Career Group

I am not at all impressed. Was placed at a Company in San Mateo and then one day it abruptly ended. No answer as to why since I was getting great feedback from the Staff.
That was over a year ago and it’s like pulling teeth to get a call answered or returned from this Agency now. I have not been called for a single position since that last position ended at the beginning of 2015. I have ended up finding Career Group job postings on Craigslist and sending them to them asking if they can submit my resume. They say they will look into it and I never hear back. Did they submit my resume and it was rejected? Was I over qualified? No feedback and no communication. Dead End.

I will keep it short and sweet. This agency is most unprofessional. The recruiter sent me to an interview with a client who was over 45 minutes away from my location (the interview was not where the actual position would be located). The client whom I was to interview with was not in the office. I called the recruiter and was very concerned. The recruiter did not answer my call. I left a message, and the recruiter called me back in about a half hour and was apologetic, but not at all concerned about the situation. The recruiter asked me to stay for a few hours and wait for the client to return to the office. I declined since I had other commitments in the bay area. Needless to say I was upset Career Group did not contact me prior to the interview to inform me of the changes. I unfortunately gave the group another chance, and I was placed on a different assignment. I truly wish I had moved on and did not go back after my initial experience with this group. The other contractor I worked with at this assignment was not with Career Group and was a happy employee. The Career Group did not train me on how to fill out a time card, and when I emailed them on my first day I did not get a response. I was told to ask my onsite manager. If I were a business employing Career Group I would definitely be concerned.
I went on assignment, and things ended. The Career Group team was very unprofessional about everything involved. There is a lot more information, however it is needless for me to recount.
I urge you reader, DO NOT work with Career Group, Inc. as an employer seeking employees, or as a job seeker seeking employment. There are numerous agencies who value your skills, time, and business with similar if not the same contracts. If you would like to take a risk and work with this group please expect delayed responses whether email, in person, text, or voicemail. The recruiter I worked with specifically plays ignorant and states she does not know labor laws, anything about finance, who contacts are onsite etc.
I wish you all the best Career Group, but I will never recommend anyone or any business to you under any circumstances.

I’ve also had a very disappointing experience with Career Group. I worked with them about 6 months ago. It’s just that when I think back and remember how they treated me while I was an employee of theirs, as well as shortly afterwards, I cringe and shudder.
One of the recruiters here offered me a job with an engineering consulting company In the Peninsula. The position was HR Assistant, consisting of various duties in human resources, starting out temporary, but with a chance it could go permanent. I took the offer, even though I did think it rather odd that the company did not even request a phone interview or an in person interview.
From day one of the job, and for the next 3 weeks, they had me on my feet all day, in their file room, filing non-​stop. They had informed me that there was some filing involved, because they were a bit behind on their files. I thought ok, no problem. I put up with this 3 weeks straight, without any complaining. But one day I overheard one of the managers saying that this HR position that I thought I had, had just been filled, and that the new employee was starting on Monday.
Imagine my shock and disappointment. I had been misled. I then approached my manager and explained to her that I thought I was the HR Assistant. She seemed rather taken aback, and requested that I speak to the recruiter at Career Group instead. So, I did so, and my recruiter just took his time returning my calls, and didn’t treat my issue as an urgent matter.
I ended up leaving the position one day earlier than requested, because I just couldn’t tolerate any more filing. Plus I had been misled and wasn’t told that this was a file clerk job from the very beginning.
I filed for unemployment, because this was a temporary job that obviously wasn’t going to go permanent. And you know what??? Career Group FOUGHT my unemployment. The case went as far as a telephone hearing with EDD and a Career Group employee out of the LA office. She was just plain rude towards me, and didn’t even know the whole situation, but only knew what she was told from the San Francisco branch of Career Group.
Beware of these guys. I always see them posting jobs on Craigslist anonymously. I know this because I had applied to a position they had posted anonymously, and a Recruiter from Career Group then called me.
Needless to say, I would not, and could not call them back, due to the experience I had with them.

This agency is beyond incompetent. Visted them twice and wasted my precious time with thr boss and one of its many recruiters. Got no job prospects judt promises undelivered. Do not waste your time with these people.

The recruiters that work here are beyond flaky. I’m surprised they actually call themselves a business. How can you have a business when you don’t actual ever get back to any of your customers? This place is ridiculous.

