From time to time we interview a client or former client about his or her career transition and their experience with Kelleher Associates. 

KA: Tell me about your career.

JS: I started out as a family therapist right out of graduate school, moved to California, and continued my work as a family and marital therapist within a community mental health center. Eventually I took on a faculty position with the University of Southern California and maintained a clinical private practice in the evenings. After a few years at USC I was offered a position at Kaiser Permanente as the Director of Management Consulting for the Southern California region. I managed all the management consulting services within that region for six years and then moved back East to do organizational development and management consulting in healthcare. I ended up getting a job with PECO in organizational development. I stayed with PECO for 11 years in a variety of roles; one being a key role in the company’s re-energizing effort led by the new CEO. I designed, implemented and integrated a career development process and revamped the performance management process, eventually taking on the management of all the processes in the company that dealt with executive leadership planning and development. When the merger with Unicom was announced I was selected to design all the leadership and executive planning and development processes for the new company, Exelon. I continued in this role within the new company. Travel became a bit too much for me (the corporate offices were in Chicago) and so I made the decision to resign. It was at this point that I started working with Kelleher, and ultimately Wyeth. 

KA: How did you come to work with Kelleher? Why did you make this selection? 

JS: After leaving Exelon, I was put in contact with an outplacement firm, but I didn’t click there. They weren’t as helpful as I expected and I didn’t feel they understood what I was looking for. During my early frustration with this firm, someone told me about Kelleher. I interviewed Ed, and he in turn interviewed me. I met the people at Kelleher and found a click. They knew I was looking for higher-level jobs and knew the kind of jobs I was best suited for. They educated me about the Kelleher process, the bigger picture of outplacement, particular strategies and the importance of positioning. I liked the process and the team demeanor. Everyone was smart, easy to talk to and knew their stuff. They were geared toward upper level placement and were very knowledgeable about the job search process. 

KA: What was unique about your experience at Kelleher?

JS: My experience was unique in that I had a whole team of coaches working with me. I was so impressed with this teamwork mentality. They all worked together to get to know my goals and my experience. One member would be giving me a list of contacts, another support, encouragement, feedback; there was a little bit of help from everyone. I had a primary coach assigned to me, but it was the team effort with everyone accessible to me that really stood out in my mind. The team at Kelleher has a large network and everyone is very well connected. Not only did I get an education about strategy and the outplacement process, but I also got training, help and leads. These weren’t necessarily job leads, but rather contacts that I could use to build my own professional network. The outplacement process can be discouraging. That was not the case at Kelleher. The team gives you a lot of support and encouragement – when you need it most. They help you keep your feet on the ground and focused on the task at hand. It’s an emotional experience and working within the structure at Kelleher teaches you not to take things too personally. They guide you through the emotional roller coaster. 

KA: How did Ed Kelleher contribute to your campaign?

JS: Ed was my primary coach. He monitored everything I did from contacts, to the process itself, to follow up after each of my interviews. He kept me on my toes and encouraged me along the way. He’s the driving force behind why I am in the job I’m at right now. Ed helped me to broaden my scope. Originally I wasn’t going to apply for this particular position. I didn’t think it was in line with my interests, but Ed made me dig deeper and look at it from different angles. I had the option to check it out and make a decision from there. Another thing that Ed contributed to my campaign was assistance with updating and enhancing my resume. After discussing my experience, Ed found that there were many things that I had accomplished that were not noted on the resume. He helped me turn my resume into a personal marketing tool. With Ed’s help I was able to communicate a bigger, and better picture. 

KA: How did Al Kramer contribute to your campaign?

JS: Al was extremely important when I was preparing for the interview process. He was a huge support system. We conducted mock interviews to help me prepare. We would videotape the sessions and review my performance. We would critique my body language, my delivery and my tone. It was a real-interview training session that made an impact on my job search process. I felt 100% prepared for any situation I might encounter. One tip, of many, I learned from Al was an effective response method to interview questions. He taught me the situation – action – result process, which tells a story. With this I was armed and ready to approach the interview process. 

KA: How did Mitch Wienick contribute to your campaign?\

JS: Mitch also coached me during my time at Kelleher. He was a key contributor to expanding my professional contact network. He set me up with a network of people who helped me in my job search process. They were not job contacts, nor direct links to interviews, instead they were a system of professional relationships for me to utilize. Mitch and I had lunch together and we talked about the outplacement process, his experience and mine. He was an incredible resource for me and was another support system I could turn to for help, follow up and expertise. 

KA: Would you recommend Kelleher’s services to others?

JS: Absolutely. With Kelleher, you get to network with people that are going through the same process. You also have a full-service support team that is accessible to you. There are always a lot of people helping you out, offering suggestions and recommendations. They have the unique combination of big company expertise with a caring atmosphere. It’s your own personal office environment, with a routine, a schedule and most importantly support – emotional and professional.