I am a new associate at my company. Going into this role I had a lot of questions and concerns when it came to my approach and mindset to work. Having worked with Melissa Plett during this time has been an absolute game changer. The clarity she has helped me obtain on my approach to work and my work/life balance has been incredibly impactful in both by professional and personal life. I am now advancing and finding my footing in my new role. I am very thankful for the support I have received and the lessons I have learned through working with Melissa to further develop myself as a professional
My coach (Shelly Flaten-Moore) is an absolute rockstar when it comes to supporting personal and professional growth. She consistently create a warm, welcoming environment where I feel completely comfortable opening up, sharing ideas, and exploring new paths. Her guidance and encouragement have empowered me to embrace new journeys and step outside my comfort zone with confidence. I am deeply grateful for her ongoing mentorship and the positive impact they have on my development every single day!
After having been impacted by a corporate layoff my world had been turned upside down. I had never experienced a company RIF and was now facing the uncertainty of the current job market. So much has changed in the search for new employment and I found myself at a loss for knowing how to navigate the system to make myself an attractive job candidate. My prevous company was kind enough to provide services through Randstad RiseSmart. My career coach, Vickie Owenby, was absolutely wonderful in providing me the percise information and interview preparation help that I was in need of. Without Vickie's guidence and support I would never have been able to successfully upgrade my employment. I can't say enough good things about her and Randstad RiseSmart. My experience was absolutely WONDERFUL!!
Working with Conni Mallchok (my Randstand Risemart Career Coach) has been an incredibly valuable experience. She brings a rare combination of empathy, creativity, dedication, and attentiveness to every conversation. She takes the time to truly understand not only my career goals, but also the challenges and dynamics that come with navigating a complex work environment. She listens deeply, asks thoughtful questions, and offers fresh perspectives that have helped me approach my career with greater clarity and confidence. I'm extremely grateful for her guidance and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a genuinely invested career coach.
It's been great working with Doug Poynter. His advice has been crucial in helping me navigate my career, including how to highlight my strengths and how to resolve an issue with a partner team.
As my Randstad RiseSmart Career Coach, Angela Caraballo has been an extraordinary partner in my professional growth. She consistently goes above and beyond, offering a wonderful blend of tailored development resources and unwavering support. From guiding me through our new Performance Management platform and helping me craft thoughtful reviews to establishing clear, meaningful goals, her amazing advice and encouragement have made a lasting impact. Angela is a truly exceptional Career Coach, and I cannot recommend her highly enough to anyone looking to elevate their professional journey.
My experience with Randstad RiseSmart, and specifically with my career coach Doug Poynter, has been incredibly valuable. Doug is exceptionally insightful and consistently provided me with actionable steps to practice and implement in my job search. He possesses a deep understanding of the current job market and knows exactly what qualities interviewers are looking for in top candidates. Doug encouraged me to confidently spotlight my strengths and, most importantly, taught me how to clearly and effectively express my value within a short interview timeframe. I highly recommend Doug to anyone looking to elevate their career search!
Jerome Imhoff is by far the most helpful career coach I have ever encountered. He listens and empathizes, proactively seeking out connections that could be helpful. I am very grateful to have met him through the Randstad RiseSmart program.
I was fortunate to receive highly effective career coaching from Jerome Imhoff following a significant workforce reduction after more than 12 years with a large, complex bank. Jerome demonstrated excellent listening skills and tailored both his personal coaching and Randstad RiseSmart resources to address my specific circumstances and the unique challenges of the job market in early 2026. After I found a promising opportunity at a target financial institution in Chicago, Jerome provided practical and actionable guidance throughout each stage of the interview process, including offer acceptance and salary negotiation. Despite challenging job market and macroeconomic conditions, I successfully accepted a position with the U.S. Finance Corporate Audit team at BMO. I am deeply grateful for Jerome’s support, and I highly recommend his career coaching services to anyone seeking their next professional opportunity!
Mike Damian, Chicago, Illinois
I was so blessed to have Val beside me during the most trying time of my life. When I lost my job of almost 20 years, I had no idea what to do or where to even start. He became my cheerleader — always offering positive feedback, keeping me grounded, and helping me stay in a good headspace during the long months I spent searching for a new opportunity.
There were days that felt incredibly hard, but knowing I could reach out to him at any time made all the difference. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without him. Being able to call, text, or email him whenever I needed advice or just someone to listen means more than I could ever explain.
