Nick Korwin Consulting

Career Coach

Cruise

Staff Program Manager - Operational Excellence

Brunk Industries

• Used analytical skills to find opportunities to lead information technology (IT), business process improvement, and agile-style projects.
• Cross functional team leadership across all areas of the business to lead cost savings projects that improved efficiency
• Saved 1000+ hours of labor, expense, and uptime by eliminating unnecessary downtime

Operational Excellence Program Manager

Amcor

• Leader of Operations at Medical Packaging facility that specializes in blown film and bag/pouch converted products.
• Responsible for $100MM in revenue and ~200 salaried and hourly employees
• Brought new products and programs to commercialization resulting in $4M+/yr revenue
• Restructured operations management division to optimize talents, improve teamwork andcommunication, and increase throughput
• Led projects using agile methodologies to reduce downtime and increase efficiency
• Focused on driving costs down for current business and expanding capability and sales for top margin products

Operations Program Manager

• Engineering, Maintenance, and EHS Manager (20 reports) for Medical Packaging facility
• Brought first piece of automation technology to plant to save $500k/yr
• Qualified new process improvement projects and products to enhance market position
• Created and implemented plant's first major equipment PM program
• Owner of $2.0M/yr capex and $2.0M/yr expense budget
• Collaborated with sales, product management, and R&D for new product development opportunities.

Technical Program Manager

Tier 1 Automotive Supplier
•	Established first capacity model to better improve manpower and quote new business
•	Implemented 40 capex projects totaling $1.0M in 2018 in areas of engineering and machinery
•	Developed and executed new plant layout using waterfall methodology that increased capacity by 
        12% and cut overhead
•	Led 2 engineers, 5 maintenance techs, and $1.5M/yr expense budget for 24/5 plant
•	Initiated and maintained environmental program for plant to achieve ISO14001 certification
•	Created and implemented maintenance program from ground up - PMs, spares, CMMS, safety

Engineering Manager

The Dow Chemical Company

Lead mechanical engineer for commissioning and startup of a world-scale polyethylene plant ($500MM+ project), Lead engineer for Salt Mining and Hydrocarbon Distribution Plant
• Analyzed plant data to find improvement opportunities to optimize operations, reduce cost, and grow profit
• Used innovative technologies to solve problems efficiently and reduce plant down time
• Collaborated with different businesses to efficiently plan maintenance as to not affect down-stream customers

Reliability Program / Project Engineer

Caterpillar Inc.

• Completed Leadership and Technical Development Program (LTDP) which included stints in software development, Cat Proving Grounds, and manufacturing engineer at the Cat I6 Engine plant.
• Home group in Mechatronics where I spent my time developing, modifying, and validating control strategies for CAT engines at the global tech center in Mossville IL.

Systems Program Engineer

Helping Aspiring Leaders Level Up Their Careers | Career Coach | Author | DM To Set Up A Free Strategy Call

Feeling like your career is not where it's supposed to be? Need a new job, new industry, new leadership skills? 

We focus on career consulting that brings the best of both worlds - leadership and job search.

You're going to need to show your leadership chops
> To level up in job search
> To succeed in any new management role
> To get promoted within your current company

It's not Job Search OR leadership. It's both. It's AND.

AND that's where my Career Accelerator Bootcamp comes in

>> Those willing to strap in get an experience unlike other offers.
>> I'm not saying I'm the best, but I will be different. No doubt!
>> We make job search fun, painless, and full of feedback
>> We get you that 20-50% raise you've been needing

That sound like something you're interested in?

Could you use that 20-50% bump in salary? 

I teach you how I did that every 18-24 months.


The bootcamp is split into Four Modules spread over 12-16 weeks

1/ Goals, resume, interview prep for your job search
2/ 2nd level interviews, selling your skills, closing
3/ Negotiating, onboarding, transition
4/ Leadership training to ace your first 90 days


This accelerator isn't for the weak. I'm going to kick your butt into shape. Have you seen my profile header?

NO SUGAR HERE.

Diet Coke may not be hip but it brings out the TOUGH in me.

If you're interested in learning more, shoot me a DM. Let's chat.



