Client Case Study

FROM CONSTRAINED TO COMMANDING.

Nathaniel spent years as the reliable performer inside a small, cyclical oil and gas company. He left with an offer from a large consulting firm, a job rewritten to his standard, and a pay increase he negotiated himself.

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Nathaniel Ward, Career Evolved client

Watch Nathaniel's story

The Challenge

A broad, multi-disciplinary background at a small oil and gas engineering firm that Nathaniel did not believe was sellable outside the industry.

The Shift

Direct identity work, including a 50 reasons exercise, paired with live market testing of his story to learn what actually resonated with buyers.

The Outcome

Accepted an offer from a large consulting firm on one of its internal teams, after negotiating the role to be rewritten around his value.

Olivia Gamber

A Note From The Founder

Olivia Gamber, CEO

Nathaniel came to me frustrated. He had been with a small oil and gas engineering company for a long time, long enough to become the steady, reliable performer everyone counted on, and long enough to quietly hit a ceiling he could not see past. The industry itself was cyclical, feast or famine, and he was tired of riding it.

What made his situation harder was the shape of his own background. He had an accounting foundation, an MBA, a PMP, and years of broad experience that touched a lot of areas without sitting neatly inside one job title. He assumed that breadth made him harder to sell, not easier. At 44, as a solo dad wanting more for his family, he did not know what else was out there or how to describe what he had to offer.

The work we did together was not about finding him a new resume template. It was about helping him see his own value clearly enough to say it out loud, test it in real conversations, and hold his ground when it mattered most.

Hitting The Ceiling

Nathaniel

I had been with a company in the oil and gas, the engineering region of oil and gas. It was a small company, I'd been with them for a long time, and had felt that I had reached the upper limits of where I could go in that company and where my value was inside of that company.

Had a background that was broad. And didn't think that was a sellable thing.

You grow in your career, and you just go on... And then you wake up one day and say, what am I missing? And that's really where I was at 44.

As a solo dad, I wanted more, I wanted more for our family.

“Had a background that was broad. And didn't think that was a sellable thing.”

Reading The Market

Nathaniel

I have this breadth of knowledge that not many candidates have, but on my resume, it's hard to see that.

I was really working on what my skillset was, how it was viable in other industries and really went to work to try to hone in on what was being received and what was marketable and really reading reactions of those I was meeting with to see if that was received, if that stuck or if it wasn't.

They were receptive when I mentioned this skillset, they were like, meh, yawning at this skillset. So I noted that.

Olivia Gamber

I think this is a piece so many people miss when they're pivoting is getting their message to be relevant... you have to fail fast.

“They were receptive when I mentioned this skillset, they were like, meh, yawning at this skillset. So I noted that.”

The Work Nobody Sees

Nathaniel

So what I focused on was the mindset work a lot. The 50 reasons, I really worked in it and those were hard for me. Honestly, I got to about 20, 25 and then really struggled to complete what I wanted, what I felt my value was and would walk away from that list on several occasions.

And then self-limiting beliefs went hand in hand with that. That work really helped me stay grounded in that area as well.

Olivia Gamber

I just want to honor you really quick because it's so clear you did that internalizing your value, really owned it or you wouldn't have been able to push back in the negotiations of the way you did to get them to rewrite the whole job to your standard.

Nathaniel

I mean, you're right. I mean, I wouldn't have had that had I not been really working on that grounding and really working on my self-esteem a little in that work.

They had proposed something and I pushed back based on my value... I was happy with how it was, nobody really left that negotiation feeling like they had lost.

“I got to about 20, 25 and then really struggled to complete what I wanted, what I felt my value was and would walk away from that list on several occasions.”

A Job Rewritten To His Standard

Nathaniel

I did transition out. I received and accepted an offer for a large consulting firm, huge consulting firm, working in one of their dedicated internal teams.

Olivia Gamber

Is there any last parting words you want to share with anyone who's watching this that might be trying to pivot change careers? They've been somewhere so long and they're just hesitating. What would you say to them?

Nathaniel

...Absolutely. And you should make it happen.

If you are true to yourself and know why you're doing and build up the confidence to know that you can, it'll be worth it.

“If you are true to yourself and know why you're doing and build up the confidence to know that you can, it'll be worth it.”

Ready to Stop Applying?

