate she told him he'd need to prepare STAR stories, he said, “no problem”. He then proceeded to direct her to his SC&C WebFolio and began to walk her through its contents. The recruiter said his WebFolio was fantastic and was thoroughly delighted that he had already done his homework. In the interview process she said it was essential he tell his SHARE stories.

Jim mentioned he was working with SC&C who had developed the WebFolio. It was then that the recruiter asked to speak directly with me, so I could give Jim coaching with direct insight into what the hiring managers were looking for.  I spoke for over 30 minutes and she told me directly what they were looking for, things to watch out for, and what the hiring managers valued most. She even shared several of the questions they were going to ask with me. I worked with Jim through numerous "mock" interviews. He won them over hands down, received a generous offer and just reported to work last week.

Total time in search – 5.5 months.
Salary: $130K Base + Bonus + Standard Benefits Package

Dari D. - Industry Change - Money Increase - Close To Family
2.5 Months in Job Search - Achieved 100% of Search Goals

A note from SC&C Campaign Director, Leslie Noyes, about Dari's search. "I am pleased to announce that Dari is placed. She was laid off from XXXX at the beginning of 2009 and has no accepted a position with YYYY Corporation. Dari is excited about this opportunity as it gets her closer to NC where she has family. This was one of the main goals of her job search. The other was to leave the finance/credit industry. This too, was accomplished in a little over two months.  

She said that she was able to use all of her SHARE stories which we worked on during the Branding and Packaging phase of her search and during the interviews; those ‘sealed the deal”.  She said that she “received very positive feedback about her interviews”. 

Title: Sr. Manager Contact Center Process Design and QA
Income: $110,000
Benefits: FULL relocation. They will purchase her home if not sold, full pack and move, 2 months temp living (+ partial on additional 2 months if needed), $13K grossed up for expenses, Benefits: Full Medical, Dental, 2 weeks vacation, 401k match 3%."

Jim B. - Scaling The Position Ladder  - offer improved $50,000 + Relocation

Here is a note from Jim about his search "story". "The original contact with XXXX came from a resume and cover letter I submitted. The original position was at plant level. But, as SC&C advised me, I should apply and see if there may be other opportunities. After several rounds of interviews, the position was moved upward in the chain. As I went through the phone interviews and face-to-face interviews, the position changed to a corporate level job that was located at the same plant site.  

The initial job offer XXX made was quite good. However, at the same time I had been interviewing with YYYY corporation and had received an written offer for a corporate level position with them, as well. With your help and guidance (Bill Temple and the SC&C team) I was able to negotiate a higher salary and more vacation to seal the deal with XXXX.  

It pays to apply and seek out all opportunities with that prospective company!! Working with SC&C on structuring and managing my references did an excellent job of helping my references to focus on presenting my key strengths and achievements when they were called.

Thank Bill. That also goes for my entire SC&C team who worked with me during my search."

Salary:  $140,000/year – up from $125K original offer
Bonus:  20% annually no cap
Other:  Long Term Incentive 14%,  vested over 5 years, 401K  company matches 100% of 1st 4% then 50% of next 4% - vesting in 3 years, company home purchase with full relocation including $50,000 in low sale protection, Vacation - 4 weeks (up from original offer of 2 weeks), Full Life, Medical, Dental, Vision benefits.

Scot D. - 10 Year Business Owner Trying to Go To Work For Another Company

 A note from Scot's SC&C Campaign Director: "I am very please to announce that Scott has accepted the position of Project Manager with XXXX in LA. Scott came to us with a couple of issues; he had spent the last 10 years heading up his own real estate, construction, and property management firm, and all of his previous experience was also in the RE development/construction industry, which we all know has been struggling.

He had his first phone interview with the COO of XXXX almost exactly a month prior to receiving the offer, flew down for what turned out to be a grueling interview experience, including a 2 1/2 hour dinner with the COO and 2 VPs in which he was grilled on a variety of situations and how he would handle them, plus a 3 hour interview with the owner of the company. 

Scott told me beforehand that "my intent was to come home knowing that I was going to receive an offer”.  In the meantime, we worked closely together on developing his negotiating position and tactics.  He received the offer the following week. Below is a quote from Scott's email to me after his discussion with the COO (his boss) where he offered his "counter-offer":

"I think it went well, I did as you said and just explained to him my understanding of what they were looking for now and then what my understanding of what they were looking for overall. At first, they were little defensive about the package I was asking for. Then, I reviewed with him the strategy I had developed with SC&C. Additionally, I reviewed what I brought to the table that would save them money because they were not having to hire 2 or 3 people to do what I could do and that I could help them streamline the operation. By the end of the conversation he (the Owner) seemed to be ok and I thanked him again."

The next day, an offer was extended that included a 90-day salary review, twice the vacation time and a relo package, including help with his move from IL to LA, and with a $2500 relo allowance on top of that.  Scott is extremely appreciative of our assistance, since as he says, he hasn't looked for a job in over 10 years.

Package Extras: 400/mo. car allowance + $2500 relo. Relo pkg 2 yrs out when wife moves down, salary rvw in 3 mos, vaca 2 wks 1st yr, 3 wks thereafter (plus week at Xmas)

John H. - IT Career - "Passed Over", Overqualified, Too Expensive, No Degree

Here is a note from John's SCC Campaign Director. "I'm pleased to announce that John has accepted the position of Director of IT for XXXX, a company that owns multiple restaurants throughout the U.S. with expansion plans.

John came to SCC last August after having just moved to AZ from OR.  His challenges were a lack of local contacts and no college degree.  He also had committed to living here and was not open to relocation.  To get some income, he worked a consulting assignment which required him to fly back/forth to Portland on a regular basis, putting a severe limitation on the amount of time he could devote to his search.

His first interview with XXXX was with their technical consultant, who grilled him on his tech knowledge.  His email to me afterwards included this quote: "Interesting. They passed me over in the 1st round because my resume sounded too senior for their wants.  After my interview, they were interested. Interesting note: phone interviewer was tech consultant and he was very impressed with the way my resume was written and how it spoke to who I am after he heard me tell him who I am."

After a series of face-to-face interviews, including with the President and CFO, they offered him the position.  He was very pleased that, after telling him that they probably wouldn't be able to get the position into the 6-figure range, WRONG. The offer came in well above $100,000; as he said, "the deal that I wanted."  Below are the particulars:

POSITION: Director of IT
LOCATION: AZ

Cheri M. - 2 Months in Search - Three Search Goals - All Achieved

Here is a note from Cheri’s Campaign Director, Leslie Noyes. “Cheri has accepted the position of CFO/COO for XXXX, a B2B supplier to most of the major fragrance companies in New York. Cheri’s career was stellar in every respect. However, the owner suddenly replaced her, without warning, with a friend of his whom he claimed would do her job for free. Legal litigation ensued, given she had a contract. Obviously, no references were forthcoming.  

We guided her on how to manage this and it obviously did not present any roadblocks to her successful search. Cheri had three goals for this search. First and foremost was employment. Second she wanted to move more into an operations role. Third, she wanted to be able to work remotely for one month annually in order to enjoy her vacation home in South Carolina.  

Her new position adds a new dimension to her resume - manufacturing and she also gets to spend an equal amount of time on operations. What really appeals to her about this new position is the work environment of this new organization. It is managed by two partners whose skill sets are sales/marketing and both are very people-oriented. What they needed was someone like Cheri who could run the manufacturing and operations because they have outgrown their current facility and are targeted to move to a larger facility this year.

Finally, while Cheri lives in New York, she has a second home in South Carolina and she was able to negotiate working there remotely for 1 month per year, so that she could enjoy her second home. She also negotiated working remotely, 1 day per week in NY, to avoid commute issues. Cheri is very pleased with the company and the package.  Cheri asked me to thank her entire team: Shanti, Mike, Geoff and Michelle, who worked hard to make her search such a success."