Everyone needs a Val!
Having Randstad RiseSmart as a resource when I got caught in a round of layoffs helped me beyond words. Most especially I'd like to call out the help I got from Sue Groves, my coach through RiseSmart. She showed up at every session ready to go, with a smile and plenty of wisdom she was always excited to share. I appreciated her attention to detail, her laid-back demeanor and just her overall coolness. I looked forward to every meeting. With her assistance and encouragement, I had the courage to go into business for myself. I can't imagine things now without having known her and I do hope to be able to work with her again.
Working with my career coach, Vickie Owenby, through Randstad RiseSmart was truly one of the most valuable parts of my career transition. From the beginning, Vickie took the time to understand not only my professional background and experience, but also what I wanted my next career move to look like.
What I appreciated most was how genuine and personalized our conversations felt. Vickie provided thoughtful guidance, honest feedback, and encouragement when I needed it, while also helping me recognize the value of the experience and skills I already brought to the table. Our sessions helped me become more intentional in how I approached my job search, positioned myself professionally, and prepared for interviews.
Career transitions can come with a lot of uncertainty, but having someone in my corner who was knowledgeable, encouraging, and truly invested in my success made a meaningful difference. I came out of this experience with greater confidence, a clearer sense of direction, and ultimately an exciting new career opportunity.
I’m incredibly grateful for Vickie and the support I received through Randstad RiseSmart. This experience reminded me just how impactful the right career coach can be, and I would absolutely recommend the program to anyone navigating a career transition or looking to take the next step in their professional journey.
My experience with Randstad RiseSmart was remarkable. My coach, Angelique, guided me through a mid-life career change with professionalism, empathy, and expertise. She provided positive, insightful support as I explored opportunities in new professions and considered different career paths.
Her encouragement and guidance were both inspiring and insightful, helping to reduce the stress associated with transitioning into a new chapter of my life. Throughout the process, she recommended valuable articles and webinars that helped me navigate my journey with greater confidence and clarity.
Additionally, I received vital support in rewriting my resume, which strengthened my ability to pursue new opportunities effectively. The career support provided by Randstad RiseSmart and Angelique put me on the fast track to a new career. I am truly grateful for their partnership and highly recommend their services to anyone facing a career transition.
My experience with Randstad RiseSmart and my coach, Andrea Marcenaro, has been incredibly valuable. RiseSmart supported me through a major career transition, helping me grow into a Technical Lead role in a considerably short amount of time.
With that transition came uncertainty, fear around layoffs, and imposter syndrome, which started affecting my confidence and preventing me from performing at my best. With empathy and a genuine understanding of what I was going through, Andrea helped me turn those fears and blockers into growth, build skills aligned with my new role expectations, and regain confidence in my capabilities.
I can clearly see the difference today in my confidence, skills, and how I approach challenges. Definitely a 5/5 experience.
Working with Randstad RiseSmart was a very positive experience. They helped me improve my resume, making it stronger and better aligned with the positions I was applying for. The coaching sessions also gave me practical advice on job searching and interview preparation, which helped me feel more confident throughout the process. I truly appreciate their support and would recommend their services to anyone looking for professional guidance during a career transition.
For the first time in my HR career I found myself in need of career transition services.I had a wonderful experience with Randstad RiseSmart. For me the best parts were the personal experiences. I had was paired with a fantastic coach, Donna Satterwaite who was an amazing sounding board and advisor throughout my entire search. She always made time for me and helped in so many ways. I also really enjoyed the small group Mastermind sessions. My Mastermind coach, Sue Groves was also fantastic. I highly recommend the Randstad RiseSmart services!
Yes I had a very good experience. My coach provided good insights which I was able to use especially for the interviews. She also sent weekly webinars which was packed with great information.
I had a great experience with Randstad RiseSmart. I was initially skeptical about whether I would need support with my job search, but the 1:1 coaching proved to be incredibly valuable. I was fortunate to be paired with an exceptional coach, Christopher. Christopher has a rare ability to truly understand the mindset of job seekers and the emotional ups and downs that come with the process. His guidance is positive yet grounded, and he consistently offers thoughtful, practical advice. What stood out most was the feeling of having a genuine partner in my corner, someone who listens deeply, provides meaningful insights, and helps keep you centered during what can be a daunting journey. I’m grateful for his support and highly recommend RiseSmart’s coaching.
