General Review

“Give me a fish and I’ll eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I’ll eat for a lifetime.  Thank you (RL Stevens) for teaching me effective career search tools and techniques.  The RL Stevens’s strategies and methodologies have been a great value to me.  Additionally, you reminded me of my value in the workplace. That greatly grew my confidence in the negotiation stages of the interview. The whole concept of salary negotiation was foreign to me until I contacted the professionals at RL Stevens.”

Matt came to our office wondering what to do in his career. His sense of loyalty to a previous employer was causing him to loose focus on other more rewarding options in the workplace. Matt re-examined his situation with his employer and realized that he was giving much more than he was receiving.  It was time to explore new opportunities.

Matt's consultant quickly assessed his most marketable skills and knowledge and created a targeted resume, targeted toward the needs of growth industries. He was provided with strategic information and key decision maker and company names in these industries. We helped Matt better quantify his past successes and polish his interviewing presentation. We helped maximize his talents and skills in a new arena. We also provided him with spot opportunities.

Within seven weeks of kicking off his career marketing campaign, Matt was thrilled to have a good number of interviews and two offers to choose from. He was able to work with his consultant and negotiate a great increase and salary and exceptional benefits.

“You guys really helped me move in a new direction. I remember you saying: "’Different is not always better, but better is always different.’ Thanks for helping me grow.”

Previous
Title: VP of Customer Relations
Salary: $52,500
Industry: Insurance    

Current
Title: Business Developer
Salary: $75,000 - $80,000
Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Position Search: 7 Weeks
Interviews: 5
Job Offers: 2
Salary Increase: 43% - 52%

Lean Manufacturing Manager to Global Program Manager.  Darrell came to RL Stevens with approximately 10 years experience as a project supervisor.

Founded in 1982 by Randy Stevens, RL Stevens has grown from a single office into a multi-divisional corporation with offices and consultants throughout the country. Built on an unwavering commitment to helping executives and professionals achieve their career goals, RL Stevens has become the Nation’s most successful full-service career firm.
 
For 29 years, RL Stevens has helped thousands of professionals and executives secure new career positions in the fastest, most efficient manner.

If you are someone thinking about strategic direction, career transition and where new ideas are needed, you may appreciate this client’s story in the brief below.

Darrell came to RL Stevens with approximately 10 years experience as a project supervisor in electronics manufacturing.  His career goals were to move into sales, preferably in a global position… with compensation that would allow his wife to stay home and be a mom (aka: domestic engineer).

Even prior to final drafts of his resume, Darrell was networking feverishly. Using the extensive deep level market research RL Stevens provided, along with key decision maker names in companies that fit Darrell's target market, a position was revealed that would allow him to relocate to the west coast, increase his compensation so that his wife could remain at home, and join a company with long-term growth in a global environment.

Aggressive training and polishing of his interviewing techniques positioned him for an offer at the conclusion of his first face-to-face interview. The rest… is history.

“I couldn’t believe the way the company responded to my negotiating strategies…

They gave me everything that I asked for….  No balks, no questions….

My only regret is I wasn’t as aggressive as my consultant said I should be,

I didn’t ask for enough…. And I probably could have done even better.”

Previous
Title: Lean Manufacturing Manager
Salary: $86,500
Industry: Electronics Equipment    

Current
Title: Global Program Manager
Salary: $105,000 + 20% bonus
Industry: Hi-tech/Informational

Position Search: 9 Weeks
Interviews: 2
Job Offers: 2
Salary Increase: 45%

David went from a Business Development Manager to a Store Accounting Director.

General Review

David had experienced solid career growth. From a Public accounting firm to an automotive firm and finally to a financial consulting firm in a business development role.  As the market and competition changed, David’s firm didn’t.  He felt that the firm needed to be more competitive.  A new management team entered the picture and mapped out new business strategies. David felt that the strategies were flawed, and said so to the new boss. David’s opinion was not welcomed and he was asked to leave the firm. He came to RL Stevens.

David’s consultant conducted a thorough review of his background. David’s goal was to find a position that matched his business philosophy and one in which he can contribute, introduce new ideas, build business, and be recognized for his success. David's consultant developed a communication strategy to move from a firm where he was not appreciated to a company that values his experience and knowledge. A targeted resume was developed that focused on David’s strengths and aspirations along with a plan to penetrate his target market. Custom openings, unpublished opportunities, key decision makers and deep level research were provided.