Title: CFO/CO
Location: NYC
Salary: $130,000 + Bonus + Pkg + 1 day home weekly + 1 month away annually

Kelly L. - Overqualified, Past Income Too High - Offered More Money

Here is the "story" of Kelly's placement from her Campaign Director. "I am pleased to announce that Kelly has accepted a position as VP of Employee Technical Support for XXXX in CA.  She was overqualified for this position and concerned her previous salary would impact negatively during her interview process. We worked on her response and interview tactics around this issue and she did a great job of establishing her value before the issue of money ever arose. Throughout interview process, she learned of some of the significant challenges they had where she had experience thus was able to increase her value to the company, based upon her past successes." 

Kelly wrote us and here are her own words. “Thanks for your help ... Working with you and SCC certainly helped my poise throughout the interviews and negotiating process ... I'm very excited to be back in a large, high-impact leadership role, which is something that I've missed, and I was concerned wouldn't come my way for a bit (as I've been in strategic roles).  On another positive note, I feel confident that it's my demonstrated capability, coupled with my training by SC&C that got me through the TWELVE interviews with amazingly positive feedback. Thanks again ... “

Tim H. - Problem: 17 Years Same Company, No CPA -Functional Change, Can't Move.
Results - $19,000 Base Salary Increase - Time in Search -3 months

Here is a note from Tim's Campaign Director: "I'm thrilled to announce that Tim has accepted the position of Supply Chain Controller with XXXXUS, a pharmaceutical company with foreign ownership.

Tim came to us with excellent work experience, and with a couple of challenges: 17 years with the same company, fairly traditional accounting career path, and a few years ago stepped out of Finance into an operations (plant manager) role, then back into Finance and Controlling.  He does not have a CPA (or CMA or MBA), and this had been a stumbling block for him in interviews he had had prior to working with us.  Also, he has kids still in High School and moving was never an option. 

He feels strongly that his preparation with us, both in articulating his achievements and SHAREs, his resume and WebFolio, and his Phoenix experience were key to his getting this job so quickly.  This job had been posted on ExecuNet, and the recruiter called him within days of him applying, so thank you Mike Fox and Geoff Coon (on Tim's SC&C branding and packaging team) for your amazing work on his resume and WebFolio!  He also told me that when he contacted one of his references to alert him he'd get a call, he showed this executive his WebFolio, and this person was so impressed that Tim gave him our number so he could contact SC&C immediately for help in his search.

Title: Supply Chain Controller
Compensation Package: $192K base + 25% bonus, 4 wks vacation (negotiated up from $185K and 3 wks vacation), better benefits than he had before, 401k plus pension. Salary is 11% increase ($19k) from prior salary."

Steve S. - Proper Networking Tactics and Interview Preparation = Ideal Job

Here is a note from our client to his Campaign Director: “Bill,  I accepted an offer as the VP of Operations for the advanced electronics division at XXXX.  It was the networking and the interviewing techniques you taught me that did it. The whole thing started with some networking I did on a golf course with a very senior retired Admiral at a charity tournament. He interviewed me through the several rounds we played.  

This Admiral knew everyone in the defense industry, including many Navy Captains who ran companies in the area I was targeting. He arranged interviews with at least three nationally known defense companies and one Governor’s office. He also told each company and the Governor's office that they should look at me as soon as possible. They did! I went through many interviews with a variety of executives (six or more levels), including Presidential levels in all companies.  

What gave me the “edge” was the guidance and preparation by Stewart, Cooper & Coon on how to integrate your very unique interview techniques into my style of presentation. That was a winning combination. I was VERY prepared, made the correct impression and came onto the scene at the time of a reorganization that needed my skill set. It was only two weeks from first interview to the employment offer. There was no luck involved: my old adage holds true....luck is when opportunity meets good preparation.

All this from somebody that didn't think they had ANY kind of network last November. Thanks Bill for your help and support during this very trying time of executive search.”

Title:  Senior VP Operations
Industry: Defense
Base Salary: $250,000 + Fabulous Package

Watch for more placements coming soon! 

Greg W. - Four Offers - Met Career Goal - Fabulous Package!

Greg has accepted the position of Director of Operations for XXXX Foods. Greg was part of the ongoing downsizing that hit corporate America in 2009. His goal was to move his career to the next level and expand his management role. He has now achieved one of his major career goals. In his new role, he will have General Managers from four different plants reporting to him.  

Greg received 3 simultaneous offers and was able to select his top choice. This is his fourth offer he has received since working with Stewart, Cooper & Coon. He was very close with a company in the upper Midwest. They offered him a GM role in the bio fuel industry. While it seemed like a good opportunity, Greg worked with his Campaign Director and, together, they gathered enough information to discover that the company was being positioned to be sold in 2 years, which would leave Greg out in the cold again. It looked good but it was not the right career choice.  

His forth offer, the one he accepted, is a wonderful package, given the economy we are in. 

Dir of Manufacturing Operations
$125K Starting Salary - Increase to $140K after relo to home office  
Bonus eligible ($10K)
Stock options worth $23K over 3 years
Company car
4 weeks of vacation, Temp Living package
 Relo: Moving expenses, Bridge loan 6 months, Fees for closing, Realtor fees, 2 House hunting Trips, Flight every 3 weeks while selling house (up to 8), 6 month living expenses in TX while buying home (if needed)

Asja T. - 50+% Earnings Increase - Wedding - Relo - Goals Met!

What a story!  We are thrilled to announce that Asja has accepted the position of VP/Sr. Product Manager at XXXX Bank Securities, a division of XXXX.  She will receive an equivalent salary raise of 50%, because of the significant cost of living factors between NYC and FL.  She is absolutely thrilled. We are very honored that she told SC&C before she even told her family. As she said, once she tells her mother then this will be all over Germany! Asja came to us in February of last year with her number one goal being to be able to move to the southeast US and out of NYC.  She was willing to take a lower level job and a pay cut so she could be closer to family. 

She did a variety of networking, but nothing of substance panned out. Then she called us and said she wanted us to put her job search campaign on hold because of her impending wedding, honeymoon, and several business and personal trips back and forth to Europe.  So, for several months we waited. She accomplished it all and was a new bride. The next task was to find employment near her husbands’ family in Florida.

She approached her boss to see if there was a way for her to stay with XXXX but move to the southeast. She was surprised when she was able to negotiate this newly created position which is even better than what she was expecting to secure with a new employer.  This new position gets her into the Investment Banking division of XXXX, plus she keeps her seniority (7 years with XXXX) and, she is receiving a full relocation package and a salary/bonus increase.

Moreover, she is moving from New York City to FL and will be just a 2 hour drive from where her new husband's family resides. All of her goals were accomplished: Wedding, new position, more money, relo paid, close to family. Industry: International and U.S. Banking
Title: VP/Sr. Product Mgr
Income: Realized 50% income increase and access to a larger bonus pool.

Craig S. - Age 50+ - Challenged Much Younger Applicants and Won!

Craig felt that his biggest roadblock, because of the field he is in (marketing) that his age would be problematic. In this economy in particular, companies are downsizing and replacing experienced executives with inexperienced, inexpensive staff and eliminating executive marketing positions. In his last company that was the case; they downsized most of their marketing department. Craig had interviewed 3+ years ago with XXXX and came in second.

He saw a position posted at a company where he had interviewed three years before. We showed him how to employ some of the techniques our SCC recruiters use for targeting contacts at Linked. Using those, he secured interviews with XXXX. W e readied his presentation materials and he applied then followed up with a carefully crafted letter reminding them he'd interviewed and what they said to him at the end, about his strengths. He was asked to interview and, after two interviews, was hired.

