By Erin Mayer
Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? In this difficult economic climate with news of lay-offs happening every day, the array of resources available for job-seekers in on the increase- that’s for sure. I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal that explored some of the ups and downs of ‘expert’ advice for high-end job-seekers. The article reminded readers to be careful; many people would love to make money off of job-seekers.
David Werner International Corp www.dwic.com offers executives earning $250K or more in finding employment. The company helps job-seekers with resumes and sends hundreds of letters to prospective employers touting the executive’s experience (almost always without giving the executive’s name and contact information as the executive is typically still employed). DWIC only works with four individuals each month and charges clients (candidates) $26,000 or more plus a fee of $13,000 if there is a ‘success’ or job landed with a company. One gentleman worked with the company and received five interviews with corporate giants in the banking industry- although he hasn’t yet landed a permanent position, he’s been doing some consulting work and feels the $30,000 he’s given to DWIC to be money well spent.
Other Werner clients have been unhappy, however. One client claims to have spent almost $22,000 with the company and was less than thrilled with the results. The client said Werner sent out around 920 letters on his behalf- a ‘mass mailing’, he said, that simply wasn’t beneficial. He ended up finding a position on his own as a COO of a technology company in California.
There are also individuals called ‘Executive Agents’ who work with clients (candidates) in the US and who assist them to find employment. These Executive Agents only work with the best of the best and do charge their clients a fee of $20,000 and up for their work.
Most people, though, are not able to afford these types of payments… they must rely on other resources, like head-hunters, job boards, networking, sending out resumes, and other sources. I think the point for everyone- regardless of income level or title- is to be mindful of the resources chosen. Not everyone is reputable- and results are rarely guaranteed. It’s simply a matter of weighing out the benefits vs. costs of each source.