David’s first response led him to a firm that was the fit David was looking for and, after several meetings, an offer was on the table. David’s consultant reviewed the offer with him and helped him develop negotiating strategies that:

1) Increased his vacation time.

2) Had the company pay David’s COBRA payments for the first 90 days until he was eligible for health insurance.

3) Generated a $5,000 starting bonus for David

Previous
Title: Business Development Manager
Salary: $110,000
Industry: Consulting    

Current
Title: Director, Store Accounting
Salary: $148,000 includes bonus
Industry: Retail

Position Search: 8 Weeks
Interviews: 1
Job Offers: 1
Salary Increase: 35% ($38,500)

If you are someone thinking about strategic direction, career transition and where new ideas are needed, you may appreciate this clients story in the brief below.

General Review

Jeff was well versed in sales and intended to stay in the function. However, he very much wanted to get into an area outside of his industry and get into one where there were more opportunities and considerably higher pay ranges. Jeff called RL Stevens to see if we could help him decide which industries would offer those options and how to put together a strategy to get him there.

Jeff’s consultant put together a very aggressive plan that included a career change program to assist Jeff in leveraging his transferable skills into the new career path. A wide variety of market intelligence was provided including key decision makers to approach. Jeff’s need was to circumvent human resources, so his consultant provided him information on the hiring patterns before they were posted. Many of the techniques were completely unfamiliar to Jeff and he spent a little time making sure that he thoroughly understood how to go about implementing the career change project plan that had been designed specifically to his particular needs. He wanted to do it right the first time.

Jeff followed the marketing plan that had been designed for him and within a couple weeks he was getting some action and within six weeks he had his first offer. Jeff and his consultant talked about the opportunity and his consultant recommended that he hold out for a better one. Jeff was so confident in the process that his consultant had put together that he decided to heed the advice.  Within three weeks another, much more lucrative, offer was extended which he successfully negotiated and accepted.

Previous
Title: Director of Sales
Salary: $87,000
Industry: Food

Current
Title: Sales Executive
Salary: $65,000 + $45,000 avg. comm.=
$110,000 + 2,000 shares of stock
Industry: Hi-Tech

Position Search: 6 Weeks
Interviews: 4
Job Offers: 2
Salary Increase: 26%+

Program Manager to Quality and Reliability Manager.  Clyde's career progression had stalled a few months before...the division he supported had grown only slightly and no promotions were on the horizon...

General Review

Clyde’s career progression had stalled a few months before he approached RL Stevens.  The division he supported had grown only slightly and no promotions were on the horizon.  He looked to RL Stevens' expertise and targeted, multi-channel marketing approach to return to a career growth path and greater responsibility.
 
His consultant developed that approach for him.  He positioned Clyde with a look toward the future, emphasizing Clyde’s senior-level experience and accomplishments.  He provided research on high-growth, high-potential technology companies in his geographical area and helped him target and approach decision-makers in several of them.  Since Clyde realized that his job search skills were rusty, he often relied on his consultant to edit his e-mails and letters, put the proper “spin” on his tailored resumes and decide the exact best approach to use to generate interviews.

Using the strategies, tactics and research provided by RL Stevens in addition to his consultant’s individualized coaching, Clyde quickly began to generate quality interviews.

He called on his consultant before and after each interview for help preparing and following up.  He turned down one offer that wasn’t quite the right fit, but received a much better offer soon thereafter.  His consultant helped him weigh the pros and cons of accepting and helped him negotiate a $10,000 increase from the initial offer.

SUMMARY:

Within one month, Clyde was able to make the transition to a growth position in a company whose upward path matches his desired trajectory.

Previous
Title: Program Manager
Salary: $130,000+ bonus
Industry: Robotics    

Current
Title: Quality and Reliability Manager
Salary: $140,000 + $10,000 signing bonus + performance bonus
Industry: Robotics

Position Search: 4 weeks
Interviews: 3
Job Offers: 2
Salary Increase: 7.2% ($10,000) + $10,000 bonus

General Review

Andrew realized that since he had not actively searched for a new position for 8 years and had only lived in the United States for about a year and a half, he needed a directed marketing–based career search, similar to ones he himself had worked on in his career.  Although he was employed at the time, he had become sidelined with few prospects for advancement.  He looked to RL Stevens and Associates to shape up his communications, both written and verbal, and to help him gain quality interviews in companies where he could grow.