During his SCC campaign, Craig worked hard and focused on channel marketing activities. In the process of doing so he generated interviews with 5 different companies, including XXXX. The other interviews were with top recognized names in food retail and with the second largest American drug store chain.

Craig told us that, at times, he felt discouraged. However, he stuck with it, diligently explored and developed the channels of marketing we suggested. He followed through on everything and executed all aspects of channel marketing focusing on networking. This is the recipe for success!

Title: Director of Brand Marketing
Industry: Retail Food
Base Salary: $115,000
Bonus: Up to 30% of annual base salary
Benefits: Relocation assistance, three weeks vacation, four weeks severance, ESOP program fully vested in 6 years, 401K, medical/dental/vision/long term disability/life insurance

Jerry S. - 400 Applicants - 20 Finalists - Superb Package Negotiations

Jerry has placed at XXXX, a wholly-owned subsidiary of YYYY in the Southeastern U.S. Jerry engaged SC&C as it was evident his former company was downsizing. His new company is a great deal larger than his previous company, thus although his previous title was CFO, it was for a much smaller company. Jerry says there is actually greater responsibility at XXXX and that XXXX's current CFO has made it clear to Jerry he wishes Jerry to assume his CFO position in 2-3 years. Jerry shared that he was selected out of 400 applicants, narrowed down to 20 and he eliminated all competition and was the only candidate in final round. He also acknowledges that without SC&C to help him through the interview and negotiation processes, he would never have had this great offer.

Salary: $140 K Base + Bonus based on XXXX EBITD 600 stock options vested in 2 years
Stock Purchase Plan  - 25% match
Benefits: 401K - Vacation - 3 weeks - Full Medical - Full Relocation  - Closing costs/realtor costs on both ends as well as pack and move and incidentals  - Severance of 2 weeks per year worked with minimum of 12 weeks severance Outplacement in the event of layoff ($5000)

Rod N. -  Age 60 - No Relo - 2nd Time Placed by SC&C

Here is a note from one of our Campaign Directors, Leslie Noyes about her latest client placement. "I am very pleased to tell you that Rod has accepted an offer from XXXX as Director of Marketing. They are located in Va. Rod is a returning SC&C client who after being placed at YYYY in NJ, the private equity firm pulled the plug and they decided to dismantle marketing. Rod had negotiated outplacement in his contract and returned to SC&C last July and this time completed a Phoenix visit. Rod will not have to relocate to VA; the company is allowing him to work remotely. This is an excellent fit;he is very excited about the position and the company. This is a very nice birthday present. Rod starts next week which also happens to be his 60th birthday!

Salary: $110 base + commission and bonus.
Other: Health benefits, 401K and 4 weeks of vacation.

David K. . - CFO - Turned Down One Offer and Accepted Another

I am pleased to announce that Dave K has placed. He has accepted a position as CFO for XXXX in Texas. This has been a long road for Dave, as the former CFO of a very large public company; there are not that many positions for him out there on the market. However, he has been working on an interim basis for YYYY, as their interim CFO, and they offered him a full time permanent position. However, Dave did not feel it was the right next step in his career so he declined and continued on contract with (YYYY) with the understanding he was looking for another job. YYYY was very pleased with the work Dave performed and, in fact, the CEO at YYYY was one of his references during his interview process with XXXX.

Industry: Financial Management
Salary: $275K
Bonus: 35% bonus target plus 20% long-term incentive program
Relocation: $60K and temporary living expenses as well as travel back and forth every 2 weeks during relo process

Gary R. - $235 Base + 50% Bonus + No Relo Required

Gary R. has accepted the position of Regional Vice President for XXXX.  He will be running the central U.S. of XXXX's largest sales channel, which is their retail partner channe, sometimes known as indirect. He’ll be managing the teams that call on major national retail chains and big box stores. The best part is that he will not need to relocate his large family from TX (he is the proud parent of 7 kids!- so no issues with school, etc).  He had multiple phone interviews and two separate trips to finish the interviewing process. When asked which aspects of the SC&C process he found most helpful in securing this position, his response was: "The Phoenix trip and accompanying video root canals / I mean interviews, as well as ongoing opportunity to speak with job coach."

Title:  Regional Vice President, Central Region
Industry: Mobile Communications
Compensation: $235k + 50% bonus, substantial long-term growth potential

Ryan M. - Doubled His Compensation Package - Changed To A New Industry

"Ryan M, was a two time client of SC&C. He was "placed" with XXXX a little while back, but has just accepted a fabulous offer for a company that he had begun talking with over the summer while he and I were still in regular contact.  This position almost doubles the base salary he was receiving at XXXX (from 50k to 90k), and gets his total comp from about $88k to $200k---about a 127% increase-- that's quite a jump!  Below are the particulars:  This position also gets him into a new industry and keeps him in CT--both of which were his top priorities.

Industry Health Care
POSITION: VP of Hospital Development
COMP: $90,000 in salary with additional tiered bonus/incentives totaling an additional $110,000. Shares of stock are tied into the incentive plan as well.

JP G. - A Real "How To Get It Done" Story - 12 Interviews in 2 Days

Here is a comment from one of our latest placements to Bill Temple, his Campaign Director. "Bill: First and foremost, I accepted the offer from XXXX last Friday.  I was able to negotiate an additional two weeks of vacation at the close of this year, and also the company is assisting with temporary housing.  Thanks for all your help and guidance.  I also wanted to highlight my success story and thank you for or all your help and coaching.  I'm a strong net promoter of you and the SC&C team, and I know that you are already hearing that from people I talk with. Here is what worked and what led to the offer......

Mindset was "success"... My focus was on opportunity and the many jobs that were being created every single day versus lost.  I didn't listen to economic based news shows, and I chose to live my life like I had a job.  Process Discipline... Worked each morning 6am-11am on my search (reviewed companies, job boards, etc)... treated these hours like I was going to work (getting the kiss from my daughter as she left for school was a highlight) ---- Leveraged the network... Called my personal network at least once a week, and stayed connected and updated them regularly through email ----Practice makes perfect... Crisp development of results based resume, 1 minute commercial, and connected SHARE stories.  Writing AND verbal rehearsal of all were extremely useful

Leveraging the process... came across "the" posting for me.  Instead of sending my resume, I leveraged my network.  In this case it was my former boss and SVP.  He created the introduction with XXXX's CEO. Flawless execution... SCC written resume served to established immediate credibility and the SHARE stories (developed by SCC) enabled framing/context that yielded crisp and clear communication during the interview.

*Know the customer by mystery shopping... researched and talked with the prospects and customers the company served... also called their sales teams to mystery shop a few times and signed up for a free trial of the service... from there I built a high-level understanding of their market, the challenges their customers face, and ideas about what I would do in my role --- I already employed, just cleaning up details... Most of all Bill, I don't think I would have approached the 12 interviews over two days with the explicit "how can I help you" mindset for each individual without your counsel.  The time talking through with you, and writing down what would be important to each person I was meeting with was very useful-Thank you for that nugget!!  Being myself... Stayed true to who I was, and asked questions to assess fit.  I believe this conveyed to them that I wasn't after "a job", but rather a long term partnership that would yield mutual success. Thanks Bill!! Best regards, JP"

Mike B. - Non-Profit - He Met Search Goal of More Time With Family

We are pleased to announce that Mike has accepted a position with XXXX and accepted with some minor tweaks. Being a non-profit, there were some negotiation limitations. He was able to achieve his goal of negotiating some very aggressive time off, 3 week’s vacation and all the days during the school year that the school system has off. (i.e. x-mas break, spring break, etc..) so that he could spend time with his family.

