A concern I hear from almost every client:
"I sent off my CV for a role which looked perfect for me. I never heard anything back. I don't know why they didn't even consider me?"
What to expect
Three results you can expect from working together.
Clarity
Clear, concise feedback and strong pointers on where we can gain quick wins together.
Quality and depth
Nearly thirty years of headhunting, recruiting and hiring at executive level means first-hand knowledge of what leading firms are looking for.
A total solution
My experience encompasses the entire career funnel, from identifying the right roles to apply for, all the way through to the interview. One adviser, every step.
How I think about careers
Three convictions behind everything I do with senior leaders.
A leader’s next role is decided by how their story is heard.
Senior careers deserve to be presented with authority.
The strongest careers are the ones told well.
Services
How I help you move your career forward.
Senior careers deserve an authoritative narrative. Every service that I offer draws on decades of seeing what hiring decision-makers respond to.
View all services Book a discovery call- What next? Career brainstorming
- Strategically mapping out your future, step by step
- Available to professionals in the technology sector
- A clear narrative that positions you for the next level
- A results-oriented profile that demonstrates your impact
- Key proof points that carry weight with decision makers
- How to stand out in a crowded market
- The vocabulary that signals fit to recruiters and hiring managers
- The science of applying for jobs on LinkedIn
- Building a captivating profile
- Identifying the right roles, opportunities and companies
- Fully leveraging your background and experience
- Knowing the right seniority level for your background
- Decoding the job spec
Leaders in operations, accounting, IT and engineering are often highly accomplished, yet less accustomed to presenting to senior leadership. Being interviewed may therefore feel less natural than it does for peers in commercial functions such as marketing, GTM, sales, BD and strategy.
Helping Directors / Senior Directors from these more 'back-office' functions step up to VP and C-level roles is a key focus of mine. I can help you build a CV that appeals to leadership and an interview technique that builds trust with executives.
- Interview techniques (CBI, STAR and more)
- Preparation and how to rehearse for an interview
- Mock interviews
- Staying congruent and authentic in the new world of work
Why The Career Engine exists
Your track record should speak for itself. Let’s make sure it does.
Unless you sit in sales, GTM, BD or another front-office function, you have probably had little practice at trumpeting your achievements. At your current company, your results speak for themselves. Reproducing that shine on a CV, on LinkedIn or in an interview is far harder.
I founded The Career Engine to help you move the needle on your own career, whatever you need help with. Nothing gives me more pleasure than hearing: “I landed that role!”
Who I work with
For Directors/SDs, VPs and C-suite leaders.
The step up to VP.
Interview technique, a CV that signals the next level and a clear view of how to move from Senior Director to VP.
The leap to the C-suite.
A step I often help with: how you interview and how your CV comes across, when the next role is C-level.
Your next chapter, planned with care.
Strategic career brainstorming and sharper CV and LinkedIn positioning, informed by what top firms look for.
Right-sizing your CV for the next scale of companyWorking together
A simple way to begin.
Discovery call
Free, 15 minutes, ideally by video, otherwise by phone (not in person). Tell me what you want to achieve, check there is a great fit between us and decide how much help, time and support you will need.
Consultation
Once we have had the discovery call, the next stage is to book a series of 45-minute consultations or a single 60-minute consultation, covering career coaching, CV and LinkedIn optimisation, or interview technique and practice.
Ahead of our first consultation, I will send you a short questionnaire so that I can better understand:
- What kinds of roles, opportunities and companies appeal to you
- What you have already done and where you feel you need help, support or feedback
- Roles you have applied for but have not been invited to interview
Once I receive this back, I will need a full two working days to review your CV, LinkedIn profile and your questionnaire answers before our session.
Sessions take place by video or in-person (by arrangement) from my home office; Winchester; Southampton or Brockenhurst.
Sixty-minute sessions include written notes within two working days.
Follow-up
Half-hour phone calls to check in on progress, as often as you like within six months of your consultation.
Engagements
Client testimonials
“I highly recommend The Career Engine for professionals seeking pragmatic career advice. I valued Caroline’s direct approach.”
Emma H
“Caroline’s guidance helped me secure a leadership role in my dream company.”
Sophie L
“The CV optimisation service transformed my resume, landing me three interviews!”
Lionel T
“The career next steps advice was invaluable in mapping out my future goals.”
Seamus B
Insights
Perspectives on the future of work and your career.
The wall of silence
Why you never receive feedback on your CV and how I can bridge that gap.