After assessing Andrew’s experience and skill sets, his consultant helped him focus on appropriate functional levels and likely industries.  He provided Andrew with the contact information of appropriate C-Level executives at companies in those targeted industries. He converted Andrew’s 4-page CV into a powerful 2-page targeted resume, edited his letters and e-mails, strengthened his interviewing skills and provided the coaching he needed to execute his Marketing Plan.  He now had decision maker names and a targeted resume showing his skills in line with the needs of the companies he was contacting.  With this, he was able to bypass human resources and go straight to the decision makers.

Carrying a heavy workload, Andrew made consistent progress generating quality interviews.  The offer he accepted was one of three in advanced stages of interviewing.  His new position not only increased his compensation substantially but also his prospects for further advancement.

“You’ve been a true partner throughout my search.  Thank you!!”

Previous
Title: (Unemployed) Vice President – Market Research and Analytics
Salary: $175,000 + 15% bonus
Industry: Direct Marketing    

Current
Title: Director of Analytics
Salary: $192,000 + 20% bonus
Industry: Market Research

Position Search: 37 Weeks
Interviews: 5
Job Offers: 1
Salary Increase: 10% ($17,000)

RL Stevens pinpoints your best functional and industry career options. When you identify employer needs through in-depth market research, then develop a personalized solution and communication initiative that aligns with those needs, you will yield a positive outcome.

Before any obligation exists for you or RL Stevens, a careful evaluation will be completed to establish the exact work to be done for you in accordance with your career goals.

For 29 years, RL Stevens has helped thousands of professionals and executives secure new career positions in the fastest, most efficient manner. Here is a business leader who engaged RL Stevens to get quality interviews. If you are someone thinking about strategic direction, career transition and where new ideas are needed, you may appreciate this client’s story in the brief below.

General Review

Donald was unemployed as a result of the sale and subsequent reorganization of his company.  He had been with his employer for five years.  Prior to that position he was with the same company for over a decade before being laid off.  He enjoyed the manufacturing environment and his goal was to obtain a position with another privately held company.  He engaged the services of RL Stevens for company expertise and to minimize the length of his search in a weak economy.

His consultant developed a multi-channel marketing approach emphasizing his senior level management experience and accomplishments.  Most importantly, she provided targeted research in his geographical market while guiding him through many unpublished approaches to communicate with those decision makers.

Using the strategies and research provided by his consultant, he began to generate quality interviews.  His consultant provided a solid marketing plan that Donald executed making sure he positioned his value statement to the employer’s needs in this hard economy.  Within a short period of time, Donald was offered and accepted a leadership position in a private manufacturing company that had had weak leadership in the financial area.

Summary – Donald, in a 6-week period went from being unemployed to a CFO position with a higher salary and a chance to become CEO in the future.

“My consultant helped me develop a job search program that was focused and effective.”

Previous
Title:  (Unemployed) CFO
Salary:  $120,000
Industry:  Manufacturing    

Current
Title:  CFO
Salary:  $135,000
Industry:  Manufacturing

Position Search:  6 weeks
Interviews:  6
Job Offers:  2
Salary Increase: 13% ($15,000)

General Review

An associate attorney with 6 years law firm experience, Felicia wanted to look for an in-house position with a Washington, D.C. area corporation - she came to RL Stevens to help her make it happen!
 
Felicia's legal experience was highly transferable to the corporate sector, so in a relatively short period of time, RL Stevens research showed indicators of movement in target companies.  She soon found herself interviewing with several area corporations.

Felicia and her consultant developed a strategy before each interview, and the work paid off. Two offers arrived in one week. Now it was time for a negotiation strategy! Again, the strategy worked. One company matched the other company's offer, and added a 55,000 signing bonus to boot!
 