David R. - Contract Job Renewed Then Turned Permanent

A note from David's Campaign Director, Barbara Limmer. "I'm happy to announce that David has accepted the position of Sr. Developer for XXXX, a payment processing company located in the Western States, about 10 minutes from where David lives.  His campaign had been on hold since March of this year, when he accepted a 3-month contract assignment with them, which kept getting extended and extended and then they offered him the position as a regular employee." 

Industry: CC Processing
TITLE Sr. Developer
COMP: $108k + annual bonus 3-5% + full bene's + 23 days vacation

Steven P. - $No Relo Required - Work From Home - $200K+ Package

Here is a note from one of our clients to his Campaign Director about his new job which he starts next week. "Hi JoAnn, I've been on my break between jobs for a few days and haven't been on the computer too much (pretty refreshing!). My new company, XXXX, did not have a mechanism or precedent to negotiate Health Benefits for Salary so that didn't work out. However I was pretty satisfied with the terms of the comp plan as it will net me at a very minimum an extra 25K more than I am making now. It was tough to leave YYYY but it is a part of business and everyone was understanding so it went pretty well. Let's plan to touch base my first week to catch up on everything. For now I will be enjoying the time off! Steve"

Industry:  Database Management
Base Salary: $125K... $25K higher than his last salary
Bonus Potential - $75,000 first year
Relocation:  None required - will do field sales working out of his home near Chicago.

Bob F. - Unemployed and Still Secured Signing Bonus ++

I wanted to let you know that Bob has accepted an offer.  Bob had several issues, including being unemployed and he wanted our help in securing a signing bonus. While this seemed like an impossible request, we worked with Bob and made sure he focused on his "product" selling points and carefully crafted his negotiation strategy.  He increased his base salary, got the signing bonus grossed up, and received an additional week of vacation.  He is able to return to MN which is where he wanted to move due to his family being there. 

Industry: Textiles
TITLE: Corporate Accounts Manager (reports to VP Corp Accts)
COMP: $115k base, $10k signing bonus grossed up, 15% bonus at plan, co. car, discretionary bonus available. 3 weeks vacation, instead of 2.

Drew B. - Turn Around - $160K Base - Equity Offered Based Upon Performance

Drew has accepted a position with a start up company XXXX in IL which is self-funded. Drew will not have to relocate he is able to manage virtually and he travels to the company frequently. He started his position as EVP of Sales & Marketing with a base salary is $160K. They have told Drew they will consider an equity position in six months. Drew has already written the business plan to move forward and within this first month Drew has already changed the marketing strategy and gotten them back on track. He reports directly to the CEO. Drew had been laid off from his previous company early this year after having worked for them for 9 years. This is a great opportunity for Drew as he negotiated the ability to continue to run his personally owned business while turning around and managing the new company.

Charles G. - $185,000 +$100K Relo

Here is a note sent to Bill Temple, the SCC Campaign Director who managed Charles' campaign. "Thanks for the advice - appreciate it.  Received the formal offer letter from XXXX yesterday via FedEx (attached).  They accepted my salary figure, and went into quite a lot more detail regarding the compensation package - it is substantially better than my expectations. In fact, with the $100K housing benefit I now have well over a $300K package.  The scope of the position, for now, is well within my range.  The bonus plan is being developed and the structure of that plan is being documented in the letter I expect from them this week. Thanks for your help as I negotiated my package. It includes: housing, temp accommodation, storage, HHE/setup, appliance allowance, home visitation/vehicle allowance, 401k, tax prep assistance, phone/laptop, etc., etc., etc. and, from my research, it is very generous and on the high end.  p.s.  It's nice to "exhale" (-:  "
  

Dan R. - Sales and Marketing - National Accounts - No Relo

Here is a note from one of our clients to his Campaign Director, Bill Temple. " I’m way late on this but wanted you to know that I accepted a position with XXXX.  Since doing so it has been quite the whirlwind.  My first week on the job was spent traveling to various company and customer sites.   Second week was house hunting and third and next week are more customer / company site travels.   They are relocating me and my family to WI to be near AAAA company, which is one of their biggest customers.  I’ll be managing the after-sales relationships.   We can chat more later.  I promised to take my wife out today after her week of solo house hunting. Thanks for everything you all did for me and my family...Dan.

Mike A.  - $250,000 +40% Bonus + Full Relo + 2.5 Months in Search

Mike has accepted the position of SVP Product Mgmt for XXXX in CA. He came to us with a banking background, after being laid off from previous position and receiving 3 months of outplacement services from a nationally known outplacement firm (ZZZZ), which he said was "not a great experience." His primary driver was staying in southern CA because he has a son about to start his Sr. year in High School). He is quite pleased that thru his negotiation, he was able to extend temporary living assistance from 3 months to 1 year (3 mos corp housing plus 3k/mo expenses for remaining 9 mos). Below are the particulars of his offer:

TITLE: SVP Product Mgmt
LOCATION: CA
COMPENSATION: $250k plus up to 40% bonus Long term incentive - $120,000 K per year, payable in third year as a grant after Relo: full relo including 8k grossed up for moving expenses, eligible to use relo program again up to 2 yrs.

Georgette P. - Salary Increase to $117K - More Strategic Role

Georgette accepted an offer with XXXX in AZ as VP of Human Resources & Organizational Development. The new position is ideal for her as she will report directly to the CEO and her new responsibility level gives her a nice increase in base salary. Her new role is strategic in nature and Georgette will have direct participation in the strategic planning for the organization which matches her career goal of having a more strategic HR role. She also enjoys the educational sector so it is a win-win all the way around in terms of industry, company, position, timing, and salary. She will also be part of the board to help create a new bonus structure for the organization.

Georgette had 4 significant interviews and , and in two of those companies she came in #2. In both cases, a previously known candidate was selected and were people known personally by the CEO of both companies. She was in the interview process with CCCC when she accepted XXXX's offer. Georgette did not want to relocate and the offer she accepted is a perfect opportunity for her and offered her special thanks to Erin Grigsby for her persistence with Georgette's calling and marketing campaign!

Dave S. - - $185,000 Base + $93K Bonus + Equity + Great Package +No Relo

We are pleased to announce that Dave has accepted the position of Sr. Vice President of North American Sales for XXXX in CA.  He will be starting on Monday Oct. 5th by flying to Dallas that day for an industry show. XXXX is a nationally know marketer of a variety of licensed puzzles and games.

When Dave began his search, he was contacted for a similar position heading up sales for this company by a search firm, and yet he never interviewed with them because they ended up hiring someone before he got a chance to interview.  Turns out, that person was more of a marketing person and didn't work out as head of sales.  This company was not one of his target companies for our calling campaign, because Dave assumed they wouldn't need a head of sales.  Another company, YYYY , was on our target co. list, but we later found out this company had been purchased by XXXX.  Through his networking, someone had referred the President to Dave because he knew this other person wasn't working out as head of sales.

After several conversations over about 6 weeks, Dave accepted this position and is very happy that he will not need to move from his CA home.  This position will also lead to becoming SVP of Worldwide Sales, which Dave is quite excited about. Below are the specifics on the new position:

TITLE: Sr. VP of No. American Sales
LOCATION: CA
INDUSTRY: Toys
COMP: $182k base plus 93k bonus ($275 total pkg) plus 40,000 equity shares.
STARTS: 10/5/09

Jay C. - $150,000 Base + $100K Bonus - Search Time 5.2 Months - No Relo Required

Jay's story holds out hope in an unexpected quarter. He became a client our ours on April 28. Now, five months and one week later , he has accepted a position as Global Account Manager with XXXX.  Our client marketing team had arranged interviews with YYYY and Jay was close to receiving an offer.  When he had called a previous boss (now CEO of XXX) to alert him about a possible reference check, this CEO decided he wanted Jay for himself.  This position gains Jay several long-term objectives Jay was trying to achieve:  1) Getting into a new industry, while calling on accounts in his previous industry, 2) he gets to stay where he was already living, even though the company HQ is based in Colorado, and 3) the search and his dialog with his SC&C coach and the job search process helped Jay to realize that he'd prefer to stay in international business development away from a corporate position and all of the politics that goes with working at HQ.  It was due to this last reason that, even though he was told he'd be getting a really good offer from YYYY, he realized that this XXXX was more in line with his passion.

