What I Learned from Meeting the Career Group Companies Team

One of the things we value most at Career Group Companies is creating space for real conversations during the hiring process. The article below was written by Julie Wallach, a candidate who recently met with our team and shared her experience of what stood out to her, and why you should wear what you love to a meeting.

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What I Learned From Spending Two Hours with Susan Levine and the Career Group Companies Team (And Why I Wore My Chloé Blouse)

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I wasn’t sure what to wear.

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I had thought maybe my L’Agence pink silk blouse with bullsheads perfectly positioned in brown, but cute as it is, I opted for my black crepe Chloé blouse with a ruffled lace collar. Not the summery-est choice but deliberate: I had a feeling our meeting would be equal parts structure and softness, and this blouse is exactly that. So although it was more of an early-fall-in-L.A. outfit, one you wear when you wish it was colder but the sun is blazing by noon, I went with my trusted Chloé, along with chocolate brown Staud boots, and a pair of Cinq à Sept jeans that were a full size too small (I lost all sensation from my belly button down for three hours).

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What does all of this have to do with clothing?

Well, Career Group Companies has a fashion division. More importantly, as a candidate there is something valuable about being wholly myself when dressing for an interview or meeting. The takeaway here is, don’t lose yourself in trying to make an impression. Dress appropriately and all that jazz but be sure to also show them who you are, not who you think they want you to be.

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I spent over two hours with Susan Levine and Emily Levine, along with Natalie Boren for a short while. I also met Serene Ford, Melissa Shields , Jenna Nicholas, and many more lovely people, all of whom have a professional fluency that signals deep experience, sharpness, kindness, and major capability. You know when you just know someone is super smart? Well, that was the case with everyone I met.

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Here’s what else I noticed:

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1. They gave their time, and it meant something.

This was uninterrupted, engaged time. Susan and Emily listen and move at a measured pace, slow enough to express what is important to them and listen attentively, to ask curious questions that flowed. I never felt rushed. Everyone I met on the team approached the conversation with the same focus and intention, which created room for substance. There was no transactional, scripted Q&A.

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2. There was no posturing.

No one was performing. The tone was intelligent and unforced. Questions were framed with clarity and answered truthfully and thoughtfully. It’s not easy to build a culture where that kind of tone is consistent across a team, but Susan has done this, and my sense is that this is who she is at her core. Being real builds trust and is so meaningful when it’s combined with professionalism and elegance.

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3. Career Group Companies is built like a large firm, but it breathes like a small one.

The scope is broad with multiple sectors, national scale, and a deep client roster, but the feeling is corporate with congeniality. Not austere or opaque, highly structured and clearly organized. Such a breath of fresh air.

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4. Inclusion is ingrained.

This is a women-founded, women-led company that has practiced consistent inclusion for over forty years. It’s not an afterthought. It’s present in the room and leadership. That kind of consistency doesn’t require messaging for the sake of messaging; everyone is at the table because they’re qualified to be there. There was no split between brand and behavior, no difference between their marketing and how they present and the people in the room.

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5. The team is cross-functional and fluent.

They work across verticals without dilution. From fashion to corporate to executive-level roles, they are focused and understand the nuances. Did I see this myself? Not directly, but it’s clear in the way they speak about each division.

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6. There is no such thing as desperation.

‍When other companies across various sectors were terrified of having to shut their doors and therefore held onto their firms with a white-knuckled grip during Covid, Susan was nimble.

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She expanded, saw gaps and filled them, and clearly, she never considered that she was on a sinking ship. You know why? She wasn’t! She already had the flotation devices ready and had built another ship for CGC to swim to. Smooth waters? Probably not, but she clearly kept her focus during a ridiculously tumultuous time, was unconventional and nimble, and kept swimming.

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For those navigating hiring conversations on either side of the table...

There’s something to take from CGC’s presence of mind without pretense.

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Susan, Emily and their teams exude innate curiosity without simply being closers or chasing a deal. They know a fit (and when it’s not) and focus on that. They might have core competencies and values aligned metrics and all the buzzwords so common in recruiting, but they have what you can’t buy off an app or shelf: they care.

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And being with people who care is time well spent, even if my pants were too tight.

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To read the article on Julie's LinkedIn and connect with her, please click here.