I founded Your Career Optimiser on the belief that good people can have great careers. Everything I do comes back to that.
For the past few years, I have been doing this work on my own. I have loved it. Getting to know you all and helping you to position yourself for the roles that you deserve. Most of my work has come through word of mouth, which tells me the approach is working. Someone I help goes on to recommend their spouse, their colleague, their child applying for their first placement. That chain of trust is something I value enormously.
But I have also been honest with myself about something. If I truly believe that good people deserve great careers, then I cannot be the only person delivering on that belief. There is a ceiling to what one person can do, no matter how much time and care they put in. I have been spending so much time working in the business that I have not been working on it. That is a tension many of you will recognise in your own careers. The moment when doing good work and growing your reach starts pulling in different directions.
So I have done something about it. I am building an international team of top writers and coaches, and I want to introduce you to the first person joining Your Career Optimiser.
More Chihuahua than Labrador
Most people believe that being a good career writer comes down to writing skills. Writing well matters, of course. I feel that the real depth comes from work and life experience. Understanding what it takes to rise through the ranks. Knowing the pressures that come with highly visible jobs. Building a team. Working closely with senior executives and presenting to the board. This is the work and life experience that the people I work with appreciate and trust.
It is also exactly what Sarah Ward-Kaye brings to Your Career Optimiser.
Before she ever wrote a CV, Sarah was Head of Communications for UK and international energy businesses, working directly with CEOs and advising boards. She has led corporate communications across international markets, covering investor relations, employer branding, and strategic projects spanning energy, manufacturing, finance, digital communications, space engineering and hospitality.
That corporate career is what makes her an exceptional CV & resume writer and career strategist. When Sarah sits down with a senior leader who is struggling to articulate what they bring to a role, she understands what boardroom credibility sounds like because she has lived it.
Sarah founded Next Level CVs over a decade ago and has spent that time helping professionals across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand navigate career change with confidence. Her clients range from mid-career professionals making the step into senior leadership through to directors, chairs, CEOs and non-executive directors. She is known for creating an environment where people feel comfortable sharing their stories, often uncovering strengths and achievements they had not fully recognised themselves.
When I first spoke to Sarah, she described herself as more Chihuahua than Labrador. High energy never turns work down, and fiercely committed to every person she works with. I knew within that conversation that she was the right person.
What convinced me was how she talks about the work. Senior leaders often arrive at a consultation knowing they need help but unsure what they are trying to say. They do not know what their story is. They do not know where they are going. Sarah's ability to draw that out, to listen carefully and translate what she hears into something true and compelling, is exactly what Your Career Optimiser was built around.
What this means for you
Your Career Optimiser has always been about helping you to present yourself with credibility and confidence. That has not changed. What has changed is that there are now two of us committed to doing it.
Sarah and I share the same belief that the best career documents begin with genuine conversation. Getting to know you, understanding where you have been and where you want to go, and making sure that your professional story does justice to the career you have built. Whether you are preparing for your next leadership role, navigating a career change, or stepping into something entirely new, you now have two experienced professionals ready to help you get there.
I founded Your Career Optimiser on the belief that good people can have great careers. Bringing Sarah on board is how I am making sure more of you get to experience that.
If you would like to get in touch with Sarah or learn more about how we can support you, you can email Sarah: [email protected] or book a virtual brew using the link below.
Thank you for continuing to trust me to guide you each month. I look forward to hearing about the goals you are working towards.
Best of luck!
Dave Crumby
Your Career Optimiser | Certified CV Writer