TITLE: Global Account Mgr (reports to VP Global Accounts)
INDUSTRY: Information Handling Services
COMP: $150 base + $100 commission + $7500 signing bonus + draw months 1-2 totaling $10,600
LOCATION: Based out of his home

Joe B.  - Goal of No Relo - Accomplished - Chemical Industry Still Hiring

Joe's main concern was that his immediate and extended family was important to him and leaving them through relocation was not an option he would choose to make. This specific priority made the job search that much more difficult. He was also concerned that, given the economy in his area of IL, he might not be able to find a position near where he lived and would have to move elsewhere. He expressed great concerns about this issue during his job search work with our team. It is not a concern anymore!.  Joe has accepted an offer in his current town, with no relocation at a great salary in the Chemical Industry - at a company where his great skill sets will be put to use. He told us that the interview and negotiation training we provided allowed him to eliminate his competition during the interviews and to negotiate the final offer at the highest salary range offered for the position to which he applied. He's very happy with his current situation and he met his main objectives as well. Needless to say, his family is very happy as well!

Steve S.  - Multiple Interviews/Offers - Great New Package and the Caribbean Too!

Steve was located in Kansas and received one interview and one offer after another. The "almost accepted" serious offer made to him was $35K less than what he was making and, he felt that moving to UT would not be the right move for his family. He also felt that the company offering this position was not the best "next move" in his career path. Then, he received an offer from  great company and negotiated a great deal and, on top of all that, now resides in the Cayman Islands.
Position: Director of Operations, Medical
Salary Base $150K USD Bonus: up to 25%
Benefits: 401K: match up to 5% Relo ($15K total, 50% up front and 50% at end of multi-year contract, airfare and 1 month of living expense, 4 weeks vacation, Insurance, Medical/Life

Steve J. - 3.5 months in Search - Targeted Geographical Preference Achieved

Steve has accepted a position! His primary goal when he came to us was to move to FL from MS, in order to be near aging parents. This position achieved that goal. He had a great set of skills and his SC&C WebFolio presentation, along with his interviewing allowed him to achieve his personal goals.

Title: Sr. Account Executive
Location: Orlando, FL
Compensation: $115,000
Relo: Paid

Golden W. - Company Not Looking - Walked In, Demonstrated Value - A Position Offered and He Accepted

Golden has joined XXXX in Nevada. XXXX is a small, but growing company. Their annual revenue and growth objectives are much the same as YYYY, his former company at the time he first joined them. Golden helped YYYY grow from $65 to over $300+ million. His new company, XXXX, was not looking for anyone until Golden walked in their door. The company was 6 miles from his home. He targeted the company and armed with his new resume and value propositions, he went in and sold them on why they needed him. They made him an offer which he accepted and began working the next week.

Title: COO
Income: Salary - $85K + Bonus = six figure package
Relo: None - a goal of the client
Benefits: Stock Options, Health, Vacation, etc.

Michael G. - $156,000 - Search Time 5.5 Months - No Relo Required - Equity

Michael just accepted a position with XXXX as a Government Affairs Specialist (lobbyist). XXXX is a young company whose mission is to convert bio-materials into energy. Although the company is based in the Deep South but he will be able to stay in MD, as his work will be to lobby politicians in Washington, DC.

Salary:  $156,000
Bonus: Yes
Equity: Immediate Stock Issue and Performance Based Increases
Comprehensive Benefits: Complete Medical, Bonuses, etc.

Tom S. -  50% Increase in Base Salary - 4.5 Months in Search

Tom was laid off from position at XXXX as SVP Operations Analytics for reasons directly related to the current credit crisis. Although Tom has excellent credentials: BS from West Point, MS in Operations Research, retired from the US Army and 8 years in the private sector. His highly technical and statistical expertise was both a strength and a weakness in his search. His strength was that he had excellent qualifications but the problem was there were not a lot of jobs available at his level, in his specialty. As Tom went through our process of identifying his core competencies, achievements, success stories and strengths, he worked hard with his campaign team to prepare for and execute his search. He has just received an offer and has accepted an overseas position at approximately 50% higher compensation than he was previously making - all within a period of 4.5 months.

TITLE: Operations Research Systems Analyst
LOCATION: Middle Eastern Country
Comp Package: $307,980 annually - $169,400 Deployment pay $118,550 Hazard/Hardship pay, $20,000 Incentive bonus
BENEFITS: Full insurance premiums paid for self and dependents
Vacation: 15 days ea. 6 mos (6 wks/year)

Tod H. - 3 Months In Search - $145K Base - 26% Increase In Crisis Times

Tod was laid off four months ago. His background is in the Banking industry with his main concentration being product management. He was residing in the Central US but wanted to relocate to be nearer to his family. His challenge in can be summed up in two words - banking industry. His other challenge was that he had virtually no direct supervisory experience because his career focused more on product management.  Tod worked through our process, identified his core competencies, achievements, success stories and strengths, and worked hard with his team in Phoenix to prepare for his search. One week later, he flew to NYC for interviews with XXXX. He went through 9 separate interviews in the hiring process. He has now accepted an offer making 26% more money than in his previous position and he negotiated a bonus, something he did not have when he came to us - all during the current financial crisis.

Title: SVP Consumer Checking Marketing
Salary: $145,000 Base + Bonus
Vacation: 4 Weeks Initially
Goal 1: Secure position in NE US - Accomplished
Goal 2: A Senior Role Managing A Team - Accomplished (3 direct reporting managers)

Tom B.  - One Of Only 1500 Jobs of This Type in the U.S. - Search Time 5.2 Months

Tom is a former Aviator and Colonel with the U.S. Marine Corps and flew with XXXX Airlines for over a decade. He lives in Hawaii and did not want to relocate and wanted to stay in aviation if at all possible. As the airlines continue to cut back however, getting a job as a pilot for another airline is next to impossible, particularly in Hawaii. He started with SC&C in September and admitted that he was not networking at all and did not know how. We taught him how to build and effectively manage his network.

He had initially approached YYYY company last April, even interviewed, but never heard back. Then, he saw the same position posted again. He applied again and asked us, "what more can I do, this job is perfect for me?" We suggested that he utilize some of the networking tactics we taught him. He did and was contacted within 48 hours and an interview was scheduled.

We worked intensively on interview techniques, and Tom was extremely pleased with how well he did and the feedback he received during the interview. In addition to the YYYY position, Tom is currently being considered for heading up a program at a local community college, as well as receiving another offer from ZZZZ, just prior to accepting the YYYY job.

Tom is in a field that is shrinking and is impacted even more greatly during economic downturn. Still, he was able to achieve his goal of not relocating and staying in aviation and, on top of that, has 2 other opportunities for which he is interviewing.

In our conversations, Tom said the greatest benefit to him of this program was in the interview preparation, particularly preparing the SHARE stories which he told in every single interview. Equally valuable, he said, was learning about how to network and using the tools we provided to him, and in focusing his resume on value for each position. Late note: before we even finished his documentation and packaging, we helped him with his interviewing skills, he received offers, and landed the job he wanted.

This is an example of how we can tailor each client program to the immediate requirements of each individual client.

