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Testimonials

Testimonials

Work was in constant flux – more than usual, with new initiatives, new technologies…and with the mergers that were happening, I also had oversight of new more diverse employee teams with varying expectations and motivations. My leadership team counted on me to be decisive and agile. But I was feeling weighed down by all the tumult which led me to seek out Marilyn for executive coaching. I didn’t even know what I needed but I just knew I felt uncharacteristically overwhelmed and worried I was heading toward burn out. She helped me take a few steps back to see the big picture. From there I could see more clearly the next most important actions. I reconnected with my strengths, let go of some things and delegated, and set a plan in motion to rebuild the culture, with the new team demographics in mind. I also committed to a stress reduction program for myself. It’s not easy and many times I don’t feel like keeping to the routine, but Marilyn has helped me stay motivated and accountable. The new teams are finally producing deliverables effectively and I no longer feel so overwhelmed. I plan to continue working with Marilyn on an on-going basis to maintain clarity and productivity. Thank you, Marilyn!
R.M.
Lake Forest,
Although I was at the top of my career, promoted to a C-Suite role with a sizeable raise and bonus, I realized that my personal life was slipping through my fingers. My spouse was threatening divorce, and I hadn’t been in touch with my friends for most of the past year. Working with Marilyn, I was able to clarify my priorities and adopt a new mindset to gradually make changes that helped me to regain some of my personal life. It’s taken time, but I feel more in balance. I no longer feel as isolated, my relationship with my spouse is better, and I’ve reconnected with a few friends. And my career is still going strong. I still have more progress to make, but Marilyn has been an invaluable partner in guiding me to achieve improvement in my overall life.
J.P.
Hinsdale, IL
Marilyn helped me through a very difficult career transition. I was able to gain perspective and clarity with her exercises designed to identify strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values. I would recommend her to anyone who needs help defining what they want from their professional life.
HG
Highland Park
Managing the political landscape in my new role was overwhelming. Breaking into the leadership circle and being seen as a credible authority felt impossible. Marilyn’s guidance helped me understand the big picture of the “political” system. She helped me take my communication skills to a higher level to effectively manage the complex and nuanced interpersonal dynamics. But most importantly, she helped me recognize and leverage my areas of strength and power. Her combined approach of both challenging me and supporting me helped me rebuild my confidence. I’m now much more comfortable and feel validated as a member of the C-Suite. I will continue to come back to coaching with Marilyn, as new challenges arise. I consider her an indispensable resource for my career growth.
D. S.
Chicago, IL
I feel very fortunate to be able to work with Marilyn! She is very knowledgeable, compassionate, professional, patient, and adaptive to my needs. Decision making around a career has been a very difficult personal process, and working with Marilyn has been like a lifeline!
Joan
I came to Marilyn for career counseling because I wanted to have a better sense of direction for the second half of my working adulthood. Her assistance was absolutely invaluable. Marilyn's whole person approach, where she combines the Highland Ability testing with the Strong Inventory and the Myers-Briggs assessment, helped me understand how my personality, my natural abilities, and my learned skills all work together and translate into a career. The Highland test was actually one of the most helpful assessments I have ever done. Some of the results surprised me - I learned things about myself that I never realized, and those results opened career possibilities for me that I would have never even known about or considered. Marilyn is very knowledgable, professional and relatable, and I am very grateful that I worked with her. Ultimately, I ended up with a job that is very satisfying because it is a great fit for who I truly am. Thank you, Marilyn!
Carolyn
"I utilized Marilyn’s career services, she helped me achieve my goals. Outstanding services. Thank you again, Marilyn!"
G.K.
“I sought out Marilyn for help with social skills, and it has been a resounding success. She is knowledgeable, skillful, resourceful, patient, sympathetic, upbeat, encouraging, dedicated, on time, well organized. We worked for about 9 months via zoom, she always had the technology running. She brings broad yet detailed knowledge of various approaches and various tools. She has good books to recommend. She had appropriate recommendations for exercises to try on my own. My wife, herself a psychotherapist, has been impressed with the results. I am very grateful for this major improvement in my life. Thanks so much!"
JS, Ph.D. (Stanford)
“I was a recent grad with no clear career path. I went to Marilyn to find a career but walked away with so much more. Marilyn worked with me to find a career that I was passionate about and along the way she helped me build my self confidence…I went to Marilyn to simply find a job and walked away with so much more.”
L.F.
“Before working with Marilyn, my career had no direction. She helped me to define what I wanted out of my career – to identify my strengths and give me the confidence I needed to pursue my career dreams. And Marilyn’s interview advice helped me to land the job I’ve always wanted. Thank you Marilyn!”
J.S.
“I really appreciate all the useful tips and insights Marilyn gave me. I felt much more empowered and confident in the interviewing process, which helped me get the job.”
C.M.
“I had read countless “how-to” books, but was unable to make any significant progress toward my life goals until I worked one-on-one with Marilyn. Her advice was extremely constructive and thoughtful; she let me set my own pace, respected my opinions, and helped me stay motivated.”
V.M.
