1. What’s distinguishes OnwardMax from Retained Search Firms, Recruiters and Outplacement Services?

 

OnwardMax works exclusively on your behalf, without being reimbursed by the hiring company. We devote significant time and effort focused on you, your career experience and accomplishments. Once we’ve determined precisely what can provide you the most competitive edge in the marketplace, we craft an approach that clearly defines why you should be chosen over so many other available candidates.

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Executive Search Firms – or “headhunters”-- are used by some companies to find specialized professionals. They typically don’t have sufficient time and resources to devote to any particular candidate (unless it’s an executive who's already on their “preferred and vetted” list, most "outsiders" are essentially strung-along just in case they are needed). It’s important to consider that the headhunting industry is actually quite small and at any given time, approximately 300,000 executives are searching for positions. 

 

Outplacement Firms are neither employment agencies nor recruiters, but rather organizations that emphasize “interview-setting” or “placement services.” They provide office space, often a “one size fits all” resume and usually generic career advice.

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Recruiters, Retained (and Contingency) Search Firms work for the companies that pay them.  Their job is to search for candidates who meet the extremely specific checklist of requirements provided to them by the company they represent. Should your experience vary even slightly from that checklist, they will not even call you. Few recruiters have exclusive listings, so there is no way to know how many others you’ve been lined up against. Recruiters have their own agenda: they need to get paid based on successful placements. Since job listings are markedly fewer than the overwhelming number of job seekers, the average recruiter or agency has far more available highly qualified candidates than they do opportunities. 

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OnwardMax works directly with many of the top Retained Executive Search Firms, using them to do much of the leg-work for our clients. We understand exactly how to present our clients to these hiring personnel – in a manner that grabs their attention.

OnwardMax provides expert Search Preparation Guidance, including interviewing techniques and negotiating skills pertaining to compensation, signing bonuses, stock grants, options, etc.  We find creative ways to minimize your limitations and/or liabilities while assessing your professional assets and strengths. The OnwardMax team then creates an exemplary functional resume, develops an effective Career Outreach Plan, and aggressively connects you to strategically-targeted companies and hiring personnel. These hiring parties are all the more eager to consider our clients, knowing we deliver pre-screened, take-charge professionals who’ve demonstrated they see their careers as worthy of investment. 

 

 

2. What’s distinguishes OnwardMax from other candidate-paid search services?

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The vast majority of our competitors do not focus exclusively on top-level executives who earn $100,000 or more (and the majority of our clients earn far more than that). Other services in this field generally fail to provide the same level and breadth of services. Unlike some competitors, we charge a single flat fee. We never require or recommend any add-ons or up-sells.

Some other services may do a reasonable job with the resume rewrite and/or provide adequate coaching; some will provide lists of supposed “Inside Contacts” or otherwise direct the client to where the work needs to be done. The OnwardMax team actually does much of that work; we make the initial contact with these companies for you. Our competitors typically do not take the extensive time and care we do with each and every client. 

 

 

3. What industries do you specialize in? 

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​We effectively assist professionals across a vast array of industries. We do not concentrate on particular industries, but rather on a particular demographic: executives and professionals (mostly C-suite and upper-level executives) who typically earn $100,000 - $500,000 or more.

 

 

4. Can OnwardMax effectively assist me if I’m unwilling (or unable) to relocate?

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Generally, yes.  We’ve been successful with many clients who were disinclined or unable to relocate. Depending on just how finite one’s geographical restrictions are, there are sometimes exceptions. Someone unwilling or unable to reasonably transition to another field, who’s bound to remaining in an area or industry characterized by markedly scarce opportunities may fall outside the realm of those we can reasonably assist. Should we conclude we’d be unlikely to be of sufficient assistance, we’ll make it immediately clear. One of our specialties is helping to facilitate high-level, well-paying roles that can be worked (either completely or partly) remotely.

 

 

5. What is your success rate?

 

Success must be measured by a number of different standards. Naturally, landing the best imaginable position in the shortest amount of time is always ideal and constitutes an indisputable measure of success. When that happens, it fuels the already tangible sense of determined enthusiasm that permeates our staff. Since our clients have a very diverse set of needs, that definition can sometimes be a subjective one. Many OnwardMax clients have accepted multiple contracted interim positions over the course of our 18-month agreement. Our clients routinely inform us that they've benefited from our services within the time frame they expected. This will be further elaborated upon during your consultation with us.

 

 

6. Does OnwardMax charge a fee?

 

Yes. We never receive any percentage of anyone’s salary. We never get paid by the hiring company.  We are instead paid a fee by our client, the job search candidate.  

 

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