Tom P. - Career Change - Industry Change - Happy Factor Now In Play

Tom is now placed in a company representing quite a departure from his old position. He is working for XXXX, a company manufacturing specialized outdoor merchandise. He saw in that company a tremendous growth potential and a chance to combine his love of the outdoors with his excellent accounting, marketing and distribution background. The company owns a number of retail stores and also carries their own line of shoes. The bad news -- everything in the company is manually run and operated.

The interview conversation began with Tom saying "have you considered sourcing outside the U.S. ,have you thought of automating... have you considered..." getting to what they really needed and Tom's extensive international procurement experience was just the right mix. They hired him not only because he is a great fit for the company, but also because he is avid outdoors man himself. He describes this job as his "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity.   A special thanks is owed to Sherri S., a marketing specialist on our team, who relentlessly worked to generate telephone conversations with his target companies and was successful in doing so. When the going got tough and Tom needed support, Sherri went above and beyond in providing that support.

Linda L. - Recruiter Said Not Qualified - Networking Paid Off - 6 Minute Drive

Since 1981, Linda had lived in Wisconsin and worked for the same company, rising through the ranks to become the VP / Controller of the organization. For family reasons, and because of burnout with the company, client relocated to Washington State to establish a new home, moving without a position, and ending up renting a house in a small community outside of Seattle. She fully anticipated having to look in a bigger city for a position, as there was only one company of any size locally - XXXX.  

As she started to get to know the community and indicated her objectives to people around her, our client was introduced to the former CFO of XXXX who felt our client’s background was a good match for what they were looking for. Unfortunately, the company’s owner would not speak with our client but referred her back through a recruiter who indicated that she was not a good fit for the position.  

After a number of strategy sessions with her Campaign Director, she re-approached the former CFO and was able to get her to arrange for a brief conversation with the owner “as a courtesy.” As it turns out, the reason the company had not found a viable candidate was because they needed someone with a strong operations background, not just a financial one, and our client had just the background that was being sought. Once the initial conversation was out of the way, persistence paid off and an offer was extended. Our client had the following to say:  

“As you recommended, I took the offer... I was suppose to start on Monday and he called the Thursday prior and asked if I could start Friday because he had the chance to look at an acquisition and could I join him and his team at the acquisition company. It has been absolutely crazy fun and everything is going really, really good. I am somewhat exhausted. The owner is out this week and I am the point person for the acquisition - setting up transition schedules, attorney meetings, union discussions, purchase agreement prep, and more. I am very happy and have been very, very busy... and the commute is only 6 minutes! Your [Stewart, Cooper & Coon] help has been invaluable!” 

Salary:  $120,000
Complete Benefits Package
Three Weeks Vacation

Susan H. - A 3.5 Month Search in the Worst of Times - $130,000 + No Relo

In October, Susan was laid off from a Financial Services company in New York. She began her program with SCC on Nov. 8, 2008. Due to the economic crises of the 3rd and 4th quarters of '08, her husband also closed his business which put both of them in the unemployed category. She did not want to leave New York for personal reasons, and hoped that her job search would allow her to step outside of operations. Susan has not had a job transition or interview in 12 years. This was her major concern.

We worked with Susan on networking strategies to leverage and build her current network. Via her network she received a referral to XXXX, a Financial Services Company. She had three interviews, and was offered a Sr. Director position with an 8% increase base salary, from $120,000 to $130,000. This position is both an operations and sales position that includes commission thus her potential to earn is greater than with her last company where no commission was offered. She is very pleased to be able to step outside of the purely operations role and add to her skill sets. Her successful conclusion was timely since her severance had run out and would need to take COBRA. Her total search time since coming to Stewart, Cooper & Coon was 3 1/2 months.  

Base: $130,000
Commission on top of 25% Base Salary
Full benefits package included.

Peter G. -  Realizing The American Dream

Peter G. is a Brazilian national and is in the U.S. on an employee-sponsored visa. He needed to find an employer that would continue to sponsor his visa and has been able to do that. During his search he met with adversity, language barriers, discrimination, and much more. However in spite of all that, he managed to overcome each hindrance. He is now able to bring his new wife and family to the U.S and move forward with his quest for citizenship, a process that in these times can take as long as 20 years. His new position is an opportunity for him to excel, be part of a team, and obtain his U.S. citizenship. In his new position with XXXX in Kansas, he holds the title of Risk Management Consultant.  Peter is ecstatic with the position because the company provides great benefits and is sponsoring his visa; which to him is the most important thing in his life at this time.

Peter is a client we admire because he works very hard, has overcome adversity, has a "never quit" attitude, is very tenacious, and is a great team player. Congratulations Peter, as you realize the American Dream!

SALARY: Commission Based - Estimated $250,000

BENEFITS: U.S Visa sponsorship, Family Relocation Paid

Mark S. - Unemployed to $240,000 + Package

Mark's savings had run out and the timing of securing a position was crucial. He also had trouble moving forward in his search because of his long period of unemployment (since '07) and the resulting fear of failure.

Mark was seeking a C-Level position where he could utilize his Medical Informatics background along with his M.D. His company had been acquired and his position was eliminated. When he signed on he was being interviewed for a CIO position for a company which never materialized. Mark had numerous interviews, most of which opted to hold off hiring at all due to budget cuts and a few positions were too junior and he was not able to expand the role.

He is thrilled with his new position at XXXX, because it was everything he had hoped it would be and the fit was ideal. The recruiter offered Mark 180K. Working with our team on interviewing and negotiating strategies, Mark's final salary offer was $240,000. Also, XXXX initially offered only $20K in relo and no severance. We worked with Mark on counter-offer strategies and he secured $50,000 in triple-net relocation with a 6-month severance agreement.

TITLE: CIO

BASE SALARY: $240,000

BONUS: UP TO SALARY LEVEL BASED UPON PERFORMANCE

RELOCATION: $50,000

SEVERANCE: SIX MONTHS

Chris S. - Careers and Jobs Come In Many Forms, Including A Franchise Purchase

Chris S. has been a client for five months, and made a career decision to purchase a License for a Shipping Franchise called XXXX. His new business endeavor will require his full attention. Chris had a life decision to make; either continue   with the search and acquires a job dealing with the same corporate issues he had throughout his career, or, become his own boss. This required intense investigation, soul searching as well as complete family support and the expert listening ear and coaching experience of his Stewart, Cooper & Coon Campaign Director, Leslie Noyes. Chris is not the first client who had made this decision that we have advised and counseled as they debated whether or not to go the franchise route. We were able to bring our experience with other similar situations to bear as we advised him on the issues involved.

Chris will use his extensive retail experience to sell package and ship services as well as offer products in his new retail operation. Chris having worked in retail felt even if he widened his search he'd end up in just a job rather than a career and it was important he stay in Ohio, it's why he gave up his job with YYYY when they wanted top move him to Boston. He hopes to use some of the contacts he cultivated in job search as potential customers and will be reaching out to SCC executives already placed. He decided to make that decision now while it was still financially a viable option rather than wait. He will open his new business on March 1, 2009 and we wish him well in his new venture.

Perry F. - $200K + Great Package - Two Months Search Time - No Relo Required

Perry is a VP of Accounting and Finance who came to us on 10/10/08 as an outplacement client due to his employer was downsizing. Although he is a CPA and has had good career growth, he did not have any public accounting firm experience, which most employers preferred.

He has a passion for international work and speaks Tagalog, the native language of the Philippines. During his Phoenix visit, he learned how to articulate his success stories in a compelling and efficient manner in response to interview questions, and to include behavioral competencies as well as job skills in his answers. The week after his visit, he interviewed with 3 different companies, and said that the experience in Phoenix not only improved his interview skills, but also increased his confidence. He received an offer from his preferred company that was above his expected compensation. He accepted his offer in this new position within two months of starting with us.