“Thank you, Marilyn, for all your help in bringing about this new job. The framework you provided to discover the right career made finding and recognizing the right job much easier. Despite the sometimes challenging job news, I can claim it’s possible to be over 50, unemployed long-term, and find rewarding work without compromising money or position.”
M.A.
“My work with Marilyn began after a grueling period of unemployment. Additionally, I was looking to make a move to a new and very distant city. With focused determination on results, accomplishments, and honest self-appraisal, Marilyn helped me secure a great position in my chosen city. More importantly, she helped restore my confidence in my abilities, skills, and experience. I enthusiastically recommend Marilyn Fettner.”
S.W.
“Marilyn adds tremendous value to the career search. I had read countless “how-to” books, but was unable to make any significant progress toward my life goals until I worked one-on-one with her.”
F.K.
“You gave me the encouragement to make my idea a reality. I’m so excited about what the future holds.”
D.Y.
“Our time together got me started and low and behold someone tapped me on the shoulder. I was glad to have had your guidance and…I ended up in an environment very close to what I had envisioned through some of your exercises. I truly appreciate the insight I gained when we worked together.”
M.G.
“I needed someone to help me focus and organize my job search, and your credentials impressed me as someone with the expertise that I was looking for.”
J.C.
“I’m so glad we spent time on the negotiating part of the process…it really helped and gave me a lot of confidence going forward….it made quite a difference in the final offer I was able to negotiate.”
C.D.
“Marilyn assisted me in creating a coherent and effective resume out of my complicated work history. Her advice was extremely constructive and thoughtful, reflecting her extensive knowledge of current trends in the employment market.”
A.R.
“I appreciate the assistance you gave me…it helped me go as far as I did so quickly. Thank you!”
S.F.
“Marilyn has an upbeat, positive approach. There’s a good flow of information, directed toward results.”
L.R.
“What I most appreciate is being able to ask questions and always getting a very clear, insightful answer, and sometimes with some needed humor.”
S.F.
“I can see where I have to perform more self-assessment work. Lots of good ideas and I must start implementing them.”
S.P.
“The resume writing was so extremely helpful to me!”
R.W.
“Being kind of shy, the networking planning and practice really helped. I was intimidated by it, but now I’m out there making contacts and getting referrals. It’s paying off.”
R.C.
“I felt like I was floating around, not getting anywhere until I wrote an actual plan. It kept me focused on who I needed to contact and how to get the information and connections I needed.”
M.J.
“The mock interviews helped me turn the corner in my interviewing. The feedback and taping showed me exactly what I needed to change. After that I started getting offers.”
A.W.
“I never really felt comfortable negotiating offers. I wasn’t sure of how to do it or what to say. Marilyn’s coaching made all the difference. I got more than I thought I could get. It truly paid off.”
J.K.
“I was really frustrated and unhappy in my job. I knew I needed a change but didn’t know how to begin. Working with Marilyn encouraged me to think concretely about career possibilities. It’s important to spend time on the process, thinking about it and working toward a goal.”
F.D.
“Your techniques had such a positive impact on my view of public speaking. It made all the difference to my approach, of those once totally dreaded situations.”
B.G.
“One of the most valuable parts of your service was revising my resume to clearly summarize and highlight my skills and experience in relation to the jobs that interest me.”
S.F.
“Thank you for your wonderful guidance, patience, writing skills, and ear!”
K.L.
“We covered a lot of useful information at each session, so each session was helpful and informative.”
L.P.
“Thank you for all of your support and assistance. It helped me focus on priorities and presenting myself in the best light possible. I was able to present my true self and not an image of myself. I am grateful and appreciative of your assistance.”
H.P.
“You definitely gave me a head start in the right direction. Thank you.”
J.O.
“Marilyn was a joy to work with. She was easily accessible and let me set my own pace, respected my opinions, and helped me stay motivated.”
V.M.
“I learned a lot about myself during our meetings and I’m committed to staying positive!”
L.A.
“Thank you for all you’ve done for me! I am doing really well at this new job and I am enjoying it. Everyone here is nice and respectful and this feels like a fun and safe work environment. Thank you for all the work you did with me!”
S.D.
“I had been very unhappy in my job situation for several years prior to contacting Marilyn. I knew that I needed to make a career change but didn’t know exactly how to go about doing it. I’d been ‘job-hopping’ for years and continually landed in a new role that wasn’t any better than my previous position. I needed the guidance of a seasoned professional to keep me from making the same career mistakes over and over again.
Working with Marilyn helped me to see the bigger picture of my career situation. There was no quick fix; finding a better career fit would require serious self-exploration and hard work. Marilyn helped me to stay motivated throughout the entire job change process. She also helped me to more effectively cope with the position I was preparing to leave so I would be in a better frame of mind when I started interviewing for a new position. Marilyn was patient and compassionate; but she was also very realistic about the job market and what sort of change would make sense for me (given my age, family life, etc.). Thanks to Marilyn, I now have a new job in a new industry that is a much better fit.”
B.Q.

Google Reviews

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Molly Ebert
5 out of 5 stars

I’ve worked with Marilyn for a long time and can not say enough wonderful things about her. She’s a great listener, she is responsive when I reach out and she’s incredibly passionate about what she does. I would highly recommend Marilyn. Read More