Terms of Service

Career Strategies Group

The Rules of our Practice:

Here’s how we work – June 2023 update

In order for us to serve you most effectively, and in order for you to derive the most benefit possible from your program, we have established certain procedures to govern our practice. This document contains our Practice Rules and what we need from you in order to facilitate your campaign’s success.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

– You agree to appear on time for scheduled consultations. Extra time we must spend with you to complete a process as a result of your tardiness will be charged pro rata. We allow 15 minutes of professional courtesy before moving on to another case and considering an appointment as “missed.”

– We appreciate 36 to 48 hours advanced notice but appointments missed without at least 24 hours advance notice may be debited at 1/2 of the time allocated for the first two events, and thereafter at the full time allocated, or at CSG’s discretion, may result in a forfeiture of the time allotted for the canceled meeting and may result in an extra change to make up for the lost time.  Since career testing cases are time delimited and we cannot shorten the process, if you have not also purchased MAP or Coaching time from which we can deduct the missed session, we will require payment for the lost time before we schedule additional sessions or release our evaluation report. We understand that situations can arise at the last minute that may force you to cancel;  we will do our best to accommodate but we reserve the right to impose a penalty if last minute cancellations become frequent.

-You agree to use your best effort to complete testing sessions and other homework assignments on a timely basis, and of a quality acceptable to us. If your work does not meet our standards, we will ask you to do it again. Extra time spent as a result will be charged. We will not provide free additional sessions because of incomplete homework. If your homework will not be done in time, please let us know at least 24 hours in advance and we will reschedule at no penalty.

-The career assessment programs are sold with a defined number of hours and/or sessions. Assessment programs up to 6 hours do not include counseling time after the written report has been presented to you. Mid-level programs from 6.5 to 8 hours include one post-report follow up session. Full programs from 9 to 12 hours allow for two post-report follow up sessions. If you need additional sessions beyond those in your program, we impose an additional charge.

If you use us for consulting services other than those contracted for herein, such advisory services may be billed at our default /ad hoc hourly rate of $425,  with a 1/4th hour  minimum.

INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC SERVICES

Assessment — You are expected to use best efforts to complete any Assessment meetings in from three to six weeks. If you are not able to satisfactorily complete your “homework” and additional session time is made necessary, you will be charged for that time. PSP questionnaires must be typed (exceptions are for check-off forms).  Preparation of written reports in most PSP programs takes 3-4 hours and is budgeted that way.

Resumes — Based on your satisfactory completion of our resume data forms, we will prepare a resume and model cover letter; depending on your program we may also prepare a search firm letter and/or a Market letter. Resume information must be typed onto our resume forms and emailed to us as MS Word documents, not PDFs.  If your resume data forms are inadequate, we will return them and ask that they be done properly. An initial draft of all materials will be submitted for your approval, and we will do a second draft based on your requested changes. Additional changes you request thereafter will be debited from your Coaching time, or charged at your hourly billing rate. A second set of resume, model cover letter and search firm letter may be prepared at an additional minimum cost of $595 if you choose a two-pronged strategy. Preparation of additional resumes or letters thereafter, if requested by you, will involve an additional fee or will be billed against Coaching time, if available.

Webinar — You agree not to share the webinar link with anyone else who has not paid us for access to same.  We can provide additional viewing licenses at a discounted price.

Marketing Action Plan (MAP) and Coaching – The MAP process is expected to be completed in the amount of time listed on the Pricing Proposal or Welcome Letter. MAP time is often consolidated with Coaching time. When the combined MAP & Coaching hours are utilized, you may purchase more time. Coaching is billed in 1/10^th hour increments for consultations, as well as for off-line preparation. The initial allocation of Coaching time, if three hours or less, is intended to be used within one to two months of the completion of the MAP. Coaching for 10 sessions must be used within 3-5 months; 12 sessions must be used within 2-6 months. 15 sessions must be used within 3–8 months. A coaching “session” is defined as 30 minutes This “must use by” frequency is designed so that we can keep your campaign on track. Missed Coaching sessions will be billed unless 24 hours advance notice is provided.

On-going Coaching (Maintenance) – After the initial hours of MAP & Coaching are used, you may continue with a monthly maintenance program. Unused Maintenance time cannot be carried over for more than one month without our prior written consent. The Maintenance program can be terminated at the end of any month by emailed notice to us. Maintenance programs may be skipped from time to time if we are given written notice and later resumed without penalty.

Contacts and Connections Job Search Made Easier Implementation Services –– We purchase outside services for direct mailings, eblastings, etc.  Implementation services, if cancelled before used, are refundable except for a 15% service fee, or may be exchanged for additional Coaching. We will provide up to 5 keyword sets (job title and location) for Job Agent Services; additional keyword sets may be purchased at our hourly rate, with a minimum of ¼ hour. Career Strategies will be financially responsible for rectifying any typographical mistakes we make in the processing of Contacts and Connections services. We are not responsible for the services of any outside vendor.

GENERAL POLICIES

We limit the number of coaching hours that we will sell at any one time. We have committed the time to you that you have purchased. We can only serve a limited number of clients, so by offering time to you, we may have turned away other clients. You own the time. Therefore, if your campaign is ended for any reason without utilizing all of the services you have purchased, while we cannot provide refunds, we will freeze your program and you can use your remaining time for up to 36 months from inception for resume updates, raise negotiations, dealing with problems at work, another job search, etc. You can also assign your unused time to someone of your choosing. Career Strategies may, at its sole discretion, refund unused retainers, but refunds will not be given once a new module, or phase, has started. If a refund is offered, Career Strategies time used will be calculated at the list price rate then in effect, not the discounted rate you may have received for purchasing multiple services. Any refunds will also be less than the credit card fees imposed by our merchant bank, currently 3.85% and 5.5% for American Express.

If for any reason you cancel before starting your program, the Case Fee will not be refunded and there will be a 3% cancellation fee. If you cancel your program within 48 hours of your first scheduled counseling session, that session’s fee will not be refunded unless we are able to re-sell that time to another person.

Our services are based on hourly rates. If you require more hours than contracted because of missed appointments, lateness, incomplete homework or you simply want more coaching time, you will be charged your hourly rate for any overages.

Fees are not subject to pro ration. The Case Management fee is non-refundable regardless of continuation in the program.

Services are not necessarily done in the sequence specified in your Welcome Letter or in the Pricing Proposal. Also, if we agree, you may choose not to use some services if doing so will expedite your campaign; notwithstanding such circumstance, there will be no change in the agreed fee.

Our services are available to you for up to 18 months from your proposal acceptance date. Services not utilized within 18 months are deemed forfeited. Extensions may be granted in certain circumstances but must be done in writing and signed by Career Strategies. If you fail to initiate contact with us for a period of 120 days (4 months) or more without our prior written approval, there will be a re-start fee of $275 to cover the time needed to review your file and “catch up” with what you have been doing. If you fail to initiate written contact for 180 days (6 months), we have the right to consider our services to you as completed in full.