CRO @ Ronin Consulting | Connecting leaders in the tech space to their next opportunity | Former Senior-Level Tech Executive

I’m a career coach for tech professionals ready to lead what’s next, whether that means landing in the C-suite or pivoting out of it.

With 30+ years in tech and leadership, I’ve made hires, made career moves, and made sense of reinvention more than once. Now I help others do the same.

I coach mid-to-senior leaders through:
✔️ Executive leadership search strategy
✔️ Career pivots & clarity 
✔️ Networking with confidence
✔️ Aligning you with opportunities that resonate
✔️ Job search strategy that works
✔️ Offer negotiation with confidence

I've led teams, launched companies, and sat in executive rooms and I know what it takes to get there and what it takes to walk away.

Titles I proudly answer to:
Wife. Mom to two early-career engineers. Thrift-store treasure hunter. Home-reno junkie. Lake life lover. Real estate investor. Encourager.

Ready for what’s next? Check out my featured section or send me a note.

I’m noticing a shift as companies quietly pull back from posting on job boards. 

And before you panic, yes, I verified this with multiple recruiters and staffing leaders I trust.

They’re exhausted.
Thousands of applications per role. 
Hours spent sifting, screening, rejecting.

So many are returning to what actually works. 
Proactive searches. 
Personal referrals. 
Direct outreach to qualified candidates.

Here’s my advice for 𝘺𝘰𝘶:
➜ Applying online may 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 productive, but it’s no longer where the real traction happens. 

➜ Your network matters more than ever. 

➜ And your LinkedIn profile needs to be updated, optimized, and searchable for the roles you want, not the roles you’ve outgrown.

If companies are looking quietly, strategically, behind the scenes… 
You need to make sure you’re easy to 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥.

Your next opportunity may not come from a job post. 
But it 𝘤𝘢𝘯 come from your presence. 
Your relationships. 
Your visibility.

Now is the time to show up.

📌 How did you land your most recent job?

Ruth Smith

I’m a career coach for tech professionals ready to lead what’s next—whether that means landing in the C-suite or pivoting out of it.

With 30+ years in tech and leadership, I’ve made hires, made career moves, and made sense of reinvention more than once. Now I help others do the same.

I coach mid-to-senior leaders through:
✔️ Executive leadership search strategy
✔️ Career pivots & clarity 
✔️ Networking with confidence
✔️ Aligning you with opportunities that resonate
✔️ Job search strategy that works
✔️ Offer negotiation with confidence

I've led teams, launched companies, and sat in executive rooms—so I know what it takes to get there and what it takes to walk away.

Titles I proudly answer to:
Wife. Mom to two early-career engineers. Thrift-store treasure hunter. Home-reno junkie. Lake life lover. Real estate investor. Encourager.

Ready for what’s next? Check out my featured section or send me a note.

Career Coach for Tech Leaders | Guiding You to Roles That Fit Your Life and Leadership

I’ve lived between two extremes: a sister whose life ended at 44… and a father-in-law marching toward 98 and still going. That contrast changes you.

One of my biggest takeaways of 2025 is this: we are guaranteed nothing.

None of us knows how much time we have. 
None of us knows how many seasons we get. 
And this year forced me to live like I finally believed it.

2025 lit a fire in me to make the most of every moment. 

I started living a week at a time, holding my time loosely, my people tightly, and my priorities with open hands.

I’ve been more present than I’ve been in years. 
I’ve said yes more. I’ve cleared my calendar. 
I’ve chased simple joys with a kind of freedom I didn’t realize I was missing.

I designed a career around my life instead of fitting my life around my career.

I became a digital nomad and worked from multiple places I used to only dream of. 

I prioritized friendships I let drift.

I spent real, unrushed time with family across the country. 

And I met new people, the kind of people I never would’ve known if I hadn’t walked through deep loss.

I learned how to grow and scale an online business. (Still learning.)

I challenged myself physically, mentally, and spiritually.
I traveled lighter, inside and out. 

And I became more grateful than ever for the only thing that truly matters: people.

If there’s a lesson in all this, it’s simple: 
Build a life you don’t have to escape. 
A life aligned with your values, your relationships, your joy. 
A life that honors the time you’ve been given… however long or short that may be.

I don’t have it all figured out.

