Career services

STORY

This candidate was an accomplished senior project manager who made the deliberate decision to relocate across the country in search of a new studio to call home. She brought proven expertise in project delivery, team leadership, and studio operations. Her relocation represented more than a career move—it was an intentional search for the right organizational fit where her leadership would be valued and her voice would matter.

CAREER GOALS

She sought a senior leadership role where she could make a meaningful impact on a studio’s direction and culture. She wanted the opportunity to develop junior staff, take on significant projects, and give back to her local industry community while building something of lasting value.

RESULT

Identified and placed with a growing regional firm that had identified an underperforming studio in her market as a turnaround opportunity. She was offered the role of Senior Associate, positioning her to lead the studio transformation. The organization recognized her potential and explicitly empowered her to develop junior staff, lead large-scale projects, and guide the studio’s strategic direction. She is now spearheading a studio turnaround and building a studio culture where her leadership voice is heard and her decisions shape the future—exactly the opportunity she was seeking.

TENURE in Role: 4 months and counting

STORY

This candidate was a seasoned senior project manager at a large national firm with clear ambitions for career advancement. While he had built strong technical expertise and project delivery skills, he faced a structural limitation at his current organization—a weak and inconsistent work pipeline meant that advancement opportunities were years away, with a realistic timeline of at least 10 years before reaching his career goals.

CAREER GOALS

He wanted to join a firm that offered both stability through a strong, consistent project pipeline and genuine upward mobility where hard work and performance would translate to accelerated advancement rather than waiting a decade for growth.

RESULT

Hired as Senior Project Manager with a  base increase and granted stock ownership in the firm, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to retaining and developing top talent. Within 6 months, he was promoted to Associate Principal—a leadership-track role that would have taken years at his previous firm. He has since become instrumental in turning around an underperforming studio and is now one of the senior leaders driving strategy for the firm. Two years in and still delivering exceptional results.

TENURE in Role: 2 years and counting

 STORY

This candidate was a respected senior engineering leader who had spent the majority of his career at a mid-size firm known for its strong, collaborative culture and meaningful work. When his firm was acquired through M&A by one of the industry’s largest players, he initially expected that joining a global giant would provide stability and expanded opportunities. Instead, the opposite occurred—his teams faced constant restructuring and layoff threats, and he found himself transformed from a valued leader into just another number in a massive organization.

CAREER GOALS

He wanted to return to a mid-size firm environment where his leadership voice would matter, where he could develop junior talent and lead meaningful technical initiatives. He sought a role that would restore his sense of impact and allow him to shape the future direction of an engineering organization.

RESULT

Placed as Director of Engineering at a growing mid-size firm seeking a senior leader to develop junior staff, manage large-scale projects, and guide the department into its next phase of growth. The organization recognized his value immediately, and his performance was so exceptional that he was promoted to Principal within 6 months—a leadership-track position that reflects both his technical expertise and his ability to elevate the entire organization.

TENURE in Role: 8 months and counting

STORY

This candidate recently helped an Architecture and Engineering firm build standard operating procedures, establish a high-performance culture, and drive significant value across all phases of their business. Due to market conditions and overleverage in one area, the firm restructured at the end of 2024 and he was separated. He brought deep expertise in systems building, organizational development, and operational scaling.

CAREER GOALS

He wanted to join another A&E firm where he could support the Principal group, build scalable systems to enable growth, and be part of a truly collaborative culture. He was seeking a leadership role where his operational expertise would be valued and challenged to drive firm evolution.

RESULT

Hired as the firm’s first Director of Operations, reporting to the COO, VP of Architecture, and VP of Business Development. He is now architecting uniform project management systems across the firm and driving cultural alignment to support scaled growth and improved work/life balance for all staff.

TENURE in Role: 1 year and counting

 STORY

This candidate was a highly accomplished CFO with the majority of her career spent in the logistics industry, where she had developed deep expertise in department reorganization, financial reporting, month-end close processes, and steering the financial direction of complex organizations. Her work was consistently valued and recognized for its rigor and impact. Yet despite her competence and contribution, she never had a true seat at the table—her voice shaped the numbers, but not the strategic decisions.

CAREER GOALS

She was seeking a CFO role where her voice would guide company strategy and financial direction. She wanted a transformational opportunity where she could take charge, drive meaningful change, and have her expertise shape the future of the organization, not just support it.

RESULT

Identified and placed with a company seeking a decisive financial leader to come in and take charge. This organization recognized her potential and actively positioned her to be the voice that would guide financial direction and strategy. She is now building systems from the ground up, establishing the financial processes and controls that will support the company’s turnaround, and steering the financial projections and course for future growth. For the first time in her career, her leadership is fully visible and her strategic voice is heard at the highest levels.

TENURE in Role: 2 months and counting

STORY

This candidate brought diverse and substantial HR and talent management experience, with a proven track record of building high-performing teams and driving strategic organizational initiatives. He had recently encountered headwinds at his current firm due to industry and marketplace pressures, but was determined to find an organization where he could leverage his deep expertise to create meaningful strategic impact.

CAREER GOALS

He was seeking a stable, growth-oriented organization where he could be a true strategic partner to the executive team and establish a high-performance culture. Ideally, he wanted a role that would allow him to relocate closer to his family in a specific metropolitan area.

RESULT

Hired as Head of Human Resources to support the C Suite with aggressive growth objectives. He relocated to his target metropolitan area to be closer to family and joined a robust, professionally managed organization where he has a voice in executive decision-making.

