I was contacted via email by an outplacement service called Bernard-Haldane Associates (most likely in response to me posting my resume on various websites) who claimed they only brought on board a "select" few applicants who apply for their outplacement/counseling services based on the applicants experience and education. I was vulnerable because at the time I was desperate to find a different career path.
They bring you in for an initial "consultation" and have you complete various paperwork and an abbreviated Meyers-Briggs personality test to determine if you "qualify" for their services. Then they bring you back for a second consultation and pitch their sale. They indicate they will help you identify the perfect career for which you are qualified and will help you find a position in that field. To close the sale, they justify their fees by saying you will recapture your cost through learning the skills to negotiate a higher salary and through gaining access to interviewing for higher level positions.
They essentially took me for $4400.00 and the only tangible item I came out with was a resume, and even that did not help me to identify the "perfect career or position." The clincher is that when they assign you to one of their career counselors, they have you sign paperwork stating you understand they are not promising you will find a job.
I am an experienced, master's prepared healthcare executive and even I was taken by their pitch because I was so desperate to believe they could help me. I have sought the advice of an attorney who is assisting me in trying to obtain a settlement out of court. I do not know if I will not be able to recoup my full cost, however I felt it most necessary to do something. I hope my experience can help prevent others from being scammed. If there is anything I can do to assist you in spreading the word, let me know.
Denise
Vass, North Carolina
U.S.A.
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