But I’m living more freely, more intentionally, and more gratefully than ever before.

And that feels like the beginning of something beautiful.

📌 What is a lesson you've been learning this year?

Its Thanksgiving and I’m grateful..

For every client who trusted me to partner with them this year.

For friends and family who loved me well from near and far.

For the opportunity to step into full time Career Coaching, allowing me to do work I love from anywhere with people in Canada and the US. 

For the ability to make new memories navigating the loss of my sister.

For the many connections I’ve made on this platform who inspire me every day.

Most importantly I’m grateful for my immediate family and sisters family who have been a source of inspiration and resilience this year. (pictured)

Happy Thanksgiving. 🦃🍁 

Thank you!

No alternative text description for this image

Too old to hire. Too young to retire.  
[And caught in one of the toughest executive job markets in 15 years.]
 
If that’s you, you’re not imagining it.  The data backs it up:
 
➜ Leaders over 50 stay unemployed 40–50% longer than younger counterparts.  
➜ Executive job postings are down 30–40% YoY in many sectors.  
➜ Final-round drop-offs are higher for senior candidates than ever before.
 
You’ve felt this:  
Months of interviews.  
Endless “we went with someone else.”  
And a growing fear that your experience is suddenly… too much?
 
But here’s the part the headlines aren’t covering:
 
High-growth SMBs and early-stage companies are hiring seasoned leaders at increasing rates.
 
According to multiple VC reports and startup hiring analyses:
 
• Seed-to-Series B companies increased leadership hiring by 18% last year despite broader market slowdowns.
• 72% of founders say they need operators with “deep experience” to scale, not first-time leaders.
• VC firms are pushing portfolio companies to add “adult supervision” earlier, operational, financial, and strategic talent with scar tissue and pattern recognition.
 
In other words:
 
Your experience isn’t the problem. 
It’s the solution, but only in the right market.
 
The companies that need you most:
 
• Are between 10–200 employees
• Are VC-backed or private-equity supported
• Are scaling faster than their systems can handle
• Have founders who’ve never navigated the growth stage you’ve lived through multiple times
 
These organizations aren't ageist.  They’re pragmatic.  They want leaders who can execute, mentor, stabilize, and accelerate.
 
So before you assume the market has passed you by, shift your strategy.
 
Target high-growth SMBs, Seed-to-Series-B startups, and VC-backed companies.  Your decades of experience are an unfair advantage in those environments.
 
You’re not “too old.”  
You’re exactly what scaling companies are looking for... 
a leader who’s already walked the hard roads they’re about to travel.

📌 What have you seen in your executive job search? 

=> I coach executive leaders to land their next role. 
=> DM to see if we should work together.

The most surprising career advice I received came from a man I met half a world away.

Meet Chris Antholis. 
We found him eating alone one night on our trip and struck up a conversation.

He was on an international trip of a lifetime. 

Within minutes, he was telling us about the adventure he was really on, his career.

Chris completed his engineering degree at 74 years young.

Yes. You read that right.

He dropped out of college at 19, after three semesters. 
He wasn’t motivated. He wanted to work. 
So he did. 
For decades.

He spent most of his life as an inspector on construction projects. 
But he always felt this need to understand why buildings were designed the way they were.

So, in his late 60s, Chris went back.

Back to college. 
Back to homework. 
Back to night classes after working full-time days. 
Back to sitting next to students a third of his age.

It took him seven years.

And he graduated with a high GPA. 
His professors loved him. 
His classmates admired him. 
He made an impact everywhere he showed up.

Now he’s 82. 
Still working 30 hours a week.
Still curious. 
Still motivated.
Still chasing the thing that lit him up from the inside.

When I asked him what career advice he would share, he didn’t hesitate.

“Stay curious. And do something that really interests you.”

I walked away, reminded of something we forget far too easily.
Your calling doesn’t come with an expiration date. 

Curiosity doesn’t retire. 
And it’s never too late to become the person you were meant to be.

Stay hungry. 
Stay curious. 
Keep going.

📌What is the most surprising career advice you've received? 

=> I coach ambitious tech leaders to find their dream role. 
=> DM me to see if we should work together.

One of my clients has landed interviews with six different companies in the last week.

He’s in 2nd and 3rd rounds with some. 

Companies have been moving fast. 

He doubled down on his outreach to his network and applied to roles recently opened that he is super qualified for.

