Client Case Study

FROM BASE CAMP TO SUMMIT.

After 11 years at one company ended in a merger, Wes Poole spent weeks clicking through LinkedIn postings with nothing to show for it. Ninety days after changing his approach, he accepted a director role at a prestigious SaaS company.

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Wes Poole, Career Evolved client

Watch Wes's story

The Challenge

After 11 years at a large technology firm, Wes's role was eliminated in a merger and acquisition. He clicked through LinkedIn job postings for weeks with no traction and sank into depression.

The Shift

Wes stopped applying and started positioning himself as a premium product, reaching out directly to executives and decision makers to have market conversations instead of chasing job posts.

The Outcome

90 days after starting, Wes accepted a director role over North America at a prestigious SaaS and technology company.

Olivia Gamber

A Note From The Founder

Olivia Gamber, CEO

Wes came to us 11 years into a successful career, watching it end through no fault of his own. A merger eliminated his role, and he did what most executives do next: he opened LinkedIn and started clicking. Job after job, application after application, and nothing moved. He described it as running in mud while everything in him knew he was built to run faster.

What struck me in our first conversations wasn't a skills gap or a resume problem. Wes had 25 years in the tech industry and a real track record. What he'd lost was his own sense of who he was in the market. He wasn't putting himself out there because he didn't feel good about his brand, and that hesitation was costing him more than any line on his resume ever could.

The work with Wes was never about polishing a document. It was about rebuilding the person who had to walk into rooms with decision makers and CEOs and say, with conviction, here is what I bring. Watching him make that shift, and watching the market respond to it, is exactly why we built this program.

THE BREAK

Olivia Gamber

Tell us a little bit about where you were at when you met with Career Evolved.

Wes

At the end of January of 2024, after 11 years at a large technology firm, very successful career, I was caught up in a merger and acquisition, and my position was eliminated.

Clicking through multiple job openings on LinkedIn, I was really getting nowhere. And in fact, I was getting depressed. I was getting down, really wasn't feeling, wasn't in a good spot.

I wasn't feeling good about my brand. I wasn't feeling good about putting myself out there.

Olivia Gamber

I still remember when we first met, you literally told me, I'm a thoroughbred horse and I feel like I'm running in mud. I'm not moving.

THE TURN

Wes

Career Evolved landed in my lap. I found you through LinkedIn.

It just made sense for me. I had to change a tactic. What I was doing was not working. So I signed up.

One of our first sessions, you said it's not your resume. It's how you're approaching your job search.

“It's not your resume. It's how you're approaching your job search.”

THE WORK

Olivia Gamber

Having to make a shift of your strategy and how you've been marketing yourself, especially not having to do a job search for a decade, what were some of the biggest challenges you had to overcome to get to this point?

Wes

There were several. Again, I mentioned the mindset work earlier, but along with that, you almost get into this analysis paralysis. Where do I begin? Where do I start?

It was more that I am a premium product in the market. I am looking for the right fit for my skill and my background, and I'm not going to settle for anything less.

I joke, I call you my career Sherpa. You see so many people taking selfies on top of Everest. What you don't see is the person, the Sherpa that was behind them every step of the way that was carrying the water, carrying the oxygen, avoiding all the pitfalls and the traps to really help them get on top to take that selfie.

So without you and without the team at Career Evolved, I'd be still sitting at base camp, wasting my time on LinkedIn.

“I am a premium product in the market. I am looking for the right fit for my skill and my background, and I'm not going to settle for anything less.”

“Without you and without the team at Career Evolved, I'd be still sitting at base camp, wasting my time on LinkedIn.”

THE OUTCOME

Wes

So here we are 90 days later. I'm happy to say I've accepted a director role over the North Americas for a very prestigious SaaS and technology company. And I'm starting in a couple of weeks.

You helped me within 90 days shortcut the job search. And I'm forever grateful.

Olivia Gamber

Is there anything for anyone out there listening that's just feeling totally hopeless in this job search right now? Any advice you would give to them before we wrap up?

Wes

Well, I would say sign up for Career Evolved. Do yourself that favor. But there's so much more that comes along with it, right? The community. I have met so many other amazing executives.

These aren't skills that you just use at a point in time. These will carry me forward. And I'll be able to use them through the rest of my career.

“These aren't skills that you just use at a point in time. These will carry me forward. And I'll be able to use them through the rest of my career.”

Ready to Stop Applying?

Wes rebuilt his approach and landed a director role in 90 days. If you're stuck clicking through job boards, your next conversation could be the one that changes everything.

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Read the full transcript

Olivia: Tell us a little bit about where you were at when you met with Career Evolved.

Wes: At the end of January of 2024, after 11 years at a large technology firm, very successful career, I was caught up in a merger and acquisition, and my position was eliminated. So here I am, after 11 years of

[Question shown on screen]: I'd love to hear from you. Tell us a little bit about where you were at when you met with Career Evolved?

Wes: Clicking through multiple job openings on LinkedIn, I was really getting nowhere. And in fact, I was getting kind of depressed. I was getting down, really wasn't feeling, wasn't in a good spot.

Wes: I wasn't feeling good about my brand. I wasn't feeling good about putting myself out there.

Olivia: how you've been marketing yourself, especially not having to do a job search for a decade, like what were some of the biggest challenges you had to overcome to get to this point?

Wes: you almost get into this analysis paralysis. Where do I begin? Where do I start?

Wes: it just made sense for me. I had to change a tactic. What I was doing was not working. So I signed up.

Wes: one of our first sessions, you said it's not your resume. It's how you're approaching your job search.

Wes: without you and without the team at Career Evolved, I'd be still sitting at base camp, wasting my time on LinkedIn.

Wes: I'm happy to say I've accepted a director role over the North Americas for a very prestigious SaaS and technology company. And I'm starting in a couple of weeks. So

Wes: you helped me within 90 days shortcut the job search. And I'm forever grateful.

Wes: know, approximately 90 days it's going to take for you to get through the process and to learn some new skills. So I dug in, had no attachment to any outcomes. I just wanted to get through the process. And what

Wes: I've had a great career for 25 years in the tech industry.

Wes: And taking the time to focus on me and focus on my brand, my why, what my values are, that was a game changer. It

Olivia: where you don't know the landscape, the job search, because it's changed so much, right? Even just in the last year, what is the win or accomplishment that you're most proud of through this process?

Wes: I could bring certain self-limiting beliefs, I guess is the best way to put them or things. And we talk through them and, you know, you really kind of talk me off the ledge and

Wes: it is premium content. It is for premium candidates in the industry.

Wes: It was more that I am a premium product in the market. I am looking for the right fit for my skill and my background, and I'm not going to settle for anything less.

Wes: the secret to that was reaching out to decision makers and executives and CEOs at other technology firms to just let them know that I would like to talk to them about what they're seeing in the market, what they're seeing.

Wes: you just gave me a whole arsenal of techniques to get back out there from networking to sending video messages, knowing how to get in touch with the right executives.

Olivia: would give to them listening before we wrap up?

Wes: I have met so many other amazing executives. And, you know, Career Evolved, it's not for everyone. Like it is for people that really are wanting to get kind of that next level. And there's so many awesome people I have met through this program. And my network is just expanding and expanding. And I'm going to continue to leverage that. And

[Question shown on screen]: Any advice you would give to them listening before we wrap up?

Wes: I'm actually proud to be an alum. And I can't wait to help other people that are going through transition and come into this community because I'm still part of it. It's not

Wes: And these are daily things too, as well, to work on your mindset, to work on your confidence.