LOCATION: Washington (local, no relocation needed)

TITLE: Vice President, Accounting & Reporting - Public Sector

COMP: $205,000 annual + 50% bonus w/ upside increase potential based on performance. This represents a 13% increase in base salary for Perry, plus he increased his bonus from 30% in his last position.

Mark G. - 17% Base and 15% Bonus Increase - $101,000

Mark is a specialist in information security and compliance, and came to us in April of 2008. He had a very demanding job and his company had been acquired by a competitor, which severely limited any potential career growth.

He needed assistance in interviewing and presenting himself in the best possible light. One of his challenges during the campaign was juggling his demanding full-time job with his job search. We worked hard to not only define his achievements and success stories, but also to extrapolate the benefit and impact of what he does. I kept asking him "Why would your next CEO care that you were in compliance?" The answer is that if the company is not in compliance then millions of dollars are lost both customer accounts and in the rendering of fines.

Also, because of his specialization, we knew that there would not be a lot of jobs open in his field, but also that for any job there would be few, if any, candidates with his expertise. He interviewed with XXXX and they were immediately impressed. They very quickly moved him through the interview process. He was able to negotiate a higher starting base salary than was initially offered based on our work together. Below are the particulars:

JOB TITLE: Manager of Information Security Compliance

LOCATION: WI (local -- no relocation)

COMP: $101,000 base (17% increase from current base) + 22% bonus (increase from current bonus of 15%)

Richard B. - 3.5 months in Search - $195,000 Base + Bonuses

"Week one is done.  I attended a two day senior management meeting.  I sat in on some “portfolio planning” meetings.  I met with my direct reports and the local and remote managers and then held an 'all hands' meeting so that everyone could get to know me.  Expectations are high.  My challenge will be to come up to speed quickly on the products, work-flows, customers, internal processes and the people, participate in the day to day meetings without losing sight of the big picture and the reason I was hired (to be a change agent).  Needless to say I am a bit overwhelmed."

"Thanks for being such a good host in Phoenix and for all the support you have given me through my job search process."

Position Title: VP of Product Development
Duties: Member of executive staff, managing a department of over 300 people in Arizona and in Bangalore, India with responsibilities for all product development and product quality.

Base Pay: $195,000 / year

Bonus: 25% Plus a 25% stretch bonus Plus a $35,000 relocation bonus (after taxes)

James W. - Industry Change Within Manufacturing - New Base Salary $175,000

James W. achieved his objective: a CEO position with a major growth operation in the Midwest. Jim moved his career from being a top revenue generator for the food product manufacturing industry to running major farm equipment manufacturing distribution group covering several states. James was willing to wait for the right position, and went through many weeks of discussions and deliberations before accepting the position.

As James put it: "I have experience with Stewart, Cooper and Coon; their system works. However in the final analysis, Executive Marketing firms are only as good as the person assigned as your coach / mentor. Bill is absolutely one of the best coaches you will ever meet and a gentleman of the highest integrity."

Also, Stewart, Cooper and Coon will help you put together a web profile which is an effective marketing tool for executives, allowing recruiters or staffing personnel to quickly delve into your accomplishments and success stories. Understand, you will have to invest some time up-front to pull together all appropriate information to help Stewart, Cooper and Coon market your skills (your features, advantages and benefits, just like a product). However, you will be able to use this information from your web profile in so many ways. 

Base: $175,000
Second year target income of over $300K.
Relocation package and full benefit package included.

Brian S.  - Desired Location and Position Secured - $114,000 + Home Purchase

Brian now holds the title of Director of Strategic Planning for XXXX, in GA. His previous title was Regional Sales Manager at YYYY company. He came to us at the end of July. His search time was 4.5 months. He had three goals: leave FL, Leave his company and change industries.

He was under-water on his house by about $100k. He negotiated for a wonderful relocation package, which included not only buying his house but also reimbursing him up to $80k in losses, given the current real estate market.

His new position placed him into strategic planning, his dream job in a new industry, and also relocated him to Georgia, which his wife and kids are thrilled about. He reports that he loves his new job. His company also added a supplement to his bonus so that he will earn the same bonus as he would have earned as Sales Manager at 100% of target in his former position.

Base Salary: $114,000 annually

Bonuses: Initial supplement to keep him whole in 2009, PLUS an amount to equal what he would have earned at 100% sales bonus.

Relocation: Full Relocation - if house doesn't sell in 90 days they will buy it from him and reimburse him up to $80k to cover his losses.

Bruce E. - Manufacturing Executive - $235,000 Base + Excellent Package

I'm pleased to announce that Bruce has accepted a position as COO of XXXX, Inc. and will be moving from MI to NC to begin on Dec. 15. Bruce started with us on July 16, so he truly has defied the "standard" timeframe, obtaining his position in just 4 months. He has spent the last couple of months flying all over the country for interviews, juggling timing since he had an offer already but needed to "buy time" until this offer came in, plus he was able to negotiate a fantastic package. Offer details:

TITLE: COO (reports to CEO)
COMP: $235,000, 40% bonus,
STOCK OPTIONS: 1300 stock options - vested over 5 years (valued 750k-1.5MM)
EXIT: 1 year comp. if let go for reason other than performance
RELO: Expenses paid up to $40k

Phillip A. - International Banking - $530,000 +Up To 100% of Base as Bonus

Phil is an international banking executive who was seeking a move that would allow him to maintain his dual citizenship in the U.S. and E.U., and leverage his global experience. Networking was not natural to Phil, but his attitude was very positive. Learning the skills he needed, Phil leveraged a recruiter relationship to get an interview for a position for which he had no direct experience: CFO for an international financial management organization in South America. The position also entailed building a $2 billion resort complex.  

Phil went through weeks of interviews, discussions, and visits; a roller coaster ride of uncertainty based on the nature of the position, the potential risks involved, and the desire to meet both short and long-term career needs. Phil maintained an excellent, ongoing communicating with his coach / mentor for advice on strategy both for the interview process and through each step of the negotiation. Phil landed the position, more than doubling his compensation. 
Base: $280,000 U.S. (up from initial offer of $250K)
Signing Bonus: $250,000 U.S.
Annual Bonus: 50%-100% of Base pay
Benefit Package: Full benefit package including transportation home twice a year (to home country), car, expense allowance, etc.

Geoff L. - Moving To Desired Location  - $375,000 First Year Guaranteed

Geoff completed a big career move in more ways than one! Geoff wanted to get back to be closer to his family, but the opportunities seemed limited in this location. Through some excellent networking and communication strategies, Geoff got an inroad to XXXX that was going through a major restructuring. The new CEO was rebuilding the team and was seeking an SVP of Business Strategies and Geoff’s credentials were a close, but not perfect, match. However, Geoff “controlled” his interview process very well, and avoided dealing with the salary question until the offer was made. He got the offer, accepted it, and now lives down the road from his family.  

Geoff’s previous compensation was $110K in San Francisco (with roughly the same cost of living as in his new city. His offer from XXXX was $300,000 with a $75K signing bonus! A BIG move in more ways than one! Knowing how to interview properly and negotiate at the right time paid huge dividends for Geoff. 

Start Date: August 11, 2008
Position: Senior Vice President – Strategy & Marketing (previous position: Director of Strategy and Operations)
Base: $300,000 per annum     Signing Bonus: $75,000
Performance Bonus: maximum of 75% of your Annual Base Salary
Vacation: 3 weeks with rollover up to 6 weeks     Stock Option plan
Full Health / Benefit Package

Curt R. - Moving Up In Career Path - $250,000 + 100% Commission

Dear Team:  My client, Curt R., whose background was as a CEO for a manufacturing company based in New York has just accepted a great offer - after some hard negotiation. He is in the same industry but the new company is 10X larger than the company he just left.

