Charlotte
On the referral of a friend, Charlotte approached Elicit seeking guidance on how to navigate her career trajectory following having had her confidence shaken; we helped her embrace her boldness and begin a new career awakening her sense of purpose.
Context
Charlotte is a former attorney, wellness enthusiast, environmentalist, and mother with an interest in causes that promote understanding and progress among communities, countries, and individuals. Although she arrived in the US over a decade ago with a Master’s in Law and an impressive work history in complex multinational contract negotiations, the immigration process precluded her from being able to secure work authorization for several years; full-time parenting further delayed her entry into the workforce in the US.
Charlotte approached Elicit with a desire to pursue a new professional direction that connected with her search for purpose. She engaged Elicit (having been referred by a client of ours) to strategically design and facilitate a plan for her to confidently return to the workforce and begin a new field.
Challenge
Overcoming the several years’ gap in professional employment history, crafting an American-style modern yet sophisticated resume and cover letter, learning cultural norms for professional communication and how to effectively use LinkedIn, thoughtfully investigating industries and opportunities for personality fit as well as promise of intellectual stimulation and purpose fulfillment, and navigating the interview and negotiation process all presented areas for career transition executive advisory services.
The ElicitTM Process
Instead of presenting prescriptions, Elicit partners and empowers clients to effectively meet their career transition goals by drawing out from them what lights them up, what feels unsavory to them, and what assets - historically, realized and unrealized - may best position them to succeed in their next professional experience. Identification of these enables Elicit to begin to suggest how to seek opportunities based on such factors as industry and cultural fit, values and mission alignment, and compensation.
Understanding a client’s past and current context in both professional and personal terms along with appreciating numerous key factors of the client’s personality are important considerations at the outset of our work. We seek to help our clients get out of their own way, which can sometimes involve encouraging them to learn new skills or helping them overcome anxiety about pursuing a career transition, and empowering them with clear frameworks, tools, and training.
Solution
Elicit teased out Charlotte’s strengths from her professional and personal life, worked to envision a cultural fit for her to thrive in a new career, trained her to conduct research on new opportunities and network, and eventually crafted a modern, sophisticated resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile to help initiate the active job search process. As callbacks commenced, Elicit prepared Charlotte for interviewing through multiple rounds via mock interviews and finally to compensation negotiations via clarifying and strengthening a framework to have such conversations.
Impact
We’re delighted to celebrate Charlotte’s new job offer at an organization whose mission, vision, and values excite her and an opportunity that feels intellectually and professionally stimulating and which comes with a compensation package that makes her feel good. We’re looking forward to watching her flex her executive management skills in 2023!