Dr. Tom is great to work with. He is very knowledgeable about the current employment climate which…read moremakes me feel very confident in his approach. Dr. Tom is very methodical and thoughtful in his work and he is very personable. He also values and uses any relevant feedback to get the best results possible! He has also helped me to understand the current issues regarding workplace dynamics which helps me to navigate today's unique workplace environment. Whether you need resume/cover letter assistance, developing an effective online presence, career counseling and advice, or learning about what career may be a good match for you, he is a great career counselor to work with and will get you on the right path! Highly recommended.

I worked with Dr Tom a few years ago to evaluate my long term professional goals. At that time I…read moremade the decision to pivot from public health work and got my PMP certification which I used within the Federal landscape and with a Fortune 500 company since. I recently re-engaged with Dr. Tom as I was considering another professional shift-- from employee to entrepreneur-- and worked with Dr. Tom for a few sessions to discuss the idea, hear about his experience, and leverage the time to thoughtfully evaluate the process. In the end, Dr. Tom's feedback, suggestions and resources were a helpful support during the time in which I made this decision. Happy to recommend Dr. Tom to anyone with a career in transition.

If you're out of work, or want better work, you can come here and find out what programs might be…read moreavailable to you. It's sponsored by the gov't and it's free. You can meet with someone who knows the available programs, learn about topics like making a resume and interviewing, look at the job ads and bulletin boards, use the computers and phones. Everything from free entry-level computer classes, career counseling, training, to unemployment or vet benefits. There are special programs for seniors, youth, women, the disabled. Anyone can use the services and it's not a hassle. And if you're not in Albany, there are several similar centers around -- see the whole list here: http://www.labor.ny.gov/workforcenypartners/osview.asp

From the owner: Whether you represent a local business or are a job seeker in search of employment or a new career,…read moreyou are invited to put the Capital Region Workforce Investment Board to work for you. We offer 3 Career Centers for you to visit: 175 Central Ave, Albany 1600 Seventh Ave, Troy 433 State St, Schenectady

I cannot say enough good things about Renee Walrath and her staff. Their tireless efforts to…read moresupport me throughout my job search were appreciated beyond measure. Renee really gets to know her clients and does all that she can to offer them the very best of what a good recruiter has to offer. I cannot say enough good things about Renee and my experience with her company.

I reached out to this company while I was currently working, I wanted to see what other…read moreopportunities I may have out there for me at the time. I made an appointment and the owner helped me with the interview process. I was very pleased with how professional and thorough the people here were.. Immediately I was suggested several potential fits that my skills and experience rang a bell in the owner's head. I was going through the process and due to my current circumstance I decided to stay with my current job - but I can say that I was extremely pleased with the entire process and ability to put my resume out there to see some opportunities I never would have known about. I definitely recommend Walrath Recruiting to anyone who is looking for a job. It's not a 1 or 2 day turn around and BAM you're hired.. as long as you understand what this company does (provide a filtered and relevant list of applicants for businesses looking for the right fit) you can understand that this is a fantastic tool in addition to looking for a job in other avenues. My experience was very rewarding and if my current situation changes I most definitely will be dealing with Walrath Recruiting again.

Would definitely recommend! Thorough and professional with great communication and reasonable…read morerates.

I asked YNJ to help me build a resume and fix my LinkedIn profile ahead of applying for tech roles…read morein the San Francisco area. It went brilliantly - I went from having sporadic responses to my resume to getting a call back from almost every company I applied to. YNJ was easy to work with every step of the way and kept me informed of the steps they would take to fix my resume and LinkedIn. Their advice was detailed and they truly paid attention to my work experience and the roles I was interested in applying to. As a result of the work done by YNJ I landed roles at 2 top companies in the Bay. I've referred several friends to YNJ's service by name who have also had favorable experiences and better luck getting jobs with their resume building services. Highly recommend using YNJ.

I was really disappointed with my experience working with Fern. I reached out for resume help and…read morewas prepared to pay $335 for the service. Before finalizing payment, I simply asked to see a sample of her work, which is a reasonable request when hiring someone for resume services. Instead of responding professionally, she abruptly told me we weren't a good match and refused to continue helping me. In addition, During our communication, she also mentioned that I was asking the same questions, but I was only reiterating to make sure I understood everything clearly before paying. Fern doesn't live in my area, so communication was difficult -- she often didn't get back to me right away, and her process appears to take around three weeks to complete a resume after payment. I found her response rude and unprofessional, especially after I had already spent time communicating and providing my background. When paying several hundred dollars upfront, I think it's fair to expect transparency, courtesy, and timely communication. There are plenty of other career counseling services that charge far less and offer a much faster turnaround time. I even found one that includes a cover letter for just $220 -- much more reasonable than $335.

I was retired for several years, very bored, and didn't know what to do about work. I was a…read moreprofessional arborist which is physically demanding and can be very risky. I didn't feel up to it but it also really bothered me that I wasn't being productive. I was feeling pretty bad about it. I also didn't know how to get back out there. Most of my contacts were gone. I got in touch with Fern because I was out of ideas. Fern met with me first to talk about what we might do and did not charge me for the time. We then met several times after that for career counseling. Her prices were reasonable, which I really appreciated. She's a great listener, really supportive and very courteous. She really lifted my spirits. She also knew a lot about how hard it is to go back to work. She helped me figure out new ways to do things. She suggested consulting, because it wouldn't require physical labor and instead would use my knowledge. I really liked the idea and wouldn't ever have thought of it. Then we looked at my website, which was very outdated. Fern rewrote the information and had me add photos, which I never used on the website before. It looked and sounded great. After our meetings, I decided to take consulting jobs and hire subcontractors for the labor. I was able to get consulting jobs, and the customers who got in touch said positive things about the website. I appreciated being able to get back to work without the physical risks and having a chance to get out there again doing work I really missed. I recently returned to full-time retirement, but I enjoyed several great years of consulting, thanks to my work with Fern. Her counseling helped me see my choices and that I had a lot to offer, and she really lifted my spirits. I'm very glad that I worked with her. She's a terrific career counselor.