Make sure to:
~ Message me today to start exploring your options.
~ Check out my featured section for my free book (54 pages!!) to get your dream job.
~ Put in your email to book a call today! https://nickkorwin.com

PS What is The Free Agent Mindset (besides the name of my ebook) you ask?  It's a mindset we curate and craft for you to always be looking out for what's best for your career.  You may be stuck now, but we'll make sure that you won't ever feel that way again.

The 1 toughest thing I've done in my career?

Leave my kids to go to work.

I'm not going to lie though

Dropping my kids off at daycare is a needed relief

It's a recuperation

A reprieve

Not because I'm tired of my kids

It's because I'm tired of taking care of kids

Having 3 under 2 is EXHAUSTING.

But I'm not complaining.

I knew the possibilities.

The consequences.

My wife and I were consenting adults lol.

But boy I did NOT EXPECT TWINS!

My 15 month old daughter was not expecting us to walk home that day

With 2 alien babies in our arms

And less attention to give to her.

So with everything I do in my career now

I focus on getting back more of my TIME

So I can spend with those that really drive my happiness.

Building out my brand and hustle here on LI with you?

It's about finding an angle to bring back more freedom.

I spend time on here when they're asleep... building.

Building!

So that one day I can monetize this and build my own schedule.

One that's based around my family first, my hustle 2nd.

But until then...

LinkedIn fam, meet my twins.

They're 6 months old and ready to wear this Dad out every night.

AND I LOVE IT.

What's got you motivated at work these days?

---------------

My side hustle is about helping you accelerate your career.

Want to learn more?

Check out my free eBook on it.

nickkorwin.com

---------------

Nick Korwin🥤

100% of stories on LinkedIn don't need a lesson

You don't need to tie your kid eating a crayon to B2B marketing techniques

Just tell the hilarious part when their poop was violet

I may get some unfollows for this.

That's fine.

I promised you guys more stories.  

This week I talked about 

Anxiety attacks AND Firing...  

Why so serious?

Well leadership is serious stuff... 80% of the time.

But the other 20%?  Time to let your humor and personality shine.

One of my favorite tips to turn around the boredom of my 9-5's...

The classic "how was your weekend" question

Come out firing with something unique, hilarious, contrarian.

This past holiday season, I had 3 kids under 2 years old to watch

FOR 2 WEEKS ALONE WITH JUST MY WIFE

We're out numbered for God's sake!

This is Defcon 1 Ladies and Gents!

My main goal was to survive.

If the kids made it, hell that's a bonus.

So when someone asked me how my break was?

"I SURVIVED... and so did my kids"

Followed by a hearty chuckle that masked my near-death experiences with diapers and butt cream. 

And for my team, they usually laughed back at me out of pity.

But it started conversations about my personal life and allowed me to share my personality.

As a leader, I need to show my humbleness, my humanness, my humor.

So next time you're dreading one of those social interactions at your 9-5

Flip it on it's head and have some fun with it.

So let me ask, got anything fun planned for this weekend?

(wrong answers only!)

----------------------

Looking for more leadership tips? 

It's one of 4 modules in my bootcamp.

Check it out: nickkorwin.com

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I've reviewed 1000s of resume and see these same 5 mistakes

Don't follow the crowd

Here's how to avoid these 5 common resume pratfalls:

1) Being longer than 2 pages
2) Having more text than white space
3) Listing our every job back to your high school days
4) Lack of details such as numbers, dollars, percentages
5) Not putting your job history first (what else do I care about?)

Make one of these mistakes

You might survive

But 2+, and you're SMOKED!

Stop focusing on the fluff and focus on the STUFF 

Notice that colors, formats, bullets, etc. aren't mentioned.

This is why I hate when I hear of people paying for resume services

What about I listed there is hard to implement?

There's no way you can write 1 single resume

That speaks to every hiring manager 

So why would you pay for that?

Scammers.

It's sad.

In my Career Accelerator Bootcamp, I do FREE resume reviews.

It's the easy part of my program.

The rest of it?

I'm going to kick your butt into shape. 

There's no letting people off-the-hook with some scam services.