Felicia wrote to us and said: “Your ability to thoroughly research the firms prior to my interviews really paid off for me. I went into the interviews fully prepared to create value. Our strategy has resulted in a successful transition to a better position and the successful shattering of the ‘100K glass ceiling’. Thanks so very much for your help.”  $105,000 + $55,000 signing bonus

Previous
Title:  Associate Attorney
Salary:  $98,000
Industry:  Law Firm

Current
Title:  Assistant VP H/R
Salary:  $105,000 + $55,000 sign bonus
Industry:  Systems Integration

Position Search:  2 Months
Interviews:  4
Job Offers:  2
Salary Increase:  63% ($62,000)

General Review

Multiple changes in the industry, shifts in the market, and transitions within the compensation structure at his company, forced Darrell to consider ‘outplacement’ as a means by which to alter his career path.   Most of his background had been in business development, community partnerships, and fund raising.

The RL Stevens program helped him to see that his skills went beyond the ‘finance pieces’ and extended to the research, analysis, forecasting, and development side of individual businesses, not just large commercial projects.  As a matter of fact, the assessment tools helped him to see that there was a strong entrepreneurial element in his character that was going totally ‘untapped’.  His RL Stevens consultant helped him to see and understand where his skills fit in the marketplace.

The resume was developed to address these possibilities, as were custom opportunities.  The networking strategies simply re-enforced the fine tuned skills he had developed in his previous situations.  Darrell was shown multiple published and unpublished opportunities to pursue and given a wide variety of market intelligence.  Using multiple levels of his marketing strategy, discussions began between Darrell and a hiring officer regarding business development, consulting, strategic planning, and vision casting.  Shortly thereafter, Darrell was offered a position.

“This is it!  It’s the best of all the worlds.  I get to continue in business development.  I get to tap into the consulting and marketing aspects.  I will have a great deal of entrepreneurial freedom and flexibility.  I will not be focused on commission based selling, but can focus on strong business relationships… and in the process, will be making great contacts with CEO/Presidents of companies around the state.  This may be the perfect position, or the most unbelievable ‘bridge job’ any of your clients have ever taken.  In either case, I’m counting on you guys to continue helping me shape this growth path.”

Previous
Title:  Financial Planner
Salary:  $60,000
Industry:  Financial Services

Current
Title:  Senior Consultant
Salary:  $100,000
Industry:  Business Analysis/Consulting

Position Search:  2 Weeks
Interviews:  2
Job Offers:  1
Salary Increase:  67% ($40,000)

General Review

Most of the time, the RL Stevens success stories are told through the eyes of the consultant.  In this case it is best told through the quotes of the client, in conversation with the consultant and the new employer.

Jeff:  “I came to RL Stevens for four reasons, (1) I need my resume to stand out in the crowd, (2) I need access to contacts and business leads that I can’t acquire on my own, (3) I believe you can help me expedite this process quicker than I can accomplish the transition on my own, (4) I want someone to help me optimize my negotiating position.”

Company Pres:  “We’ve been thinking about adding a marketing/operations strategist for over a year.  We own 20 different businesses; your resume caught my eye.  Don’t know how you found me, but I’m glad you made the contact.  Your task will be to take three of them in particular (approximately $21M) and help us grow the product and the market share.”

Jeff:  “This contact came directly through the ‘targeted resume placement’ you assigned me to do the first day of the month.  (Jeff was given key decision makers to contact through the research provided by RL Stevens as well as unpublished approaches to use in his targeted resume placement strategy.)  He contacted me within 4 days.  I spent the next few weeks writing a proposal (per your tutorial on the proposal approach) about what I would do with this portion of the company.”

Jeff:  “The offer is interesting, especially when you put it against my wish list from our meeting.  It’s 15 minutes from my house.  $52K base, 15% equity, bonus structure, and a minimum of $50K in compensation for special market analysis project.  And remember the request for a company car?   They gave me $250 car allowance for expenses and a vehicle from the ‘owner’s collections’.   That’s right!  He collects cars… he has 82 of them.  My company car is a fully restored 1967 Silver Shadow Rolls Royce.   J”

Jeff:  “This has been truly amazing.   It’s perfect for right now.   It’s diverse, it’s unique, and I won’t get bored.  Could last forever, could last a few years…. Either way, I’ve got you guys on my side.”

Previous
Title:  SVP / Controller
Salary:  $90,000
Industry:  Utility Services

Current
Title:  VP / Chief Operations Officer
Salary:  $130,000
Industry:  Diversified Business Strategies

Position Search:  4 days from launch
Interviews:  1
Job Offers:  1
Salary Increase:  45% ($40,000)