The post-​college job search is a trying time, so I was relieved after my first meeting at Career Group. They asked me what I looked for in a job and seemed to really care about finding me a good fit– I even left the office that day with two new job leads.
The next week, they called me three times with job leads.
One of the leads was at a VC and seemed promising, so I interviewed there. After the interview, I called Melanie to from Career Group to debrief. Told her about the interview and she said she would let me know if I got the job by the end of the week.
After that, career group stopped calling me. I followed up with them to see if I got the VC job at the end of the week, and they said they were unsure, even though they told me they would know by the end of the week. I then followed up several days later and never heard back.
I also left a message with another agent about a job she was connected to on LinkedIn. Never heard back.

As a former agency recruiter I can certainly understand the difficulties in securing new business, but I can’t understand lying in order to secure it. My office received a call from Melanie asking for me and when the person answering the phone asked what the call was regarding, Melanie replied that she was «returning my call.» I certainly had not called her, so the lie was a representation of what it would be like to do business with her and her firm. When I called her back to let her know that I was aware of the lie, she had a very blasé reaction and still made an attempt to get our business.
Cardinal rule of being an agency recruiter: don’t lie.

I have worked with Brady Skinner, Managing Director, at Career Group since 2006 and I cannot say enough nice things about him and Career Group.
I am a C-​Level Executive Assistant and Brady has always sent me on assignments that matched my personality and skill set. He is professional, knows the industry and is a fabulous recruiter. Many staffing companies don’t really care about their employees, Brady and the staff at Career Group do.
If you are looking to further your career with a top notch company, contact Brady. He will find you the perfect job!

I am sure Career Group can provide good service to the candidate they seek to hire, but I was disappointed by lack of professionalism in dealing with Karen.
I applied for a position a former colleague of mine was leaving and had referred to me. I had a phone screen with Karen, who promised to call me back within a week. After a week and a half I sent a follow up email, and after 2 weeks a call. I never heard anything back.
I understand this happens a lot with recruiters and am not taking it personally, but I think there is a higher expectation for professional courtesy when the person leaving the job recommends a candidate. Please don’t waste our time, we job seekers are people, too.

I’ve reached out to several recruiting agencies in the Bay Area over the last 6 years, and by far, Career Group is one of the best I’ve had the honor of being served by to find either temporary or permanent positions.
I would like to express my gratitude to Brady Skinner and highly recommend him as a recruiter. He is such a warm, positive, professional recruiter (unlike some others I had the misfortune to come across at other companies) and he is able to give helpful and practical advice to be ready to secure the position desired. He even gives expert feedback on resume fine-​tuning. Another thing that is noteworthy about him– he makes an effort to be available and respond to communications quickly. At times when I needed temp work, Brady was able to find me those types of jobs that I was looking for, and then when I needed a permanent position, he (along with his associate Leigh Ann) helped me find a wonderful company to stay with for years.
I wrote a previous review in 2012 but I just had to write this new update for Career Group and Brady because I really appreciate how much help I received from this outstanding company and this top-​notch recruiter and still am receiving at this moment to move up in my career!

I recently moved back from South Korea and was looking for temporary or permanent employment. I reached out to various employment agencies but wasn’t really hearing anything back. One day I applied for an office assistant position on craigslist that was based in Los Angeles. That same day I received a call back from Career Group’s Los Angeles office and was referred to their San Francisco office.
I was placed on Brady Skinner’s client list and I am extremely happy I was. Brady scheduled an interview with me where we discussed my resume and career goals. Right away he started thinking of opportunities that suited my needs. Within 30 minutes he sent me on an interview for a temporary position that could last up to six months. I am currently working this position and I am very happy with my first assignment.
The difference between Brady and other recruiters is that he truly means what he says. In our first 15 minutes of meeting he said he would get me a job and he did just that. Of course my experience is probably unique since the right opportunity just happened to come along. Nonetheless, I look forward to working with Career Group in the future!