You're going to get the truth and get to the point quicker than you thought possible.

If you're interested in learning more, shoot me a DM.

PS What did I miss for a good looking resume?  

PPS Do you think I'd get more or less hits on my resume if I put a Diet Coke logo?

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Want to avoid falling on more prats?

nickkorwin.com

90% of the time the interviewer doesn't care...

If you know the answer to their question.

What they really want to know is your thought process.

They want to understand how your brain works.

Any interview team worth their salt doesn't care what you know.

- They care how you attack challenging problems.
- You won't know everything coming in day 1
- But can they trust you to figure it out.

So next time you're headed into a tough interview

Don't worry about those specific questions.

Embrace them. Admit you don't know it all.

But be confident in how you attack them

Show them HOW you think.

I've been on both sides 

And it's worked.

>> The sad thing??

Most don't know how to navigate this.

It's why it's one of the main things I address in Module 2 of my Bootcamp.

Four Modules spread over 12-16 weeks

1/ Goals, resume, interview prep for your job search
2/ 2nd level interviews, selling your skills, closing
3/ Negotiating, onboarding, transition
4/ Leadership training to ace your first 90 days

This accelerator isn't for the weak. 

Don't be fooled by my love for Diet Coke. I'm no slouch.

If you're interested in learning more, shoot me a DM. Let's chat. 

What's a tough interview question that's stumped you?

PS Anyone got a hookup with Coke? Looking for sponsors for my world class videos.


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Ready to talk?

Book your call:

nickkorwin.com

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I'm 99% sure I was having an anxiety attack 

My 6'6" boss was at my desk glaring down at me

I had no clue how to answer him.

I was in the midst of my toughest job I've ever had.

I was leading 200 people

Many of whom worked within 6 ft of each other

In the middle of COVID

How the heck do you retool your entire business on the fly in the face of a disease that was literally trying to kill us???

> Tons of long hours
> Tons of tough decisions
> Tons of lose-lose situations

Here I was in the middle of one of those lose-lose situations.

I can't get into too many details due to the critical nature of the business.

But my boss had clearly crossed the line.

Every ethical bone in my body (aka all of them!) 

Was SCREAMING to GET OUT!!

I had been asked to do something not only couldn't I sleep with, but might cause me to lose my job either way.

Lose my job if I did it and things went wrong (people would die)

Lose my job if didn't do it (my boss would use this insubordination against me)

So I did what any good leader full of integrity would do. 

I told my boss as politely as I could

While my hands were literally shaking

That no

> I would not cross the line 
> I would not break the law 
> I would not violate my ethics.

My boss stormed out.

I calmly walked outside to the parking lot.

I sat in my car for 15 minutes until I stopped shaking.

Looking back on this day, in the face of terrible consequences

I always knew what the right answer was.

Don't compromise your beliefs.  

Stick to your guns.

You will never regret it.

-------------

Need help navigating some lose-lose situations?

Book your call:

nickkorwin.com

-------------

I laugh 50+ times a day

Most at home, some at work, a lot in my side hustle

It's one of my favorite metrics...

In December, I set out my goals.

It was a HUGE list.

And this was just my side hustle list. 

I had all sorts of things planned for 2023.

For those unbaptized, my side hustle is what you are reading.

> I'm dedicating a large chunk of my free time 
> To ensure people get their careers on track
> I tripped over myself so you don't have to.

And I'm passionate so my goals were long...

Too long.

For shytes sake I only had 1700 followers (at the time)

I wasn't going to change the world.

So I pared off the list.

I chopped it down.

To 2 things.

1) Tell more stories

2) Laugh more

If I'm not enjoying what I do in my side hustle, then I'm out.

- Will cold email boost my leads?  Sure...
- Will writing a newsletter do the same? No doubt.
- Do I enjoy those things? Hell naw.

So if I'm not out telling more stories, or having fun doing what I'm working on

Then I'm out.

It's a side hustle. 

I'm not trading one 9-5 for another.

So tell me the last time you laughed? 

PS Want a good laugh? Check out my rookie landing page. 

nickkorwin.com

Monday's blow. 

But be thankful you have a job to complain about.

