Imagine your next opportunity
Ignite your passion about your work, tap into your core competencies, and discover the next step in your career journey.
Greetings, I’m Julie Allen.
Every day in our executive search practice, I have the great opportunity to represent talented leaders, placing them in roles where they make an impact and work with people they admire and respect.
As a result of my work partnering with company executives to recruit and assemble leadership teams, people often seek my advice—mainly because of the unique role I play and the privileged discussions that go along with that—but also because of the personal touch and energy I put into each candidate and assignment, carefully considering the nuances of “fit” that are so important.
Outside of my search work, I get a few thousand calls every year from people who want one-on-one discussion around their goals and career aspirations. They want to think through what matters most to them and get a candid assessment of their background along with honest, constructive feedback. The insights I can offer—from this side of the table—allow them to broaden their views around their accomplishments, skills and potential.
These leaders want to expand their horizons, zero in on their interests, understand what’s “out there”, identify what they’re best suited for and find the clearest path to pursue their ambitions.
My mission is to:
- Dive deeper to expand their views, giving an objective, critical assessment of their background and skills, capturing salient points, and weaving their story together to better communicate their value and full self.
- Identify and sharpen their focus, structuring efforts to expand their scope and reach beyond the equity built within their network.
- Be an olive branch of mentoring and advice to help them navigate the waters as they advocate for themselves.
Looking at the whole person, I help them discover their full potential, offering insightful feedback and direction to guide their efforts.
Confidential discussions about what matters to them lead them to opportunities that bring meaning to their life.
At this stage in your career, I imagine you’re not looking for a job. You want a great opportunity.
You’re looking for solid fit, where you can make an impact with the right people around you. But knowing how to get there can be tricky. Many of my clients want to advance their career; but they’re not sure what’s out there, what they’re best suited for, or where to start.
This is where I can help. As I get to know you, I can offer tangible insights, drawing out what you can’t see and helping you create a vision for your next career opportunity that is achievable.
Insight & Advice For Accomplished Leaders
Guidance from a mentor with a unique perspective—from both sides of the table.
All efforts seem to lean toward efficiency today, and as good as that can be in some areas, it’s often incongruent with what the human heart needs. People want to be discovered in deeper ways and favored in for uniquely compelling opportunities for who they are and what they bring forward yet, they don’t know where to find the opportunities or have enough information and insight to gauge if it’s a perfect fit.
To kick start their efforts during a career transition, it’s most common and very natural to tap into their network and schedule a series of 30-minute coffee meetings to get “caught up,” exchange a resume and receive 3 new names of people to call. This can be productive initially and all intentions are good. But, this can go on for weeks and after about 60 days, people say to me, “I’m not sure where my activity is leading” and “I don’t have an advocate championing my efforts.” It can be daunting going at it alone so when you start to spin your wheels or don’t get constructive feedback that can bring clarity, don’t get stuck living in your own head, stuck in a poor process. I am here to help you work through all of that.
Get perspective, clarity & confidence.
This individual coaching is for you if …
You want to communicate your value, discover what you’re best suited for, identify growth opportunities, and pinpoint where your greatest potential lies.
Phase 1
This deep dive is focused on getting to know you, your professional background and what matters most to you. I’ll delve into your background to discover what you’ve accomplished and identify your skills and interests. The goal of this phase is to draw out the best of who you are as a person and leader, and shine light on what you have to offer.
I will offer straightforward counsel and insight to help you communicate your value and package your story. I’ll also offer a candid assessment of your capabilities and background to help you identify what you’re best suited for, where you stand next to other competitive leaders and how to move forward.
Does this strike a chord?
- You want to explore your interests and get perspective on your background, understanding your strengths, weaknesses, blind spots and gaps.
- You are at a critical inflection point and need advice and mentorship. You want to communicate your value and expand your value in the minds of others.
- You want clarity on how to communicate different events in your background that aren’t so easy to explain. Certain aspects of your background might be inferred by some and might not leap out to others.
Phase 1
This deep dive is focused on getting to know you, your professional background and what matters most to you. I’ll delve into your background to discover what you’ve accomplished and identify your skills and interests. The goal of this phase is to draw out the best of who you are as a person and leader, and shine light on what you have to offer.
Read More
Does this strike a chord?
- You want to explore your interests and get perspective on your background, understanding your strengths, weaknesses, blind spots and gaps.
- You are at a critical inflection point and need advice and mentorship. You want to communicate your value and expand your value in the minds of others.
- You want clarity on how to communicate different events in your background that aren’t so easy to explain. Certain aspects of your background might be inferred by some and might not leap out to others.