RiseSmart’s Career Transition Services provided an exceptional level of empathy, genuine care, and unwavering support throughout my career transition. Their team was always available, thoughtful, and incredibly wise in helping me navigate each step of the process. As an HR executive, I can confidently say that the guidance and perspective they provided were invaluable in helping me secure my new role. This new position represents a tremendous career elevation for me, and I directly attribute much of that success to RiseSmart’s support, expertise, and belief in my potential.
My coach , Richa Jha, was one of the most valuable parts of my RiseSmart experience. She consistently pushed me beyond my comfort zone, challenged my thinking when needed, and gave me clear, practical guidance on how to move forward. That combination of pushback and support helped me grow more confident and intentional in my career journey.
The most comprehensive multidimensional job placement program I've ever participated in, from fit tests to CV writing. Special mention for the exceptional coach (Maria Minvielle).
Randstad RiseSmart was an outstanding outplacement program because of the quality, depth, and breadth of the services it provided.
For example, the professional resume writer developed a modern, ATS-optimized resume that significantly strengthened my presentation to prospective employers. The RiseSmart platform offered a wealth of valuable resources, including career assessments, interest inventories, and AI-powered interview preparation tools that helped focus and refine my job search. The program also featured numerous webinars, articles, and other resources that were consistently high-quality, relevant, and thoughtfully designed to support the exploration of different career paths.
Most importantly, the coaches with whom I worked—both in weekly one-on-one sessions and in small Mastermind groups with fellow job seekers—were encouraging, optimistic, knowledgeable, and highly supportive partners throughout my job search journey. Their guidance, enthusiasm, and practical advice helped me stay motivated and confident during a challenging transition.
I cannot say enough about the RiseSmart program and my experience with my career coach, Jacqueline. I highly recommend both the program and Jacqueline to anyone navigating a career transition.
Throughout my job search, Jacqueline was empathetic, deeply insightful, encouraging, and incredibly strategic. She really listened to me and had me participate in thought-provoking activities that made me truly reflect on the things that I enjoy most about my work. Because of her guidance, I was able to figure out exactly what my next role should be so that it perfectly aligns with my true interests and strengths.
I genuinely enjoyed every single meeting I had with her and honestly never wanted our time together to end. She is truly amazing!
I had an excellent experience working with Randstad RiseSmart for both resume writing and 1:1 coaching. From the start, the process felt personalized and thoughtful. They took the time to understand my background, strengths, and career goals rather than offering a generic approach.
The resume support was especially impactful. My writer translated my experience into clear, compelling language that truly highlighted my value and achievements. The final product felt polished, modern, and aligned with the roles I’m targeting.
The 1:1 coaching was just as valuable. My coach was knowledgeable, encouraging, and practical; offering actionable feedback on everything from interview strategies to positioning my experience with confidence. I walked away from each session with clear next steps and a stronger sense of direction.
Overall, Randstad RiseSmart provided a supportive and professional experience that boosted both my materials and my confidence. I would absolutely recommend their services to anyone looking to elevate their job search.
Randstand RiseSmart was a gamechanger for me during my job search process. My resume was in dire need of an update and to make it more ATS friendly and AI recognizable. I was provided with a version that truly spoke to my strengths and the type of roles I was going for along with social media updates to use. There is a never ending supply of online resources including live and recorded webinars, checklists, etc. The biggest value came from the coaching. Having the support to check in on my activity, set goals, prepare my interview responses and to be a voice to provide insight and direction moved my job search to a new level and is the reason I got a new job!
Randstad RiseSmart worked wonders with my resume and the coaching it provided. They helped me hone in on my strengths and which career path made sense for me. Also, the thing is, they truly helped me tell my experiences in a way that is unique to me. The resume was one part of the experience, and the coaching was another. Both were equally important and have helped shape me today. I would highly recommend Randstad RiseSmart!!
I had worked at a company for 15 years when it decided to close its doors. A shining light came out of this darkness when my company provided RiseSmart to help us navigate through this new job search journey. I worked with wonderful people, including a fantastic resume writer!My resume writer took special care in getting to know my strengths and talents, and created 2 different resumes for 2 different career paths I was thinking about, but uncertain of which one at the time I wanted to pursue. She also intertwined both resumes in a way that showcased my strengths and talents no matter which path I took. I had not written a resume or job searched for 15 years and was a bit concerned about starting over. But RiseSmart alleviated all that worry. I would highly recommend!