I know you feel like things are slow but companies are hiring now.

They have approved budgets and open requisitions they want to fill in the new year. 

Don’t give up because you think it’s quiet.

You could have a new job offer before you know it.

PS Franklin, TN tree lighting pictured.

Some seasons break you.  
Other seasons remake you. 
This job market is doing both.
 
Every December, I hear the same thing from job seekers:  “I’ll just wait until January.”
 
But I’ve coached in enough downturns to know that waiting is the easiest way to lose momentum. 

And momentum is the one thing you can control  when everything else feels shaky.
 
I’ve seen people land roles on Christmas Eve. 
I’ve seen teams hire because they had “just enough” leftover budget.  

December isn’t dead. 
It’s quiet.  
And sometimes quiet is where breakthroughs happen.
 
Leaders still make decisions in December.  
Budgets still get finalized.  
And connections still open doors when you least expect it.
 
If you’re tired, I get it.  
But slowing down now can cost you opportunities that never hit job boards.  
This month isn’t about pushing harder;
it’s about showing up consistently  when most people stop.
 
Let December be the month you choose resilience over retreat.
 
📌What’s one small action you plan to take this week to build momentum?

=> If you need help mapping out December, DM me and let’s build your strategy.

People love to say December is the worst time to job search. 
I’ve heard that myth my entire career.  It’s simply not true.
 
Take one of my clients.  
He’s been with his company for years and thought his role was safe.  
He wasn’t unhappy  but wanted work that felt more aligned and paid him what he deserved.
 
His search was slow and steady…  until he heard layoffs might be coming in the new year.
 
A single dad.  
Sole provider.  
And suddenly unsure of what January might look like.
 
So in early November, he shifted from “curious” to “committed.”  
He reached out to everyone, not just a handful of trusted contacts. 
Former colleagues.  
Friends.  
Family.  
People from past projects.  
Anyone who had seen his work and could vouch for him.
 
He also stopped being picky.  
He targeted roles he could step into easily  instead of waiting for the perfect one to appear.
 
Within two weeks, everything changed.  
Interview requests started coming in, some from applications,  others from referrals that surfaced because he simply reached out.
 
He’s now interviewing with six companies.  
He’s in 2nd and 3rd rounds.  
And he’s been clear with all of them:  “I want my next role lined up by December 22nd.”
 
His urgency created activity.  
And the market met him where he was.
 
December isn’t slow.  It’s misunderstood.
 
Budgets are approved.  
Hiring managers know what headcount they’re walking into in January.  
Job postings go live.  
Teams want people onboarding in the new year.
 
The only people who stop searching in December  are the ones who believe the myth.
 
But the truth?  The market is very awake right now — 
especially for people willing to take strategic, consistent action.
 
If you think nothing happens in December, look again.  
Momentum belongs to the people who stay active while everyone else waits.
 
📌  What’s one strategic move you could make now to land your next role in January? 

=>> I'm a Career Coach for busy Tech Leaders
=>> DM me to see if we should work together on your next move.

This week, a client said something that broke my heart a little and encouraged me a lot.

“I didn’t realize how much I looked forward to our weekly meetups… until you were gone for nearly two weeks.”

It wasn’t the resume work.
It wasn’t the interview prep.
It wasn’t the strategy.

It's the consistency. 
The rhythm. 
The accountability. 
The feeling of not having to walk this brutal market alone.

This job market is tough. 
Really tough. 
For most people, it takes 6–12 months to land.
(Some faster. Some slower.) 

But no matter where you fall in that timeline, your mental endurance matters just as much as your skill set.

And that’s why I believe good Career Coaches are important. 

Coaches provide nudges when motivation drops. 
Strategies when nothing seems to be working. 
Honest conversations when doubt creeps in. 
Reminders of your worth when rejection happens. 

It’s why I work with my clients until they land. 
Not for a set number of sessions. 
Not for a 90-day window. 
But until the work is done… 
Until the offer comes… 
And even beyond that first day in the new role.

Because the job search season can be long. 

Walking it with someone in your corner on the days you can’t is a lifeline.

Job searching is a long process that most people underestimate.

Hang in there. 
Keep showing up. 
And don’t be afraid to let someone walk alongside you.
It makes all the difference.

