Recommendations
Here are just some of our client recommendations.
If you have been in a senior position at your employer for an extended period of time, got into a comfort zone, with no real Plan B from an alternative career perspective, and then suddenly realise that you will be the next in line to be retrenched, then Noelene and team at Execulinked will provide valuable guidance and support.
The solution will not be the traditional route of updating your CV and sharing such with a handful of recruitment agencies. Let me share my experience, the agencies have an interest-only if they do have a mandate, which is in short supply. A critical question you will have to address for yourself is; Do you want to be back in the formal employment market or do you have sufficient self-confidence to commence with your own business?
What you will need at such stage in your career is professional support from a career coach, be it for moral support and professional guidance with regards to the use of your business network, social media, CV, and tools at your disposal to assist to steer your through such phase in your life journey.
My strong recommendation is not to immediately decide on what a second career involves, take a sabbatical, consult widely within your family and trusted network, do not be shy to grow such a network, and listen closely to recommendations and ideas. Especially those that will take you out of your comfort zone. Do not underestimate your experience and the value you may add, especially at smaller institutions. Use the book to guide, where appropriate.
To conclude, Noelene and several other stakeholders played an active role in helping me to find my niche and a better quality of life. I encourage you to do the same!
I contacted Noelene at a time when I was uncertain about my future. Through a few relaxed discussions, she gave me the tools to understand what I wanted and the confidence to pursue it. Because of this, I am now taking the next big step in my career.
I met Noelene on LinkedIn. What drew my attention to her was one of her posts on interview preparation and I got in touch with her thereafter. I found her professional from our initial engagement and that is how she carried herself throughout our interactions. It was great to have someone assist me with my career transition. She proved a great resource in that she encouraged me to think of my career beyond my next employer. She became a useful resource to have during my job search because of the depth of her experience and her willingness to assist. What stood out for me were her passion which always came through and her resourcefulness. The fact that I never had to follow up on an item that she’d offered during a conversation with her stood out for me. If she promised to send me something, she would send it through immediately thereafter. Being a CA(SA), I am not used to selling myself and this is one area she particularly helped me with. For example, being able to articulate what my unique value-add is. This was also evident in the transition I saw in my CV after we had had this conversation. Overall, I enjoyed working with Noelene because of the positive energy she brought to each one of our conversations. Her energy always left me feeling empowered and encouraged.
Noelene and ExecUlinked came into my life at a time when my career and morale needed a boost. With the realisation that my CV was a self-inflicted liability on my future career endeavors, the door to Execulinked was opened. It was the in-depth process that differentiated itself from other so-called CV writers as she took an interest in understanding my career achievements and personality. This is what convinced me to follow her approach to the process. Noelene is knowledgeable of the engineering discipline and technical specialist skills job roles, at a senior level. This enables her to highlight the skillsets she recognised in me that I had failed to spotlight in previous résumés. Her insider knowledge of how companies recruit and not how people are led to believe they will find jobs makes sense.
I personally believe that Noelene has a passion for empowering people in the current market – even if the odds are against them – and her guidance to a complete overhaul of my career brand and the absolute care she took in the journey was testimony to this. She still follows up on my career, celebrates the highs, and constantly suggests upgrades or changes to my career development. Her Career Transition Programme is now a tried and tested roadmap enabling anyone who may want to better their career brand or transition to new challenges.