California Executive Search

Flat out lied when I asked about their Unilocal reviews being so bad saying that people were writing about another company! Mislead me saying that the employer may pay their fee or I personally maybe asked to pay the fee. Any company asking money upfront for a job is a scam !

This company reached out to me after seeing my resume on a job board. During the initial phone call, they said made it sound as though they were a employment agency.
Today I had my «interview» with the VP who told me I would have to pay THEM to find a job for me. They said the starting point was $ 4,700. Hello! I don’t have a permanent job so why would they think I have $ 4,700+ to spare?!
Total scam.

I was contacted by CES after posting my resume on Career Builder. After my initial meeting, I went home with what they called homework. After doing the homework, but before my next meeting, I emailed inquiring as to the costs associated with their services. I was told the following:
«The total fee averages one to three weeks of salary approximately. We only take enough upfront to cover our overhead and the balance is taken one year after you have accepted the offer from the company. The hiring company generally picks up the 1 to 3 weeks for our clients. We attach the invoice to the counter-​offer and ask the hiring company to pick it up either directly or indirectly through a sign-​on bonus. Don’t let the costs be of a concern to you at this point. We have many different creative ways to put this together. We will discuss all of your options at our next meeting. There are no costs or obligations to come in and see what our plan will be for you.»
Also good to note is that the person I met with knew that I was working only part-​time and that I wasn’t sitting on a pile of money.
I went to my second meeting and sat through more pitch and a video. I was eventually given a contract asking for $ 4,700 as a retainer, with an additional $ 1,500 due by the end of the first year of my new employment. Needless to say I was flabbergasted and angry. I felt that their practice was deceitful and less than forthcoming. The «enough upfront to cover our overhead» is typically considered a management fee and should be in the $ 500 range. When confronted with my anger, I was told that when the email was sent to me, he didn’t know what the fee structure would be. Anyone in business knows their fee structures! Also, he turned around and told me that I was on the «least expensive» plan!
I eventually left very angry and have had no contact with the company since. I did receive a phone call later that day apologizing for how I felt, but not for their dishonesty. I write this to simply let people know that you will be charged a minimum of $ 4,700 for their services. If you have the money and want to move ahead in your career, perhaps they can help, I don’t know. Be aware, however, that they will not be upfront about the financial cost to you.

Is there a negative star? This is the biggest joke of a company. They claim to assist you in finding a job and do nothing to support you. Don’t get caught up in the fees and false promises. They have changed their name apparently from San Diego Jobs to CES. Just another scam.

I had just obtained my M.A. in Educational Technology and hadn’t worked full time in a long time. Believe me, I struggled with the decision to use CES’ services. But I asked a lot of questions and felt like everyone within the company was up front and honest regarding what exactly they would do for me and the amount and nature of the work I would have to put into my job search… which also became quite the soul search to boot. To make a long story short, I ended up moving forward with CES.
I applied for about 4 positions in my field and interviewed for and ended up landing a great job as an Education Consultant at a large educational software company. I’ve since used the skills and techniques I learned ay CES and currently have my dream job as a Training Specialist with a company that loves logistics… interesting and challenging work, great salary, amazing benefits, wonderful colleagues.
Searching for work or changing careers is not easy, and if you expect to have a job just fall into your lap you’re kidding yourself. If you’re like me and you need direction to help you truly understand your career goals both short and long term, and stay focused through the murkiness of the job hunt, this is the right move. There is no way I would have landed the positions I did without CES’s help.

I am so glad that I found a job after being unemployed for nearly one year. I was really beginning to lose hope. Fortunately, I decided to get some help from CES, a company that helps people find full-​time work. They helped me get the interview which resulted in an acceptable offer with decent benefits. Now I am a technical editor at a great company here in San Diego. Thank you CES!

DONT DO IT
You will waste your hard earned money on a service that is maybe worth $ 100-​$ 200. I have now met another woman who trusted this company as well and we are both in tears thinking about the waste of money. Especially shady for a company to take advantage of desperate job-​seekers. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself not to be so gullible.

My situation was clearly described, CES said they would help. I thought they would help me find a job in a much different way. Just so people don’t make the same mistake I did, they do NOT place you in positions nor do they speak to companies for you. They just teach you how to find a job and write you a resume.

I have been contacted by both the VP and President of this company, sincerely apologizing for the misunderstanding and offering free or discounted services. While I’m not interested at this time, I do appreciate the effort in the attempt to regain trust.
I also want to reiterate, this may be a great service that truly works, but at the time, I felt it was misrepresented to me initially and just wanted to inform anyone who was researching the company, not to be naïve as I was, and realize this is a ‘pay up front’ service, so be prepared and manage your expectations accordingly.

Seek a job on your own. Paying over 4000 so that they might find you something seems bass ackwards.

I joined CES six years ago when I was returning to San Diego after 3 years overseas supporting my husband’s military career. I received my MA while stationed there and thought my transition back to the states would be smooth and job prospects plentiful. After several months searching for the right fit, I landed a job below my skill set. I told myself that it was a job and made the most of it. I didn’t realize my potential until a year into that job, my chance for upward mobility was slim to none. I knew I had to change my career focus.
I was contacted by CES and after many discussions with my husband, decided that this was what I needed. My career advisor was Steve, a confident, passionate and caring person. Not only did I land a job making $ 20k more then what I was prior, I had a new found confidence in my skills, experience and unique perspective. I also had acquired killer negotiation skills.
I kept in contact with Steve during my career at that job and when I was searching for a new opportunity. He was ALWAYS sincere, mindful and willing to share advice. He was someone I grew to see as my friend and mentor. He truly changed my life. When I heard the news of him passing, I was sad, yet incredibly lucky that I had my time with him. Since meeting Steve, I served as a board member for a local non-​profit, upped my salary by $ 40+k, and mentored other people transitioning into new careers.

As a client of CES, I have been more than pleased with the service provided for me from start to finish. Their professionalism is outstanding. I was greeted with the up most respect and over the days, weeks and months to follow I have been treated like family. The people at CES work diligently to provide the best service and because of the diligence I landed a position with a much higher salary than I required. I would strongly recommend their services!