Many are facing Monday staring at the LinkedIn job board.

For those that have lost your job, I'm truly sorry.

This post isn't for you though.

This is for those of you left over.  The people feeling weird they still have a job.

There will be lots of:
- Guilt
- Chaos
- Uncertainty

How do you replace 10% of your workforce overnight?

You don't.

Work will suck. 
Some things will take longer.  
Longer hours likely will be needed.

But businesses are resilient. So are people.

That's what these CEO's know for sure - you'll find a way.

So in the face of this unfortunate chaos, there two types of people.

Those that walk towards the fire willing to help

And those that run away yelling "fire!".

Chaos breeds opportunity.

I know what type I am.

PS What do you make of these layoffs in tech? Greedy pigs/execs or maybe a bad economy?

5 signs I knew I was being gaslighted by my boss... 

And what I did about it


1/ Stress levels were at an all-time high 

2/ Despite my best work, it was never enough for my boss 

3/ I struggled to rationalize why my boss was getting frustrated 

4/ I had never disappointed someone so much before and it confused me

5/ Priorities and communication were unclear yet my boss insisted they were
 

Here's what I tried first:

- Talking to HR
- Applying to transfer
- Pushing for a promotion 
- Managing up - coaching my boss to be a better leader 

Everything I tried failed. I was never more stressed out.

I was losing years off my life, I could feel it.

Subjecting my family to the stress.

Bringing work home with me  

My saving grace? 

I kept my free agent mindset.

I got my resume ready and hit the application trail 

I was looking for one thing above all else: a better culture.

That boss is still employed today. I make 3X what I was making there.

Sound like you? Check out my bootcamp in my about section that frees you.

PS It wasn't until I was knee deep in the BS that I learned what gaslighting even meant. What would you have tried to fix the situation?

PPS My favorite Diet Coke provider was out this morning.  What do you think my first backup is?

---------------

Bootcamp too much for you?

Cool 😎

Here's a free job search playbook to get you started:

nickkorwin.com

---------------

There's more to life than money.

I talk about money a lot as a career coach. Who works for free?

But every time I've made a decision for money

I've regretted it.

When our time comes

There's no taking those stacks with us.

Maybe you want to leave a fortune behind for your kids.

Honorable.

But at what sacrifice?

Remember that your kids want YOU more than they want your MONEY.

So next time you're just focused on getting that next big raise...

Remember WHY you do what you do. 

WHY you care about that raise.

What is your WHY?

Why are you wasting your time chasing that promotion?

For what, an 8% raise? Do this instead:

Job hop.

Yup.

I'm not saying do it every 6 months.

> Get a job
> Get your experience
> Get your money
> Get out

There's no more stay at company 25 years and retire happy

I've swapped jobs 6 times in 10 years and 6X my salary

All while:
- Working 40 hours a week
- Transitioning to remote work only
- Having 3 kids

Only way I was able to do it is through LEVERAGE.

Every 18-24 months, I set out on the market.

I take that experience I've gained

And I turn into a 25%+ raise.

You can too.

Thankfully I've put together a bootcamp that drags you through these concepts.

(Drags!! This is a bootcamp, not some fluffy coaching course.)

So if you're ready to stop settling for 8% raises

And you want 25%+ every 2 years

Then DM me now.

What do the rest of you think about job hopping?

Are you my new Daddy?

This came from a white bearded man with 10 back surgeries...


I was a senior engineering manger

And I just found out the Operations Manager was resigning.

They needed someone to take over the 200 person Ops team.

I was 29 and baby faced under my luscious beard.

I had never led a team of more than 10.

How was I going to tackle 200???

And then as I tell the Production Supervisors I'm taking over

I got the most senior one asking if I'm his new Daddy???

Geesh. Forget the 200

I knew if I couldn't get this old head on my side, I was toast.

This guy was tired of seeing bosses cycle out every 2 years

He was hardened, cynical, nearing retirement.

If I didn't get this guy on my side, 

No one would follow me.

You know what my first response was to his comment?

I LAUGHED! I just chuckled.

It didn't impress him.  But he knew I wasn't going to be ruffled that easy.