I initially met with Kimberly Taylor: a fabulous woman who was so happy to see me and help me get underway. She also directed me to meet with Brady Skinner, who works with temp and part time positions. He was very nice as well but was under a lot of stress the day we met so he was a little scattered.
While I interviewed with Kimberly she told me that she had a position that might be a perfect fit. She spoke with the employer and called me later the same day to set up an interview with this man. She prepped me and told me some not-​so-​great things about him: warning me about his temper, inappropriate language, etc. I am a grad student and take a class at 3:45 once a week so I was happy to hear about a position that would be flexible.
By no fault of Kimberly (and she did give me fair warning) the interview was like an interrogation. I was asked inappropriate questions about my age, family, where EXACTLY I lived, etc. This man, I’m 100% sure, did not hire me because I have a boyfriend, am too young (27) and go to school. He said that I was too «busy.» My previous job (Director of Development) required me being on call for emergencies and I am 100% willing and capable of handling a responsibility like that. This man was a complete douche and I was happy that I was not hired. I’m not sure why Career Group would agree to work with this man but it was not entirely Kimberly’s fault. Moving on…
Since then I have not heard from Kimberly. She dropped off the face of the planet. Brady (part-​time) has been in touch with me a few times. He always forgets my school schedule and calls me for one day jobs that I’m not available for. He forgot about my vacation and called me for a one day temp job while I was gone. (I DID tell him he could call me to set up an interview so I’m not upset about him calling) There is just a lack of attention to detail. I only hear from Brady about once every 2 – 3 weeks. I hear from another recruiter once or more about ever week so Career group is not up to par with their competition.
I did get call for and accept a one day position that I was very happy with, one month ago. The only other time I have received a call from Brady was this week on a day I wasn’t available for class.
Long story short, Career Group is good but they missed the bus with me. I’ve since accepted a 5 month part time position through another recruiter. I understand that I’m not an ideal candidate for them (I assume recent college grads looking for a $ 15/​hr receptionist job) because of my ever so slightly limited availability and my previous employment title but I still expected more. I really like them but they need to get it together. I’m sure others will have a better experience than me.

Working with Career Group has been a fantastic experience. I was introduced to them in 2012 by a friend and they contacted me right away. Everyone in the office is extremely kind and welcoming. I have worked with Tracye and Brady on the temporary side and Leigh Ann and Karen on the more permanent side. They have all been extremely helpful and responsive. Tracye and Brady have placed me in some great temporary positions, including a contract job that I was able to work for over a year.
Once my contract came to an end Career Group was back helping me find a more permanent position. Leigh Ann has been fantastic about getting to know my interests and what I’m looking for in a company, and has set me up on some great interviews. Also, Karen has provided me with exceptional interview tips, and I can’t thank them enough for all they do. I would definitely recommend them!

My experience with Career Group was very interesting. I applied for an executive assistant position via Craigslist, and this put me in contact with Leigh Ann Knappenberger. I was called in for a «briefing session», thats what I like to call it. Being that I am all too familiar with the process of recruiters I was prepared for her to review my resume, and let me know if she had any positions available. I made the changes she suggested that evening, and sent back my resume to Tracye with Career Group. Both of them worked very quickly to get me set up on an interview with a business in downtown SF. I told both of them what type of environment I wanted to work in, and they LISTENED! This is rare! Most recruiters will send you on 50 interviews with companies you really aren’t interested in just to «land a job», leaving you unhappy in 6 months.
I appreciate their honesty in only seeking out potential CAREER type jobs for me, and not wasting my time. All in all they found me the environment i wanted with a great company. So beyond thankful! Keep it up ladies!

I’m a fan of Career Group. Initially introduced in 2009, Career Group has always been consistent. They’re SF office is warm and inviting, which has created positive experiences and interactions in the past. Having met with Brady Skinner, Tracye Wills, and Kimberly Taylor, I’ve found all three of them to be professional, honest, and quite timely in their communications.
As for the 1 star remarks, CG just happens to have their logo in their posts. Several other recruiting firms use this tactic as well, though they’re not as forthcoming about it. And clearly it’s working in generating candidates, isn’t it?

No quite sure if this a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ thing that you will get lucky and get a job, or if the 5 STAR REVIEWS are from people who work at this company or know people who work for this company.
I have had bad luck with recruiters, at least in SF. They post jobs on Craigslist and many job applicants think that it for their company, or sometimes they DO NOT mention the company name.
I applied on 9÷27÷13, and i got a reply that same day from Melissa Bucchino. In her e-​mail, she told me to contact her via e-​mail and phone, which i did. I was so excited because she sounded like she was really interested in me. So i called her and called her for like 3 – 4 days in a row and she never returned my call.
Finally, after those days, she called me back and basically asked me what job i was looking/​interested in. (of course i answered her question) Within 2 mins of being on the phone, not once did Melissa Bucchino even mentioned the Office Receptionist i had applied for. WTF
I think recruiters just try to talk as many candidates as they possible can to report back to their boss, but in reality they could careless about 90% of us who are seriously looking for a job. She is very unprofessional. I mean how you could not approach me or talk about the position which i had applied.
And as always, i NEVER hear back from them.