TENURE in Role: 1 year and counting

STORY

This candidate spent a decade as a true mover and shaker, building and growing a family-run organization from the ground up. He was instrumental in establishing the company’s growth culture and operational foundations. However, as the organization matured, senior leadership began to lose momentum on aggressive growth initiatives, and the energy that had defined his early tenure started to stifle.

CAREER GOALS

He was seeking an organization that shared his passion for aggressive, strategic growth. He wanted a leadership role where he could help an organization scale, innovate, and fulfill its growth potential—essentially recapturing the entrepreneurial energy that had defined his earlier career.

RESULT

Hired as Chief Operating Officer to partner with the CEO on aggressive growth and organizational scaling. He received a substantial base increase reflecting the strategic value of his expertise. Over the past two years, he has delivered transformational results: completing a comprehensive company restructure, landing major new contracts, launching two new divisions and service offerings, and building out the executive team with hires including Head of HR, CFO, and Director of Construction.

TENURE in Role: 1 year 9 months and counting

 STORY

This candidate spent his entire career building a distinguished track record as a CFO at Fortune 500 companies, steadily climbing the corporate ladder and mastering large-scale financial operations. While successful in those roles, he had begun to recognize that managing finances for massive, established organizations on "autopilot" lacked the dynamic challenge and visible impact he craved for the final chapter of his career.

CAREER GOALS

He was seeking a role where every decision he made directly influenced company trajectory and where his financial strategy could visibly drive growth. He wanted a capstone position where he could see the tangible impact of his work and mentor the next generation of finance leaders.

RESULT

Placed as Chief Financial Officer at a third-generation construction firm serving the Oil & Gas industry. He is now directly supporting aggressive company growth initiatives where his strategic financial decisions have immediate, visible impact. In recognition of his value and to align his success with long-term company performance, we negotiated a custom long-term incentive plan that includes a significant balloon payment based on his contribution to company growth and profitability—ensuring his final chapter is both impactful and rewarding.

TENURE in Role: 2 years and counting

STORY

This candidate was an accomplished asset manager with years of experience in major markets—Los Angeles and New York—where he had built deep expertise in real estate investment strategy and portfolio management. During the pandemic, he made a personal decision to relocate back to his hometown to be close to family. While the move was right for his personal life, his professional situation suffered—he found himself working in property management, a role that was misaligned with his career expertise and ambitions.

CAREER GOALS

He was determined to get back on his core career path in asset management. He wanted a role that would restore his professional trajectory and allow him to leverage his real estate investment expertise and strategic portfolio management skills.

RESULT

Hired as Asset Manager to spearhead a newly created division, positioning him at the forefront of company growth in this segment. He received a substantial base salary increase, reflecting the organization’s recognition of his value and commitment to the role. He was back in career alignment within months. His exceptional performance and leadership capabilities earned him a promotion to Vice President of Asset Management within 6 months. He has since begun building and leading his own team, and continues to drive the division’s growth. Two and a half years in and still delivering strong results.

TENURE in Role: 2 years 5 months and counting

 STORY

This candidate was early in his career but had already demonstrated strong analytical capabilities and a talent for financial reporting and data analysis. While he had the foundational skills, he recognized that early-career growth requires more than just technical competency—it requires the right environment, mentorship, and meaningful project exposure.

CAREER GOALS

He was seeking a firm that would provide stability, intentional career development opportunities, and direct access to meaningful, exciting projects where he could learn and grow his skillset. He wanted to build a long-term career path rather than just take a job.

RESULT

Hired as an Asset Management Analyst at a large, emerging real estate developer and management firm—an organization positioned for growth and innovation. He received a $10,000 base increase and, more importantly, secured direct mentorship from experienced leaders and exposure to exciting, real-world project data and decision-making. This combination of compensation, mentorship, and meaningful project work is positioning him to rapidly develop expertise and build a sustainable long-term career in real estate.

TENURE in Role: 1 year 8 months and counting

STORY

This candidate was a dedicated professional and single mother juggling two part-time jobs to support her family. While her accounting skills were solid, the reality of her situation was unsustainable—working multiple part-time roles meant no benefits, no job security, and worst of all, constant conflict between work obligations and being present for her daughter’s life and activities.

CAREER GOALS

She needed a stable, full-time position that would provide benefits and reasonable hours. But more importantly, she wanted work-life balance so she could be present at her daughter’s extracurricular activities and actually participate in her childhood.

RESULT

Hired as a Contract Staff Accountant with one of the largest school districts in the state—an organization that values stability and actually supports working families. She secured a stable 40-hour position with built-in flexibility for her family needs. Most significantly, she received a $20,000 base salary increase, which exceeded the combined income from her two previous part-time positions. The organization recognized her value and commitment, converting her from contract to full-time hire two months early before the holidays and providing an additional raise plus full benefits package. She is now present at all of her daughter’s activities—a transformation that reflects both professional success and restored life balance.

TENURE in Role: 1 year 9 months and counting

STORY

This candidate was a Big 4 CPA with a distinguished career spanning compliance audits and financial assessments across complex organizations. While her expertise was highly valued, she had grown tired of the traditional audit role—always identifying problems and telling clients what was wrong, but never being part of the solution. She was ready for a different kind of challenge.

CAREER GOALS

She wanted to join an organization where she could actually contribute to success rather than just identify problems. Her ideal role would allow her to develop and mentor staff, build financial systems and processes, and be a true operational partner to leadership in driving company growth.

RESULT

Placed as Controller at a fast-growing technology company serving the geospatial industry across multiple verticals. Nearly three years into the role, she’s thriving—building teams, establishing financial systems, and making a direct impact on company performance. She’s not looking back.

TENURE in Role: 2 years 9 months and counting