It took me a couple months but I earned his trust.

By the end of my time, our mutual trust was unbreakable.

I didn't focus on impressing him.

I focused on doing my job well, having his back, and showing my empathy.

Because there was no way I was going to impress this guy.

SO 

Next time you're facing a hard leadership challenge

Look at those respected leaders

The ones where you know if you convince them, the others will follow


> And find any damned way to build their trust. <


As for my trusted supervisor? 

After 2 years? I was out. Onto another job.

Jokes on you old man, you got a new Daddy again.

PS What's the toughest leadership situation you were thrown into?


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Leadership development is one of the 4 modules in my bootcamp.

Check it out: nickkorwin.com

------------------

This won't make many of my connections happy but is anyone else tired of seeing... 


"Swipe through my 7 step Chat GPT Tutorial!!"

I get it, Chat GPT is blowing up.

AI is here for your jobs!!!

UGH.

AI has been around for decades.  It's infiltrated our lives lonnnnggg ago.

It's replaced jobs 30 years ago in manufacturing.

And you know what?

We'll be OK.

As long as you:
- Embrace AI
- Learn how to use it
- Learn skills that keep you ahead of AI

Google has used AI for 20 years to tell us our search results

The fastest way to get from Point A to Point B.

Have a smart thermostat?

Ever scrolled a social?

Asked Siri how to make a margarita?

THEN YOU'VE SURVIVED THE INVASION OF AI!!

But just like the ole story about John Henry

Johnny Cash sings about him beating a machine to build railroads

But he doesn't sing about what happens at break time...

The machine wins. They always will.  

So if you build railroads? Learn how to fix machines.

So how are you going to stay ahead of AI?

PS ENOUGH with the carousels on Chat GPT.  Do you like it, hate it, thoughts?

40% of Americans have been laid off in their careers.

I remember my first time.

No not being laid off - being the one on the other side of the table.

4.5 years ago

I can remember every detail about it

It was my first manager position.

I was an Engineering Manager leading the maintenance team and engineers

It was a mid-sized automotive supplier plant (tier 1 for my auto peeps)

GM, Ford, and Chrysler would visit the plant often.

Hated em lol.  

If they told you to tie your shoes different, you did for effs sake.  They paid for your job after all.

I inherited the team and after a few months it was clear there was a black sheep.

An underperformer.

They were miscast in a role they never should have been.

Sadly, previous regimes had moved them around instead of doing what was needed.

They simply weren't fit for a heavy manufacturing environment.

I tried putting this person on every task imaginable.

I was worried for this person's safety daily. 

Training. Re-training. Re-re-training.

They failed at everything.

It was time to let go.

I have a heart.

But in business? 

- I'm cut-throat
- I'm a tough SOB
- I will do what's necessary

Now not only was this person on the chopping block. 

Thanksgiving was only a few weeks away.  They lived paycheck to paycheck.

We weren't a charity, and I couldn't guarantee this person would stay safe each day...

Or perhaps even worse, might cause an injury for someone else.

I did the deed.

I brought the person in my office and made it short.  They were no longer an employee and needed to leave the premise.

I'm not proud of this.  

I'm not proud of any time I've laid someone off.

But hell, if you want to become a manager, you will have to do so.

Otherwise you might end up as a statistic by your boss.

Management is tough shyte.

It's not all fluffy roles, better pay, and more power.

So what's the toughest part of your jobs? 

Do you think I made the right call?

----------------

Looking for a jump to manager?

Feeling unprepared?

DM me today to learn about my Career Accelerator Bootcamp for aspiring managers.

nickkorwin.com

The safe option is the WORST option for your career.

Forget the safe option and start taking risks.

It's a common theme in EVERY single person I talk to

They are afraid to make even a small risk when it comes to their career.

They'd rather stick out a sucky situation

Because it's:

- Familiar
- Scary to move
- The Devil they know

But you know what? You hate your job.

Maybe you don't hate it, but you know there's more out there.

More money.
More to learn.
More to life than this job.

So what are you waiting for already?!

Stop considering the safe option and take a chance.

Your career is a narrative you're crafting.  

There's no one single decision that will sink your career.

