Sloan focuses on building client relationships based on trust and results. The true testament of a successful career and executive coaching relationship is the mutual desire to keep working together and the willingness to refer. Sloan has worked with many of her clients for years and most new clients come through referral.
Read what they have to say…
"Sloan was fantastic! She provided me insightful, practical advice in thinking about my career goals and organizing a job search. She was instrumental in helping me successfully move on to a great, new position and sow the seeds for my longer term career aspirations. Her background in executive search and deep knowledge of the financial services sector sets her apart from others."
"Have you seen the movie Hitch with Will Smith? Sloan Klein is the Alex Hitchens of job search! I had not actively sought a position in over 20 years and my job search skills were sorely in need of updating. Sloan’s insights were very helpful in bringing me quickly into the 21st century of senior level job seekers. In particular, I benefited from her deep background within the recruiting industry because she has an insider’s perspective."
"Sloan was an integral part of a very successful search process. I started our relationship skeptical that most of my goals could be reached given the very difficult PE hiring climate, and we completed the process recently with a position that exceeded even the best-case scenario. Sloan was insistent on being clear about my goals, and the process we would use to achieve them. While her job description does not require her to do so, she played all of the following roles seamlessly: coach, advocate, opponent, sounding board, unlicensed shrink and friend. She was disciplined, thoughtful, supportive, organized, laser focused and insightful. In what is one of the most important decisions someone can make in their life, Sloan was a home run."
"I've found our work together to be extremely valuable to me personally and professionally, as you’ve helped me in a reinvention that I can’t imagine I would have been capable of doing on my own."
"Working with Sloan was very, very helpful in developing a successful approach to my prior job, in clarifying what I really wanted to do next in my career, and in guiding/coaching me through the process of finding my current role. Sloan was thoughtful, patient, and rigorous - a coach indeed! I could not be more pleased with the whole process. Thank you Sloan!"
"Sloan's deep experience as a recruiter and coach is exceptional, and her process is repeatable and proven. My job search would not have been as successful without her. My return on investment for Sloan’s services was 12.5x (compensation increase / SKA's fees). With Sloan's coaching, my compensation increased by 60%."
"Sloan was a partner in the truest sense of the word when I investigated a career change. She helped me prioritize career objectives and position myself in a hyper-competitive market. Sloan was an experienced, strategic advisor when it came time to evaluate some important trade-offs and make courageous decisions.
Sloan shares her practical, market-based perspective with encouragement, humor, and friendship. Exploring a career change is a daunting endeavor and I feel fortunate that I could invest in myself through partnering with Sloan."
"Sloan was an incredible partner to me in my search. I was skeptical at the outset about working with a career coach. I knew I wanted to make a change but I wasn't certain about my ideal next step. I am fairly self-reflective, but Sloan helped me put in perspective my strengths and weaknesses in a way I couldn't have done on my own. The process to find a great senior role takes time (nearly two years for me), but Sloan gave me the same amount of attention at the end as she did in the beginning. Her commitment and energy never waned, even when mine did. She's direct and honest but delivered feedback in a way that I could hear it. She's well connected and knowledgeable about private equity, venture, asset management, etc. The reason why Sloan is such an effective coach though is because she made me feel comfortable to be open and honest like I would with a friend, because that's what she became to me through the process."
"Sloan's contribution to the job search adventure provided the immeasurable and intangible ROI of having an experienced advisor providing encouragement and perspective throughout the process. Additionally, Sloan's guidance through the contract negotiation resulted in a package that was, no doubt, more favorable than if I had negotiated without her insights and related strategies."
"One of the smartest things I did in my transition from my last job was hire Sloan Klein. From the beginning of the process, Sloan gave me ideas, tools, advice to make the search process productive, and almost fun. She was with me every step of the way, from helping put together a "target list" of people to meet with, to guiding me through the interview process to ultimately negotiating the offer letter. There were "little" things she suggested, that actually made big differences in how I was perceived by potential employers."
"Sloan initially helped me refine my priorities, goals, and resume which enabled me to get my job search off to an effective start. During my search, she was an effective coach. She assisted me to "see around corners" as well as better position myself during interviews and negotiations. She was able to draw on her search and client experience throughout. With Sloan's help, I received multiple offers."
"Sloan helped me decide between going to a private equity firm and taking an operating role. The change has been great. With her decades of experience and track record, Sloan gave me expert guidance - she was available when I needed her and was always succinct and value added, she never wasted my time. I was looking for a big change because I was no longer learning and growing in my career to the degree I wanted to... this was scary at times but having Sloan go through the process with me helped me not get cold feet and just stay in the job I had. Her advice on what to say in different situations was often so perfect that I had to grab a pen and write down her words verbatim."
