Arizona Career Network, after qualifing me in an extensive "pre-screening interview", promised it could help me change careers and maintain or raise my previous salary. I was unemployed and needed to find something in one month. I was assured that the time frame would not be a problem.
My wife and I were told all about the "hidden job market". We were told to check with the Better Business Bureau to assure ourselves as to AZ Career Network's legitimacy, unlike Bernard Haldane & Assoc. I was assured that they alone had a "personal network" of the 17,000 personally placed professionals that would be my inside contacts.
To take advantage of a "not-for-profit company grant" of $1200, I had to pay upfront the entire retainer cost of $2300. It was also stated that the majority of companies they placed people with gladly paid the retainer as a recruiter fee.
The "personal network" was a data bank of original phone numbers and positions of former placed clients, friends and misc. Manager names from the company's roster. Since I was part of "network" now, I was expected to help update the out-of-date data files.
The "hidden job market" was something I would have to discover by myself. The companies contacted on my behalf were both from unadvertised positions that were discovered through AZ Career Network contacts but mostly from ads out of The Arizona Republic.
I notified AZ Career Network of my dissatisfaction. I was told that it was not the company's fault if I did not receive offers from contacts I made on my own and those supplied from them. The company did hurriedly make several more contacts on my behalf from advertised and non-advertised positions. Those contacts did result in interviews but sadly no offers.
My association with AZ Career Network was ended at my request and a refund settlement was agreed to and paid. I consider the matter closed. I have not taken, nor plan to take, any action of any kind regarding my contract with AZ Career Network or its president, Randy Aleshire.
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