Nearly a year ago I inquired with Hope Langner of Soulutions Leadership about coaching. What…read moreresulted was months of e-mails back and forth trying to schedule an appointment, and finally the realization that her prices were so exorbitant (and her attitude poor) that I was no longer interested in working with her, and was turned off from coaching in general. What prompts me to write this review now is a renewed interest in coaching. I stumbled upon a coach that seems to fit the bill for what I am looking for (entirely accidentally), and realized how strongly I still feel about my experience with Ms. Langner. Now, for the long story, if you are interested... After looking for coaches for quite awhile, I had decided that I wanted a coach that I could meet in person (at least once) as opposed to doing coaching purely by phone. So after narrowing my search area I found the website for Soulutions Leadership. I set up a by-phone initial consultation with Hope and believed that this would be the beginning of a wonderful experience. I got the impression that her methods were not the typical dry coaching style and that she was more holistic and client-centered. Eventually though, her lack of professionalism before the actual coaching began led me to believe that was just a facade. I received an email from her soon after the initial call, saying how excited she was. And then comes her fees: For 8 hours of coaching over the course of 4 months...$3,000! WHAT!?!? That works out to $375/hour. I am a graduate student. She was aware of this. Besides that simple fact, this is for coaching, not psychiatry or litigation. While she does possess certain certificates, it does not require an advanced degree and is not in any way covered by most (if not all) insurance plans. Clearly I was shocked to say the least. And for reference, a year later, I have been looking at fees. It seems the standard for someone with her degree of experience is about $100/hour, and about 45 minutes/week with additional check-ins. So I was getting less coaching time and paying almost four times the average. Talk about a bad deal. That was in mid-August. I had attempted to make an appointment with her for a slightly reduced fee (feeling like I had no other prospects) at $600 for the formal consult. It was then, that after talking to me during the initial call about how free her schedule was, that she disclosed that she was unable to meet weekends AND monday and friday, for the foreseeable future. Umm...ok, well those were all the days that actually worked well for me. From September to nearly November there was e-mailing back and forth. She would never give enough notice of her availability, and in turn I'd be forced to list in detail all the times and dates that week that I could meet, only for her to shut me down. Then, she dropped off the radar for two and a half weeks. Would not answer e-mail or phone calls. Apparently, in the extensive number of e-mails that we exchanged back and forth she mentioned once that she would be away for that period. Generally, when a professional goes away for such an extended period of time and doesn't make note to you that they will not have phone or e-mail access, at the very least they change their voicemail to say they are out of town or put up an autoreply on their e-mail, saying they would not be able to respond until they return. No such luck here. That was the beginning of the end. When she got back, she sent me a lovely email (could not even pick up the phone) back that bolded the prior email that she would be away from those dates. Really? Because in this day and age, when we are trying to arrange an in-person meeting, I'm supposed to assume when you say that you will be "out of town" that you will have dropped off the face of the planet? I decided that if we were going to go forward, considering the "service" that I had gotten thus far, I was not willing to pay $300/hour. I asked her to reduce her rate. She told me to find someone else or deal with it. So at this point it's November. Although my purpose was to start the coaching early in my semester, I had wasted several months and considerable time over the course of those months (there were extensive forms she had me fill out, along with the back and forth e-mail) and now it was too late in the semester to start the process over. All in all, Ms. Langner is unprofessional, condescending and greedy. While she may have helped some, she actually more likely negatively impacted my grades and my organization, because she wasted so damn much of my time.

Susan made the process of updating my resume painless. The recommendations she made were…read moreappropriate and brought my resume up to the current standards. Subtle wording changes made a big difference in how previous experience was portrayed. She also understands how to focus your resume, highlighting the key points. I recommend Susan and Resume-Max.

From the owner: resumes cover letters and linked in prifles.read more

I always found it really hard to express myself in writing and I knew that my college essays were…read morethe most important part in letting the university know what kind of person I am, so I sought help in order to make my application as strong as possible. I honestly loved working with Jessica. She always seemed to know how to phrase what I would struggle to express in writing and I appreciated that. I feel as though I improved my writing skills and polished my writing style through working with Jessica.

From the owner: Since 2009, Private Applications works discreetly, quickly, and attentively with all students…read moreregardless of academic records or standardized test performance. Stress Free! Flexible Meeting Hours! Skype Sessions Available! International Student Expertise! Enjoyable & Painless Process for Students AND Parents! College Counseling: Guidance is provided to students in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. Get early assistance with curriculum planning, extracurricular consults, special project strategy sessions, school visits, and summer activity suggestions. Seniors work on school selections, scholarship search, essays, applications, mock interviews, financial aid negotiation, and more! Graduate School Counseling: Guidance provided to graduates applying to Medical School, Law School, Dental School, Architecture School, Doctorates, MBAs, Masters of Science, Masters of Arts, and more! Get help selecting schools, identifying professors for research, articulating education goals and writing essays, Career Counseling: Guidance provided to recent college graduates or college students applying for internships. Get assistance with the creation of an effective resume and cover letter. Gain tips for successful job interviews and appropriate corporate and non-profit communication. Applications are 20% of what has already been accomplished and 80% of how it is presented. Getting help is nobody's business but yours. You will be glad you did.