📌 How long have you been searching, and who has been your encouragement?

Your next opportunity won’t come from a job post. 
It’ll come from a person.
 
Last December, I met with a client who felt defeated. 
She had applied to dozens of roles with no traction.  
Her confidence was sinking.
 
So instead of applying more, we switched her strategy.  
She reached out to three former colleagues.  
Just human conversations.  
No asks.  Just reconnecting.
 
Two weeks later, one of those conversations turned into an interview.
 
In downturns, networking isn’t a “nice-to-have.” 
It’s the engine of your job search.
 
Warm connections cut through algorithmic noise.  
They help you get seen by real people. 
They surface roles that never make it to job boards.  
And they give you insight into what’s actually happening inside companies.
 
If you want a different result this month, start talking to people who already know your work.

December is a networking goldmine if you use it right. 
 
📌  Who is one person you could reconnect with this week to spark fresh momentum?
 
=> DM me if you are a tech executive needing help developing your networking plan

In-person networking might be the most underrated career move in this market.

I recently told a client that virtual calls are fine, but aim for in-person meetups. 

Sitting across from someone? Sharing a coffee?

Laughing about something random on the menu?

That’s where trust happens. Fast.

And the science agrees. 
Real, face-to-face connection lowers anxiety, boosts your mood, and strengthens relationships in a way no screen ever will.

I met with a new potential client recently. 
Face-to-face over coffee, we went from introductions to a real connection instantly. Pixels just don’t have that power.

So if you’re job searching, anxious about the market, or feeling stuck behind your laptop, do this: 

Get out there. 
Meet people in person. 
Your next opportunity might be one human connection away. 

Either way, your mood will improve. 

📌Who did you meet with last for in-person networking? 

=> I aim for 3-4 in-person meetings each week. 
=> I work remotely and need a human connection.

Tech isn’t the safe bet it used to be,  and workers are feeling it.

We’ve seen some of the worst layoffs in decades, especially in tech, where so many of us believed opportunity would always be there.

And if you’ve been feeling unsettled, discouraged, or out of control… you’re not imagining it.

This season has made me rethink a lot. 
It’s hard to feel steady when companies treat us like we’re replaceable.
It’s hard to feel in control when you’re waiting for someone else to decide your future.

Whenever I’ve been in a place where everything felt shaky, I always returned to one question:
“What 𝘤𝘢𝘯 I control?”

Recently, I saw a Reddit thread where hundreds of people shared where they still feel safe and able to thrive. 

They talked about changing career fields where opportunities were stronger. 

One of the most powerful decisions you can make in a market like this is to consider a pivot.

Some examples from what I’ve been seeing and reading:
• 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 + 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: steady job growth and strong demand
• 𝗖𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: huge need with ongoing infrastructure projects
• 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲: nursing, occupational therapy, paramedics
• 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: especially special education, math, and science teachers
• 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀: HVAC, plumbing, electrical (these roles are booming)
• 𝗣𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲: grooming, walking, sitting (people spend on their pets even in downturns)

I know someone who left a manufacturing leadership role and started his own AC business. 
More control. 
More stability. 
More freedom.

You may not be able to control the market… but you can control your path.

Have you ever considered a career pivot? 
Is there a field you’ve seen growing? 
A role you’ve watched quietly rise in demand?

This might be the moment to explore it.

Don't worry about what others might think. 

When the ground feels unsteady, sometimes the wisest thing you can do is choose a new direction.

Especially if you have years or decades left in your career. 

📌 What roles have you noticed are in demand right now?

We're not in a talent crisis. We're in a trust crisis. 

74% of hiring managers are more fearful of fraud than last year, and it shows.
 
Last week, a Director of Engineering told me he interviewed twenty candidates for a Senior Software Engineer role. 
Only two were even close to qualified.  
Eighteen interviews, hours of preparation, follow-up, and evaluation. 
All for resumes that looked polished but had very little substance behind them.
 
He looked exhausted describing the experience. When you are trying to lead a team, prioritize high-impact work and meet deadlines, wasting full days on irrelevant interviews is frustrating.
 
AI was supposed to make hiring faster and easier. 
Instead, it has flooded the market with resumes that read beautifully but fall apart in the first five minutes of a conversation.
 
One thousand applicants might look impressive on a dashboard. 
In reality, it often means one thousand inaccurate profiles created with AI assistance.
 