Nathaniel spent years assuming his broad background was a liability. It took the right work to see it as leverage, and to negotiate like he knew it. If you are sitting on a ceiling you cannot quite name, your story could be next.

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Read the full transcript

Olivia: share his story with you. Nathaniel, welcome. Would you mind sharing a little bit about where you were when we met and where your situation was with your career and your job search?

Nathaniel: of had felt that I had reached the upper limits of where I could go in that company and kind of where my value was inside of that company. And I was

[Question shown on screen]: Would you mind sharing a little bit about where you were when we met and where your situation was with your career and your job search?

Nathaniel: had a background that was kind of broad. And didn't think that was a sellable thing. I

Nathaniel: And this was an area that I didn't know much about, right? Like you grow in your career, and you kind of just go on. Some people really good about transitioning. Some, some of us like me are just like, steady rock stars in their, in their company. And then you kind of wake up one day and say, what did it, what, what am I missing? And that's really where I was at 44. As a solo dad, I wanted more, I wanted more for our family. I wanted more for me. And I just wanted to feel fulfilled again and happy with where I was doing.

Nathaniel: I reached out to Olivia, kind of just frustrated with where I was in my position, and where I was in my career, and had stumbled upon, I think, one of your ads on either Instagram or Facebook. And that really resonated with, you know, what I was looking for. So I reached out,

Olivia: share with anyone who's watching this that might be trying to pivot change careers? They've been somewhere so long and they're just hesitating. What would you say to them?

Nathaniel: if you are true to yourself and know why you're doing and build up the confidence to know that you can, it'll be worth it.

Olivia: were able to break through. So I'm curious, like, do you want to share where are you now? What was the biggest thing you learned that got you to this finish line?

Nathaniel: I did transition out. Um, I, uh, received and accepted an offer for, uh, a large consulting firm, huge consulting firm and, um, working in one of their dedicated,

[Question shown on screen]: So I'm curious, like, do you wanna share where you now? What was the biggest thing you learned that got you to this finish line?

Nathaniel: So what I focused on was the mindset work a lot. Um, the 50 reasons, um, I really worked in it and those were hard for me. Honestly, I got to about 20, 25 and then like, like really struggled to complete what I wanted, what I felt my value was and, and would walk away from that list on several occasions, just

Nathaniel: to stay grounded in those after I had them down. So when I got rejections or when things didn't go work, I really re-spoke those to my value, um, and really rested on those. And then, um, self-limiting beliefs went hand in hand with that. That work really helped me stay grounded in that, that area as well.

Olivia: did to get them to rewrite the whole job to your standard. I mean, just take a moment. That was incredible, right?

Nathaniel: you. I mean, you're right. I mean, I wouldn't have had that had I not been really working on that grounding and really working on, um, my self-esteem a little in that work. And,

Olivia: And I know you had to go through a lot to get this breakthrough. I don't want to make it sound easy. I mean, it's an up and down rollercoaster, right? So what were some of the challenges that, or the biggest challenges you had to overcome?

Nathaniel: on what my skillset was, how it was viable in other industries and really went to work to try to hone in on what was being received and what was being, um, marketable and, and really reading reactions of those I was meeting with to see if like, if that was received, if that, if that stuck or if it wasn't. And I would make notes of that and like really determine like, oh, they were receptive when I, when I mentioned this skillset, they were like, meh, yawning at this skillset. So I noted that like, okay, maybe not mention that skillset, whether I thought it was important or not, it was, uh, it was obviously, uh, in the eyes of the beholder. So I was trying to, to really critique and really, um, hone in on what I was doing so that it put me in the best light for who I was meeting with and

Nathaniel: they had proposed something and I pushed back based on my value. And, and I think that's how negotiations work. And I was happy with how it was nobody really left that negotiation. I feel like they had lost. I

Nathaniel: It was just like, okay, um, this is, this is what I'm going to propose. And this is why I'm going to propose it and not a take it or leave it. Like you guys suck. If you don't see this, like, it was just like, this is where I am. And, and, and just really, um, friendly in the, in the regard of like how I'm going to operate and, and be, be firm in, in why I believed in what I believed in. And

[Question shown on screen]: So what were some of the challenges that or the biggest challenges you had to overcome?

Nathaniel: I have this breadth of knowledge that not many candidates have, but on my resume, like, it's hard to see that.