"Sloan was very effective in helping me negotiate my job offer. Many of us have trouble being our own strongest advocates when it comes to asking for money, but Sloan made sure that I cut a good deal for myself. I highly recommend her services."
"I believe the money [for Sloan’s services} was well spent. This is not just because I found a good job in a short period of time but also because she helped me with a lot of intangible benefits such as helping my self confidence and giving me a more positive attitude about the job search process."
"I had not done a job search in 12 years and had been a Partner at a successful firm for several years, so my experience searching for a Partner job in Private Equity was zero. Sloan was the architect of a very disciplined and organized end-to-end process. The foundation that was built (goals, timeline, positioning, process review) was critically important as the search process invariably is complex, lengthy and full of curveballs. On top of that foundation, the networking strategy we created and then the tactical work done on interview preparation and follow-up, as well as relationship management and negotiation, gave me a significant competitive edge."
"My experience with Sloan stood out on many levels. Her experience as an executive recruiter was invaluable because she has great insights into the job search process. She provided excellent interview coaching—we did a mock interview which was really helpful preparation. Sloan helped me think through various opportunities and served as a sounding board to weigh the pros and cons. She often had insights that I didn’t see especially related to culture and fit in the long term."
"Sloan's industry knowledge, more specifically her lengthy experience in search in the PE industry, was critically important to our success together. Sloan has credibility borne out of 15+ years of advising blue chip firms and professionals. It’s clear that this is not her first rodeo so there is very little that she has not seen or done before. That enables you to dispense with any fears that a certain strategy is untested or unsound. Sloan knows what she is doing, put simply."
"Sloan has been extremely helpful in getting me to think more strategically and to focus on the bigger picture. Her encouraging style and supportive approach has resulted in tangible advances in my career, both in title and compensation. I always benefit from my discussions with Sloan - she's insightful, has a unique vantage point, and is always pushing me to focus on my goals."
"The career change I was trying to make was big, and while my prior experience was relevant, my goal was to move into a stretch role that required an employer taking a leap of faith that I can deliver. Working with Sloan, I landed a job that met almost every criteria on my priority list. Sloan knows the industry incredibly well, knows all the top firms and their culture. That helped me tailor my narrative and present my background so that it would resonate. Sloan’s perspective and optimism helped me be a better version of myself."
"One of Sloan’s competitive advantages is her ability to not only understand the nuances of the type of positions that I was looking at, but also have the industry contacts and knowledge to provide additional context within the various discussions. In spite of the tight geographic constraint I put on my search, Sloan helped me navigate a tough macro and micro environment to find the job that I was looking for from the start. The fee I paid was a drop in the bucket in comparison to the assistance given throughout the process."
Question: Which two people have had the biggest impact on your professional life?
Answer: "Sloan Klein. She is a wonderful and recognized executive coach who I have been with for 6 years."
"Sloan has been extremely helpful in getting me to think strategically about my career and to stay focused on the bigger picture. She worked with our leadership to help me map out a career path and we are now working towards my goal of becoming Chief Investment Officer."
"Sloan’s knowledge of the investment business and supportive approach has resulted in tangible advances in my career, both in title and compensation. I always benefit from our sessions – not only are her suggestions directly relevant, but she pushes me outside my comfort zone and holds me accountable."
"I started at a new private equity fund and Sloan helped me integrate into a tough culture. Without her strategic support, I don’t think I would have made it through the first year. She helped me become a better partner."
"As a woman of color in private equity I have had a lot of obstacles to navigate on my way to partnership. Sloan’s insights, encouragement and advice during some critical times have had major impact on my success."
"Sloan's breadth and depth of knowledge and experience working in the asset management industry brings her instant credibility that made me at ease to have a productive conversation about my career transition and goals - she really gets it! Sloan works with you to clearly define goals that are best for YOU and then works with you, step by step, to help you achieve those goals - while navigating all the unforeseen obstacles that come up along the way. Her warm and upbeat personality turn challenges into opportunities.
The results I have achieved while working with Sloan include increases in my compensation, navigating challenging work issues, taking on more leadership roles and increased professional awareness and satisfaction that I can’t put a price on. I doubt I could have achieved these accomplishments without her guidance, insights and encouragement. "
"Working with you has been the best career decision I have ever made."
"Now that I have a new job, I have retained Sloan to be my executive coach, as I believe her wisdom will make me more productive in my work life, as it did in my "searching for work" life. I have recommended Sloan to several people already and will continue to do so."