Questions? Check out these frequently asked questions.
Q: How is the NextStep program structured?
A: NextStep coaching programs are adaptive to your needs, but here is a general outline.
Grad School Admissions:
- Career Path and School Selection (1 hour)
- Resume (2-3 hours)
- LinkedIn Profile and Search Techniques (1-2 hours)
- Networking Connections and Strategy (2 hours)
- Essays (3-5 hours)
- Mock Interviews (2-3 hours)
Career Coaching
- Career Path Identification & Selection (1-3 hours)
- Networking; 30 Second Pitch; Strategically Building Your Network, Informational Interviews (1-2 hours)
- Resume Design (2-3 hours)
- LinkedIn Profile, Optimization, & Search Techniques (1-2 hours)
- Cover Letter (1-2 hours)
- Interviewing: Standard, Behavioral/Fit, and Business Cases (2-4 hours)
- Compensation Negotiation (1 hour)
Q: How long are the sessions?
A: Sessions can be booked in 30-minute increments, although typically clients will book at least an hour on a weekly basis. Clients often want longer sessions prior to a major interview or when crafting MBA admissions essays, which we also accommodate!
Q: What if I land my dream internship or job and I haven’t used all the hours in my package?
A: Package hours never expire! If you’re in school, you can use them the following year leading up to recruiting. If you’ve graduated, you can use them any time in the future when you’re ready to brush up your materials or make a career change. Remaining hours are also transferable to a sibling.
Q: How/where are coaching sessions conducted?
A: We’re flexible, but typically we do sessions via phone or Skype/FaceTime/Google Hangouts. We like to use GoogleDocs or Cisco WebEx for live editing to resumes and other documents.
Q: What’s “resume design”?
A: Resume design means creating an individualized resume or portfolio that fits the job or school to which you are applying. Because we know how recruiters read resumes, we make sure that you pass automated resume screens and also stand out when the recruiter picks up your application. We work with you to create a document that shows off your best accomplishments in a memorable way, kind of like a highlight reel for your career.
Q: Do you offer templates for resumes, cover letters, or other professional communications?
A: Yes, we do have templates for you to use to get started. However, what makes NextStep unique is that we don’t just drop a template in your inbox and leave you to figure it out on your own. Instead, we work with you to create personalized content so that everything you write makes you shine.
Q: Can I change the order or timing of my sessions – for instance, if I get a job interview halfway through the coaching process?
A: Of course! This flexibility is one of the many perks of 1:1 coaching. Just let us know a few days in advance.
Q: Do you guarantee that I will get a job?
A: Guarantees from a career coach that you’ll get a job afterward might sound like a good thing, but they are actually pretty unethical. When a career coach guarantees that you will get a job, they have every incentive to make you apply to jobs that are easy to fill but that don’t fit your true interests or aspirations. Our job is to encourage you to dream big and then teach you the tactical steps you need to take the next step. That said, almost all of our clients who commit to the process and work hard DO end up with offers.
Q: Shouldn’t my college’s career center be helping me with this?
A: College career centers are under-resourced. A 2014 study by Millennial Branding and InternMatch, showed that the average ratio of students to career service professionals is 1,889 to one. And while 64 percent of students found their college career services accessible, more than half said career services are “never or rarely effective in helping them land a job” and are “never or rarely helpful in helpful in helping them figure out a career path.” That’s why 1:1 coaching really matters! It offers you the individualized attention that college career centers simply can’t provide.
“Working with Emily gave me the confidence and tools I needed to successfully negotiate my salary and overall compensation. I was able to increase my compensation package by over 10% from the initial offer and get the compensation that I deserved.”
Jacqueline Delgado | AT&T Lead Product Marketing Manager | UCLA Anderson MBA
“Emily helped me to craft a compelling story for each school and made me feel confident in myself throughout the business school application process. Not only did Emily keep me sane, but I don’t know if I would have made it into Kellogg without her!”
Danielle (Culin) McKennan | Revenue Operations at Workday | Northwestern Kellogg MBA
“I wanted to pivot from old tech companies to the gaming industry, but was not having success on my own. After working with Emily, I was able to land a great role at PlayStation. This was a dream come true, and I am so thankful for her help. From building resumes and cover letters to helping me with my interviews and networking, I could not have done this without her.”
“After I didn’t get into my Round 1 schools, I partnered with Emily for Round 2. She helped revamp my applications and prepared me for my interviews. The result – I ultimately got into all 3 top programs I applied to in Round 2, along with a significant scholarship.”
“My graduate career advisor at Cal Poly said that my resume was amazing, but I wasn’t getting any interviews. Then I worked with Emily, and she transformed my resume to best capture my accomplishments. I immediately started getting interviews.”
Tiffani Tonso | Analyst Energy Efficiency at ADM Associates | Cal Poly MS
“Even if you don’t come from a business background, Emily can help you get into business school. She turned my non-business engineering background into an asset that appealed to the admissions committees.”
Christopher Culin | Associate at Oliver Wyman | Northwestern Kellogg MBA + MS Design Innovation
“Before working with Emily, I would freeze up in interviews. Despite having decent work experience, I lacked the knowledge and confidence for how to convey it. Since working with Emily, I have learned to present my best self to interviewers, receiving offers from four different companies.”
Betsey Blakeley | Mattel Marketing Manager, Global Brands | UCLA Anderson MBA
“Emily helped me find the right career path, craft my resume to resonate with recruiters, write killer cover letters, and refine my interview answers to impress hiring managers. I couldn’t be happier with my first full-time job!”
John Colarusso | Senior Associate at Charlie Health | Former Bain Consultant
“Emily helps you to turn your strengths and interests into an action plan for your career. She helps you select your best stories and coaches you on how to share them for maximum impact. She is an amazing mentor and we’ve shared a lot of laughs together!”
Madeline (Vuong) Jones | Consultant at Boston Consulting Group | Chicago Booth MBA
“Two people received a shoutout at my wedding: the obstetrician who delivered me…and Emily. It was because of Emily that I got into my dream college, Berkeley. When I was ready to take the next step and get my MBA, she was the first person I called.”
Phil McKennan | Head of Technology Partnerships at Qualtrics | Duke Fuqua MBA
“Despite having spent hours on my resume with my college’s career center, I ended up reworking my entire resume following Emily’s resume workshop. You might think that you have a cutting-edge resume—I certainly thought I did—but you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you learn tips and tricks that can take your resume to the next level.”
William Huang | Strategy & Consultant | Tuck MBA 2022
“Emily was fundamental in helping me land a successful business school internship and full-time job after. Her MBA course helped me polish my resume and learn how to network, recruit, and interview effectively – resulting in multiple job offers.”
Natalie Chladek | Product Manager at Harvard Business School Online | UCLA Anderson MBA