Rob Sullivan
Author, Speaker, Career Coach
Rob's Upcoming
Speaking Engagements & Workshops
Visit Rob's StorySparking BLOG
I am living proof that the strategies
described in my book, Getting Your Foot in the Door When You Don't Have a
Leg to Stand On (McGraw-Hill), are effective.
After more than 80 interviews and a humbling series of rejections in the
ultra-competitive advertising industry, I uncovered the secrets of job
hunting. With this knowledge, I reapplied to Leo Burnett—the agency that
rejected me the year before—and earned a coveted spot in the company’s
Client Service Training Program. At Burnett, I worked as an account executive
on the Philip Morris/Marlboro, McDonald’s, and John G. Shedd Aquarium
accounts. I also gained extensive experience as an interviewer and campus
recruiter.
After four years at Leo Burnett, I left advertising to pursue one of my other lifelong dreams—to become a trader at the Chicago Board of Trade. This gave me the opportunity to use the same job-hunting principles to reposition myself for a completely different career. Despite the fact that I had no formal experience, I earned a position with Cooper Neff & Associates—one of the premiere private options trading firms. And I did it in one interview! Not wanting to think about money all day every day, I left the trading floor and became a headhunter. Once again, I made the shift in just one interview. This was no accident. It happened because I had already learned--the hard way--just what it takes to get hired.
I left headhunting when I discovered my true passion--helping job hunters and companies market themselves more effectively. Working with job hunters, career changers, entrepreneurs, and other individuals in transition is an important part of that goal. To date, I have been fortunate to speak at colleges, universities, and companies across the country. On the corporate side, I consult and speak in four primary areas: new business development, recruitment strategies, interviewer training, and outplacement.
My coaching clients include, but aren't limited to, former employees of IBM, Sears, McDonald's, Motorola, Leo Burnett, Xerox, American Express, Ernst & Young, RR Donnelley, Comdisco, Celestica, Marriott, and Accenture. I have also worked with numerous entrepreneurs.
I have a BA in psychology from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, as well as an MS in advertising from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. I currently reside in Chicago and can be reached via email at:
If you aren't getting the kind of response you want in your job search, let me know. I'm confident I can help.
Best of luck!
Rob
"Rob, a big thank you! We thought it was a great
event. Just to give you a sense of things, we launched our follow up survey
to the event and the response rate and the feedback has been fantastic. The
4.82/5.00 rating you achieved was the highest overall satisfaction of the 14
events we did this year."
—Kathy Noble, Vice President
University of Michigan Alumni Association
Rob's Upcoming
Speaking Engagements & Workshops
Visit Rob's StorySparking BLOG