“You saw things objectively and spoke plainly and directly to me. It’s easy to get linear about your path, but when you want to do something different, and swim with a new pod of fish, you can’t apply the same approach. You were imperative to my success.
Mike Carter
VP Global Sales, Nevro
Phase 2
The next step is to create a plan. We’ll talk about where you want to end up and how to get there.
Together, we’ll evaluate your current process, transitioning from a shotgun approach to a step-by-step, calculated approach.
Then, we’ll focus on expanding your reach and learning about the avenues that are right for you. I’ll help you avoid common pitfalls of networking and the emotional expense that comes with it, so you can feel confident that your efforts are productive and effective.
Does this strike a chord?
- You’ve met with plenty of people in your network but are starting to wonder where the activity is heading.
- You don’t know what opportunities are out there or how to find them. You’re not getting the traction you need or the attention you want.
- You want to make an impact with a great team but don’t know how to find it.
Phase 2
The next step is to create a plan. We’ll talk about where you want to end up and how to get there.
Together, we’ll evaluate your current process, transitioning from a shotgun approach to a step-by-step, calculated approach.
Read More
Does this strike a chord?
- You’ve met with plenty of people in your network but are starting to wonder where the activity is heading.
- You don’t know what opportunities are out there or how to find them. You’re not getting the traction you need or the attention you want.
- You want to make an impact with a great team but don’t know how to find it.
“Julie is a true expert in how people best fit into medtech companies. Her experience in the industry helped me to update and tailor my value proposition very specifically to the type of organization I was interested in joining. She gave great advice on the process of connecting with individuals who mattered in my search. Her advice was direct and useful, delivered in a supportive tone that I always appreciated.”
Todd Smalley, CCO, Omniscient Neurotechnology
Phase 3
Navigating on your own can present challenges as you do the work to find opportunities that are right for you. Having an experienced mentor in your corner can be an enormous asset.
I can appreciate how frustrating it is when an opportunity doesn’t advance, or you don’t get any feedback, or when it’s “crickets” following an otherwise excellent discussion. I can offer insight to minimize speculation and make proactive recommendations that will help you make informed decisions.
I help you prepare for key meetings and interviews and offer insightful suggestions for tangible next steps, factoring in the human psychology at play. Having a pulse on these dynamics—and an intimate understanding of competitive compensation structures—I can help you guide the process with clarity and confidence.
Does this strike a chord?
- You want guidance on how to manage the communications, dynamics and interpretation of things so opportunities come together successfully.
- You want confidential discussion that invites candid, constructive feedback so you have greater awareness and a balanced perspective.
- You need an advocate, sounding board and trusted confidant to help you move through hiring processes, discern what’s right for you and achieve a perfect fit.
Phase 3
Navigating on your own can present challenges as you do the work to find opportunities that are right for you. Having an experienced mentor in your corner can be an enormous asset.
Read More
I help you prepare for key meetings and interviews and offer insightful suggestions for tangible next steps, factoring in the human psychology at play. Having a pulse on these dynamics—and an intimate understanding of competitive compensation structures—I can help you guide the process with clarity and confidence.
Does this strike a chord?
- You want guidance on how to manage the communications, dynamics and interpretation of things so opportunities come together successfully.
- You want confidential discussion that invites candid, constructive feedback so you have greater awareness and a balanced perspective.
- You need an advocate, sounding board and trusted confidant to help you move through hiring processes, discern what’s right for you and achieve a perfect fit.
“You provided clarity on three potential career paths that I could pursue and the benefits and challenges of each. You brought energy & experience to life during my interview processes. I was able to confidently articulate key experiences that were in alignment with the goals of the company and why I was the person they needed to be successful. During the offer negotiations, you gave me confidence to request changes to make the offer more competitive, and this resulted in a better outcome. Having you by my side helped me to think broadly as I considered key decisions.
Andrina Hougham,
VP Clinical Affairs, Regulatory & Reimbursement, Neuspera Medical
Chances are, it’s been years since you’ve had an objective review of your resume and background. Take hold and get feedback in a constructive manner from an industry leader who is on top of it daily. I will reveal the soft, white underbelly so you can hone your game.
Evaluate your strengths and what you have to offer—in concert with your interests and passions—to help bring out the fullness of who you are as a leader.
Articulate the kinds of roles where you can shine, based on your aspirations, skills and capabilities.
Create an intentional plan to guide your search.
Identify roadblocks and strengths. Candidly discuss barriers to your ambitions, areas in your background to take advantage of, and how you should be communicating when it comes to your experience.