Base $225,000 annual (with a negotiated increase to $250K on Jan. 1)
Commission:  100% commission
Full Relocation
1 year severance 
$500 monthly car + mileage

Timothy S. - Career Change and Relocation Back To U.S. - What a Package!

Timothy S. has been placed. Tim is currently in Germany (American Citizen) wanting to relocate back to the U.S. after more than a decade abroad. He also wanted to move out of aerospace, with this position he has achieved both goals. Tim will be working in the XXXX industry and the company is paying for his full relocation from Germany to the States.  Interestingly enough it worked for Tim living in Germany, he ended up interviewing at corporate headquarters in Paris, and the multi-language, multi-cultural interview was a plus.

Position details:
Start Date: 01-05-09     Location: Nebraska
Position: Project Manager

Base: $140,000     Bonus 15%

Retirement: 2 separate 401K plans which amount to company matching up to 13% with immediate eligibility and vesting after 3 years

Misc: Lump sum $6K (grossed up) upon starting to help with car purchase and 4 R/T to Germany each year

Relocation: Paying all moving expenses from Germany to US plus 4 months temp living @$1500/mo, and company paying for trip in December for he and his wife prior to the move + closing costs on his house. Severance: 6 months severance plus 2 weeks for every year at company, outplacement services and 50% of relocation costs when placed.
Vacation: 4 weeks

Mack G. - Military To Private Sector - $160,000 Base + Great Package

Mack G. is a former Lt. Colonel in the Air Force who moved into a successful business career culminating as Director of Federal Programs at XXXX. Mack had gone as far as he wanted to go with XXXX, and sought other more challenging environments. Excellent networking and persistent follow up positioned Mack to get an interview for a consulting position with YYYY. Mack even went so far as to learn what golf clubs some of the key “players” in YYYY belonged to and leveraged that information to break the ice in conversations.  

The key to Mack's success in landing his current position with YYYY was the interviewing strategy he learned from Stewart, Cooper & Coon. In his very last interview with one of the Senior Partners of YYYY, Mack asked a question that led to disclosure of a misunderstanding that would have kept Mack from ever getting the position, or knowing why! Instead, he “sold” the Senior Partner on his qualification for the position, and is now an integral member of the YYYY team.

Position: Senior Associate, Level IV (role will be "Project Manager, Business Developer, and Professional Leader")

Salary $160,000     Bonus target is 20%      21 days vacation & nine holidays (2 are floating)

Benefits Options: Standard short- and long-term disability; Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage options; AD&D insurance for business travel; Company-paid 1 x salary life insurance w/option for up to 4 x salary at group rates; medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts; employee assistance counseling; adoption assistance; and Employee Capital Accumulation Plan (ECAP)

Rick H. - Career Change After a Lifetime in One Industry  - Search Time 11 Weeks

"I am very pleased to announce that Rick H. has landed a position at XXXX.  Rick had several goals - remain where he was, transition out of financial services where he has spent his entire career, and shorten search time as much as possible. Rick achieved all of these goals, he will not have to relocate, and the new company is in the biomedical research field. Thank you to Sherri Segari and the rest of the SC&C team for your diligent support in Rick's success story."

His entire search time was just 11 weeks from start of search to start date.

Position: Director, Corporate Communications
Location: CA
Base: $130,000
Other: Discretionary bonus, 401k employer match 50% up to 6%, 3-weeks vacation"

Mike R. - Downsized - Now What?

Ben came to us in early September - a referral from Bill Temple's client, Mike R.  Ben is a marketing manager who had passion is in internet / e-commerce marketing, and who had recently gotten married in May. He was downsized from his position, and wanted to get a new position in the city where his wife is, so he limited his search to Harrisburg, PA.

Although he became aware of the Interactive Marketing Manager position at XXXX before we started working together, he had his initial phone interview and several face-to-face interviews while we worked together, and Ben was like a sponge soaking up all the coaching and information we had to offer.

He had never negotiated salary before, and although XXXX could not go as high as he had asked, Ben was pleased that he was able to get $5000 more than the original offer plus an additional bonus of 5%. He is thrilled.

Jeff G. - Unemployed and Wishing To Change Industries

Here is a note from Judy Reeves to her from her client Jeff G.

"As far as the job, I am excited to get back to work! Leslie was very helpful through the whole process! Thanks again for your work early on - without Stewart, Cooper & Coon I wouldn't have had such a solid resume and the confidence that came with going through the exercises. Jeff"

Now, here is the rest of the story from Leslie:

"I am pleased to announce that Jeff G. has accepted a position with XXXX as the Applications Manager, HR & Finance. His start date is Monday, Nov. 17th. His base salary is $97,000. There is no relocation as he will be staying in TX. This will be an industry change for him and he will also add to his resume working with HR systems, something he has not yet had an opportunity to work with."

Shelley U. - Multiple Interviews and Offers

A note from Barbara Limmer about her client, Shelley U.

"I'm pleased to report that after a whirlwind week last week of multiple interviews with two different companies, Shelley has accepted a consulting position with XXXX , in California (their offices are 2 miles from Shelley's house).

She is excited about this position because, after spending 19 years with one company and then getting laid off, this gets her into the world of consulting, where she will be exposed to a variety of clients. She starts Monday Oct. 27, and will be flying to Louisiana shortly thereafter to work with her first client.

JOB: Quality Consultant
STARTS: 10/27/08
COMP: $120,000 per year.   40% compensation increase

Mark G. - From Defense To Oil and Gas - Base Salary $129,000

I am pleased to announce that Mark G. has been placed with XXXX Engineering in L.A. as a Project Manager. This position will allow him to reside where he currently lives, thus no relocation necessary (a major goal of Mark's).

Base Salary: $129,000 per year
Bonus: Bi-weekly bonus paid for overtime
Additional Bonus: Incentive bonus (not details provided)

Many thanks to Pam for her efforts on calling and securing multiple interviews via the campaign. First contact with XXXX Engineering was from Pam Longworth, way to go!

PS: I forgot to add that is an industry change, it's in the oil & gas field. He is currently in defense. One of his goals was to get out of defense work.

Dan B.  - Auto Industry To Another Industry - $20,000 Salary Increase

I am pleased to tell you that Dan B. has received and accepted an offer with XXXX in New York. Dan was currently unemployed in Michigan, and has spent his career in the auto industry, and this job gives him the opportunity to move outside the industry to a growing and solid company.

Title: General Manager
Base: $20K increase over last position
Bonus: 15%
Relocation: Yes
Car Allowance: $600/monthly
Start Date: 10/20/08

Penny W. - 50 / 50 - $225,000 To $275,000 PLUS - $50K Salary Increase + $50K Signing Bonus

Penny W. just accepted the position of VP, Marketing Medical Officer with a L.A. firm. $225,000 base plus a 30% bonus, $30,000 signing bonus, full relocation This is a 30% increase over last salary also Penny never held a marketing position something she wished to add to her resume. One year later, a major competitor recruited Penny away adding $50K to her annual base salary and giving her a $50K signing bonus.

Mary K. - Second Job Offer After 1st One Didn't Work Out - $120,000 + Relocation

Mary K. has been placed a second time. As you may recall, she'd accepted a job with XXXX in FL and when she got there the company had changed, been taken over by another organization, the job changed, and they reneged on the WRITTEN relocation offer. Mary tried to work with the senior management and decided to leave after only 8 days. She has now received a written offer from another company, XXXX, as Vice President in TX. I spoke with Mary several times during the negotiation process and she received over $120,000 plus relocation.

Other: Discretionary bonus, 401k employer match 50% up to 6%, 3 weeks vacation"

STAY TUNED FOR MORE PLACEMENTS..... In the meanwhile, view our client videos

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Fred Coon
Chairman, CEO