Out of the six different recruiting agencies I worked with this year, I had by far the best experience with Career Group! I worked primarily with Leigh Ann, but I had the opportunity to correspond with Tracye, Karen, Brady, and a couple others as well. Everyone I worked with was highly professional, knowledgeable, warm, and really did their homework on their clients and candidates. They kept in close contact at all times and I always felt well-​informed about positions and interviews. Throughout my process I received encouraging and uplifting e-​mails from Leigh Ann, and I did not once doubt Career Group’s genuine dedication to finding me the right job.
Within two weeks from my interview at Career Group, I had three different phone/​in-​person interviews at great companies in the area. I soon tried out a position as a temp with permanent opportunity at one company. However, after less than two weeks, both the company and I felt that it was not a good match and I was let go. I was a bit worried that this would negatively impact my chances of getting a different permanent position, but Career Group did NOT give up on me! They stood by me and searched for other positions that were a better fit for my personality, needs, and skill sets. This really touched me and helped me believe in myself.
After interviewing and temping at a different company for three weeks (which I immediately LOVED), I was made a permanent offer! I have been with the company for almost two months now and I could not be happier. I instantly clicked with my colleagues and I truly love everything about the position and the company.
A huge THANK YOU to Career Group for their expertise and commitment to finding me the perfect match. I recommend Career Group over any other recruiting agency any day and feel privileged to have worked with such an exceptional group of individuals.

Career Group is a wonderful company full of hard working people who are committed to getting you the job you want/​need.
When I moved back to San Francisco (I’m a Bay Area native) from Colorado in July of 2012 I knew I was going to need some help in the job market. I met with Kimberly (the VP, she does permanent placements) and she was kind and encouraging while we discussed my experience, resume and desired placement. She offered me resources to help improve my resume and really make it stand out, as well as guidance on interview techniques and dressing to impress; all of which I found deeply helpful. She then referred me to Brady (he does temporary placements) because I am going back to school in the fall.
Brady has been equally helpful and friendly during my time working with Career Group. I am always greeted at my placements by people who tell me Brady has spoken highly of me, which is a great way to start off on the right foot at a company. I have been privileged enough to work at some of the top interior design, public relations, and technology companies in the country. Some of the jobs I’ve done have led to more long-​term placements as well as wonderful connections with professionals in varying industries. All of the jobs pay well and I’m always treated with respect, even though I’m only a temp!
The only cons I would note is that everyone at Career Group is BUSY so sometimes I have to call or email to remind them that I am still looking for jobs. And sometimes the jobs that I get aren’t the most intellectually stimulating or I might be over-​qualified, but it beats babysitting, canvasing, serving food or being unemployed!
If you are in need of work temporary work or looking for a permanent career, use Career Group! Their connections are endless and they are the BEST at what they do!

I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Career Group!!!
Not only were they able to keep me steadily employed on the temporary side during my search (thanks Brady!), they were also able to place me in the permanent position of my dreams. (thanks Kimberly!)
I’ve worked closely with Brianne, Jennifer, Brady and Kimberly since July of 2012. They have been professional, responsive, and caring — traits you do not find with many recruiting agencies.
As we all know, finding the ‘right fit’ can be very difficult. Kimberly’s expertise in helping me figure out where I fit, given my unique background, was invaluable. I will be forever grateful for the direction and consult she gave me during this process.
I’ve dealt with many recruiters since moving to San Francisco 18 months ago and can honestly say that if you are looking for a top notch position and a great agency to work with, contact Career Group. They will do their best to help you find your right fit!

I really, really hate that they (and most other recruiting firms) post fake jobs on Craigslist. Why not be honest and just say «hey, we’re a recruiting firm looking to fill this great position?» Why trick people?!
Despite falling for this the old bait-​and-​switch yet again, I decided to give Career Group a try since I am desperate for work after a recent lay off. I had low expectations going in, but I was pleasantly surprised by Leigh Ann. She (and the other women I met) didn’t have that judgmental «sorority girl» air that many recruiters have. She seemed intelligent and honest.
So far I’ve been impressed with the level of professionalism and communication amongst the various recruiters I’ve talked to from Career Group. I like that they work together as a team helping each other (and me!) out.
Worth noting that I am mid-​career with a lot of good experience on my resume. If you’re entry-​level, you’re probably up against a lot of competition, so don’t expect miracles from any recruiting firm.