I keep hearing the same thing from leaders: 
 “I don’t know who is real.” 
 “I don’t know which resumes I can trust.” 
 “I don’t have time to filter through all this.”
 
It's equally frustrating for job seekers. 

Job seekers feel pressure to doctor their resumes because they think everyone else is doing it. It’s a race to the bottom.

The process feels onerous. 
AI bot screenings, rejection for roles minutes after applying, and endless hurdles introduced into the hiring process. 

My prediction for hiring in 2026: 
Companies that strike a balance between human connection and old-fashioned applicant screening will be the talent winners. 

The human element matters more than ever. Trust, relationships, and relevance are the new gold standard.

Let's hope the market and hiring process improve soon. 

📌 What has been your biggest frustration with AI in the hiring process?

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is a strange little day. 

Technically a workday, but let’s be honest… nobody’s fully working.  
We’re all half in our inbox and half in our fridge.
 
This is the day my kitchen turns into a full-blown production studio.  

Casseroles get assembled like we’re feeding a small army.  

Pies get baked while I pretend I’m on the Great British Bake Off.  

The turkey gets prepped, even though every year I Google “How long does a turkey actually take to thaw?” like it’s brand-new information.
 
It’s also the calm before the family onslaught.  
You know… that brief moment when the house is still quiet, and you can actually hear yourself think.  

Honestly,  I love it.  The chaos, the carbs, the noise, the laughter, the mild family dysfunction, all of it.
 
I've learned that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be really, really good.
 
So if you’re prepping, cooking, Googling turkey tips, or hiding from your relatives in the pantry… you’re in good company.
 
Happy Thanksgiving week.  

📌 What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

She almost stayed because the job market felt too risky.  
Staying would’ve cost her far more.
 
For years, she had been overlooked.  
Delivering results.  
Taking on more.  
Getting told “no budget” whenever she asked for a raise.
 
But this fall, she hit her breaking point. 
She decided to interview, even in the toughest market we’ve seen in a decade.
 
And everything changed.
 
She landed a new role.  
$30K more.  
A leader who actually values her contribution.  
And together, we built a 90-day plan that will make her impact undeniable.
 
This market is scary, yes.  
But staying in a place that refuses to recognize your worth is far scarier.
 
Some roles grow you.  
Some roles shrink you.  
And sometimes the biggest risk is staying put because the headlines say it’s safer.
 
She didn’t wait for the market to be perfect.  
She moved while she still had energy left to change her future.
 
If a company won’t grow with you, it’s okay to grow without them.
 
📌 What opportunity have you been putting off because the market feels uncertain?

=> I'm a Career Coach for Tech Executives
=> DM if you need a partner to help you land you next role

Your medical history should not be part of the hiring process. 

Some things in the hiring process make you pause.  
Others make you stop completely.  
This one should be a hard no. 
 
A client applied for a senior-level role last week.  

She was excited about the company, the work, and the growth.  
 
Then she reached the section of the application that asked about disabilities.  
Not in the lawful, optional, broad-category way employers are permitted to ask.
 
Instead, it listed specific health conditions:  Cancer.  Rheumatoid arthritis.  Autoimmune diseases.  Heart issues.  Addiction history.
 
Check the box if any apply.
 
She called me immediately.  And my reaction matched hers.  This isn’t just inappropriate. It’s invasive. And it’s a problem.
 
Companies 𝘤𝘢𝘯 collect voluntary, anonymized data to ensure equal opportunity hiring.  But they cannot, and should not, ask candidates to disclose specific medical conditions tied to their identity.
 
That blurs into territory that’s not only unethical  but potentially discriminatory.
 
And here’s the larger issue:  When candidates are asked questions like these,  it undermines trust long before an interview ever happens.
 
Hiring should be about your qualifications, your leadership, your experience, not your medical history.  Not the most vulnerable chapters of your life.
 
A company that asks for that information upfront  is telling you something about how they operate internally.
 
Just because it appears on an application doesn’t make it acceptable.  Pay attention to the signals.  They’re not small, they’re screaming big.
 
📌 Have you ever seen a red flag in the application process that made you rethink a role?

==> I'm a Career Coach for leaders in the Tech Industry. 
==> Need help crafting your job search strategy? DM me.

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