Making the wrong choice is how you get one step closer to the right one.

Every job I've taken there's been things I would've done different.

But each job was better than the last and I learned.

So take some risks.

Keep learning.

Don't settle.

TAKE THE RISK!

PS All this talk about risks makes me think of when I try a new restaurant and forget to check if they serve Coke vs Pepsi.

---------------

Tired of playing it safe?

But don't know where to jump to?

Book a call amigo:
nickkorwin.com

---------------

You hate 80% of the bosses you have.

But why is that so high??

Consider this...

When was the last time you 

(or anyone else in your org for that matter)

invested in leadership?

Like I'm not talking about those 30 minute recorded videos on your HR training page. 

I'm talking actual 

> immersive
> game changing
> leadership acceleration 

Stop the string of bad bosses 

Stop neglecting yourself and invest.

This is why I make leadership my final module of my bootcamp. 

A strong leader will get 4X more productivity out of the SAME team. 

- Whether you are starting as a first time manager
- Or an experienced one walking into a new team
- How you lead for the first 90 days is critical.

So invest in yourself.

Break the chain.

Don't be a BAD BOSS.

What do you think is the top reason bosses suck?

-------------

Check out my bootcamp here:

nickkorwin.com

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This carousel will get 20,000 views


If only I wrote it about Chat GPT

But that’s not me.  

I’m not going to follow the masses anymore

Too many people are afraid of being judged

Judged for their own opinions.

Well I say: ENOUGH!

What sets you apart from others is your unique perspective.

How many more times are you going to hear it

Before you realize you’ve been hiding… 
Hiding yourself all these years

Life is too short to care 
To care what others think.

If you don’t like my perspective, you know where the exit is.

For those sticking around, H#LL YES.

2023 has been a blast with y’all

And will only get better.

So now that you’ve seen the inside of my career coach mind/meme

What was your most/least favorable meme?

PS Bonus points if you comment with a meme/gif.


--------------

Want more memes?

Then don't check out my website and book a call to discuss your career:

nickkorwin.com

--------------

I've had this disease for many years

It's almost like an infliction

Perhaps it's a disorder

A malfecence

My issue?

I tell people the truth - regardless of who you are.

If you are:
- My VP
- My neighbor
- My mother-in-law

You are getting the truth.

It's gotten me into trouble.  Been called an arsehole often.

But I've learned you can't tell powerful people what they don't want to hear

Without having some skill of delivery

Where it's served me well?

Coaching.

Look around your LI feed today.  It's chock full of utter BS.

Ton's of fluff.  Platitudes. 

People commenting some verbose way of "I agree".

If you work with me, you get no fluff.  

I will kick your ass into gear or you won't pay me.  There's no in between.

But if you let me, you'll get
1) That new industry/role you were dying to get
2) The leadership chops you knew you needed
3) A 20-50% raise as a cherry on top

But before you go knocking down my DM's, check out my free eBook under my profile.

Not everyone is here to accelerate their career this instant. 

90% of you awesome followers are here to hear my leadership and job search tips.

So today's tip is to tell the truth.

Is there ever a situation to not tell the truth?

"The Truth will set you free" - Jesus

----------------

Want more truth?

nickkorwin.com

Here's 1 costly mistake that all job searchers make

You could be leaving 20% or more on the table…

Trust me, it happened to me...

We forget that salary negotiation starts during the first outreach.

And continues throughout the entire process.

> The recruiter will ask you a range
> The hiring manager will be looking at that right before the interview
> And judging you based on that.

When the offer time comes around, you’ll be smack dab at the BOTTOM of the range you give.

How to avoid this issue?

** Don’t give the recruiter a range **

Instead try this:
“I’m at the top of my range in the market.  I prefer to have more in depth discussions around compensation after the HM and I have spoken to make sure it’s value added for both parties.”

Shorter the better.

Remember, at the end, you hold ALL the leverage.

Keep that free agent mindset.

(And don’t forget to check out my 54 page eBook I’m giving away for free on my profile)

PS Super bowl is set. Who you got? Eagles or Chiefs? I'm not betting against Mahomes...

Taplio

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