Read the articleGartner’s Future of Work: this may surprise you
The skills highlighted in Gartner’s 2025 webinar and the one that may surprise you.
Read the articleShould I use AI to help me write my CV?
Where AI can help with your CV and where it should not.
Read the articleThe art and the science of interviewing
Why the screening interview now sorts the wheat from the chaff.
Read the articleQuestions
Questions, answered.
Everything you need to know before booking a discovery call.
Who do you work with?
Directors, Senior Directors, VPs and C-suite leaders. I do not work with students, new graduates or junior professionals.
What makes The Career Engine different?
Nearly thirty years in executive search, headhunting and hiring at senior level, so I know first-hand what hiring decision-makers actually respond to.
What services do you offer?
Career coaching, CV analysis and transformation, LinkedIn profile building, interview mastery and advanced job search, including Networking From Home.
Can you help me move from Senior Director to VP, or from VP to the C-suite?
Yes, this is work I often do: helping Senior Directors move up to VP and VPs make the leap to C-level, both at interview and in how their CV comes across.
Can you help me move from a large corporate to a start-up or scale-up?
Yes. This is a distinct challenge in its own right, covering how to position your CV for the move and how to address a tech founder's scepticism that a corporate leader can thrive at start-up speed.
Why do senior candidates never hear back after applying?
You will rarely, if ever, receive feedback on a CV, however senior the role. I explain why this happens and how I can help in my article, The wall of silence.
What industries do you specialise in?
For CV transformation, LinkedIn optimisation and interview coaching, I work across a wide range of industries, drawing on nearly thirty years of executive search experience. Career development coaching is only for professionals in the technology industry.
How does the discovery call work?
Free, 15 minutes, ideally by video, otherwise by phone (not in person). We discuss what you want to achieve and check there is a good fit before booking any paid work.
What happens after the discovery call?
The next stage is to book a series of 45-minute consultations or a single 60-minute consultation. Ahead of this I send a short questionnaire and I need a full two working days to review your CV, LinkedIn profile and your answers before our session.
Do you offer remote consultations?
Yes. Paid consultations take place by video from my home office, or in person by arrangement in Brockenhurst, Winchester or Southampton.
What forms of payment do you accept?
The booking form accepts most forms of payment, including card payments, PayPal and bank transfers.
Do you help with offer negotiation?
No. My focus is on everything that leads to the offer: targeting the right roles, your CV and LinkedIn profile and your interview performance.
What if I am facing redundancy?
Redundancy can be an opportunity to reassess what you genuinely want from your next role. Visit my page on facing redundancy for a clear path forward.
Is there a career consultant who can help me make the jump from VP to the C-suite?
Yes. Helping Senior Directors move up to VP and VPs make the leap to the C-suite is a key focus of mine, both in how you interview and in how your CV comes across.
Can you help frame my corporate CV as more of a scale-up or start-up CV?
Yes. Moving from a major corporate to a start-up or scale-up is a distinct challenge and I help you position your CV for it, including how to underline your scrappiness and address a founder's scepticism that a corporate leader can thrive at start-up speed.
Are you a CV writer familiar with C-suite and executive leadership CVs?
Yes. After nearly thirty years in executive search, I know what an executive leadership CV needs to do at C-suite and board level and I work with clients to build one that opens doors rather than closes them.
Do you work as a career strategist for the UK tech and AI industry?
Yes. Much of my client base is senior leaders in UK technology and AI companies and career development coaching is offered specifically to professionals in the technology industry.
Do you understand the latest trends in AI and Generative AI hiring?
I work closely with leaders in technology and AI and I stay closely attuned to how AI, including Generative AI, is reshaping both roles themselves and how CVs are screened and read.
What's wrong with my CV? Why am I not hearing anything back?
It is very unlikely to be a reflection of your seniority or your achievements. You will rarely, if ever, receive feedback on a CV, however senior the role. I explain why this happens and how I can help in my article, The wall of silence.
What is the best way to use LinkedIn when switching industries in the UK?
Rewrite your headline to lead with your function rather than your old sector, reframe your experience around transferable skills and target the language of your new industry. I cover this in full in my article, How to use LinkedIn when switching industries in the UK.
Are senior and C-suite roles still screened by an ATS?
Yes. Most mid-size and large employers run every application through an applicant tracking system as a matter of process, regardless of seniority, though a warm introduction through a retained search firm can sometimes bypass it. I explain what this means for your CV in my article, Does an ATS screen executive and C-suite CVs too?
Next step
Let’s map out your next move.
Book a free 15-minute discovery call and tell me how I can help.