Sarah
More clarity. More options.
Sarah talks about navigating her next move and evaluating opportunities with more confidence.
FOR EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS AT A CAREER TURNING POINT
THE CAREER TRANSITION SYSTEM
Stop applying blindly.
Build a strategy for
the move that fits.
More applications are not always the answer. Build a filter you trust, a relevant case for each employer and a focused route to the opportunities that fit your next chapter.
- Get clear on the roles and companies that fit you.
- Build a specific business case for each employer.
- Turn relevant conversations into options and negotiating strength.
100% free initial conversation · Appointments subject to team availability
MEET DR. JÖRN · SEE THE APPROACH
Dr. Jörn KobusEx-McKinsey Junior Associate PartnerFounder · The Career Transition System
and The MBB Offer Machine3,500 client offers across our programs
and The MBB Offer Machine3,500 client offers across our programs
2:17Press Play to watch with sound.
DR. JÖRN’S CONTENT HAS BEEN FEATURED IN
Selected Publications
REAL CLIENT STORIES. A STRUCTURED APPROACH.
Real people.
Meaningful career transitions.
Start with Sarah, Sebastian and José. Watch their experiences in their own words.
Sebastian Weiß
A role that matched his priorities.
Sebastian describes how he clarified what mattered and found an opportunity that matched his criteria.
José
From consulting to Amazon.
José shares his transition into industry and what it meant for the next stage of his career.
FIVE OBSTACLES BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR NEXT CHAPTER
A strong resume.
But an unclear next move.
You have built valuable experience. Your own career deserves a clear strategy. Every client journey is different. You might face one or several of these challenges. Either way, we build the program around your situation, your goals and the support you need.
01 · THE CHALLENGEYou know what you want to leave.
You know what you want to leave.
But not what to move toward.
A familiar brand, a better title or a higher salary can all look like progress. Yet none tells you whether the work, leadership or pace will fit your life. Without clear criteria, every new opportunity sends you back to the same question.
HOW WE HELP
Define your own career criteria.
We work through your strengths, motivations, priorities and constraints. Then we turn them into a focused set of roles and organizations worth exploring.
What you work toward: A direction you can explain and a filter for saying yes or no.
02 · THE CHALLENGEYou can sell your experience.
You can sell your experience.
But are you starting with their problem?
Experienced professionals often lead with their track record. The trap is starting with yourself. This employer has a particular problem, a particular team and a particular reason to hire now. Your achievements matter when you show how they help in that context.
HOW WE HELP
Translate experience into business value.
We start with the employer’s priorities, test our assumptions in conversations and choose the evidence from your background that matters to them. Your value proposition evolves as you learn what success in this role actually requires.
What you work toward: A credible answer to “Why you, for this role?”
03 · THE CHALLENGEYou are applying.
You are applying.
But the right conversations are missing.
Sending more applications can feel productive while bringing little useful feedback. A broad search consumes evenings and weekends without telling you where your profile has the strongest fit.
HOW WE HELP
Build a focused route to opportunity.
We help you prioritize targets, research the business context and approach relevant people with a clear reason to speak. You put your effort into conversations that can advance your search.
What you work toward: A deliberate search plan with clear priorities and next actions.
04 · THE CHALLENGEYou have delivered results.
You have delivered results.
Can you show what you would deliver next?
A move into a new role can raise unfamiliar questions about ownership, leadership and working in a different organization. Rehearsed answers rarely show how you would make decisions when the outcome is yours to deliver.
HOW WE HELP
Prepare to demonstrate ownership.
We pressure-test your examples, motivation and reasoning against the role. Personal feedback helps you explain what you did, why it mattered and how that experience transfers.
What you work toward: Stronger evidence of how you think, act and take responsibility.
05 · THE CHALLENGEYou want a better next chapter.
You want a better next chapter.
You do not want an expensive wrong turn.
Leaving a familiar path can bring doubts about seniority, compensation, culture and future options. An offer creates a decision deadline. It does not automatically make the decision clearer.
HOW WE HELP
Evaluate the move and plan your start.
We return to your priorities, examine the tradeoffs and prepare the questions you need answered. Support continues into planning your first 100 days in the new role.
What you work toward: A considered decision and a practical plan for becoming effective.
Your next move shapes more than your job title. It shapes the work you do, the people you learn from and the life you have outside work.
YOUR EDGE IN AN AI-DRIVEN, HYPERCOMPETITIVE MARKET
We use AI heavily.
But not the way you might think.
When polished applications become easy to produce, polished stops being a differentiator. Asking AI to rewrite your achievements can give you a fluent pitch that still misses the employer’s actual problem.
A strong value proposition is informed by AI. Built through insight, evidence and judgment.
We use AI to accelerate research, challenge assumptions and prepare sharper questions. Then we test those hypotheses in real conversations and connect what we learn to your specific experience. The result should explain why you can solve this company’s problem, in this role, at this moment.
You know how to use a powerful tool. We help you show that you know which tool this business needs, where to apply it and what would change as a result.
AI can help you prepare the conversation. What you learn in the conversation should change your case.
A CLEARER PATH FROM EXPERIENCE TO OPPORTUNITY
Start with their business.
Build the case for you.
You already know how to present. Together, we work on what makes an employer care: the problem they need solved, the evidence that you can solve it and the alternatives that give you room to negotiate.
01
DIRECTION
Know what you're moving toward.
Choose companies where your ambitions and their needs overlap. Develop hypotheses about their priorities, constraints and reasons to hire. Your target list becomes a set of business questions to investigate.
THE OUTPUTA clear career direction
and target criteria.
and target criteria.
02
POSITIONING
Make your experience matter to them.
Ask what needs to change, why it matters now and how success will be judged. We help you listen for the real mandate, select relevant evidence and adapt your narrative to the company and decision-maker.
THE OUTPUTA relevant story
of your business value.
of your business value.
03
CONVERSATIONS & EXECUTION
Show up ready to make your case.
Use each conversation to refine your understanding. We challenge your assumptions, rehearse the difficult questions and give direct feedback on whether your case answers what this employer actually needs.
THE OUTPUTA structured search
and stronger conversations.
and stronger conversations.
04
OPTIONS & NEGOTIATION
Build alternatives before you need leverage.
Keep several relevant employer conversations moving in parallel. We help you coordinate timing, compare the full packages and use genuine competing interest to negotiate. Know what to ask for, when to ask and how to explain your value without bluffing.
THE OUTPUTReal alternatives.
A considered negotiation plan.
A considered negotiation plan.
MORE THAN ANOTHER COURSE
A system to work through.
People to work with.
Your background, ambitions and blind spots are personal. The support should be, too. CTS combines a structured process with individual feedback, ongoing dialogue and accountability.
Structured resources
Tools, materials and methods covering the transition from career direction to your first months in a new role.
Personal guidance
Personal 1-on-1 feedback on your situation, positioning and preparation. Work through the questions that generic templates cannot answer for you.
Ongoing communication
A dedicated communication channel to ask questions, share progress and get feedback between sessions. Keep moving when a new decision or obstacle appears.
Beyond the offer
Build a plan for your first 100 days, including priorities, stakeholder relationships and early contributions. The goal is to start well in the role you worked to secure.
DR. JÖRN KOBUSFounder · The Career Transition System
EXPERIENCE, STRUCTURE AND PERSONAL GUIDANCE
Your experience is valuable.
Make that value visible.
After eight years at McKinsey, including as a Junior Associate Partner, I have seen how capable people can struggle to make their experience count at a career turning point.
I founded The Career Transition System and co-founded The MBB Offer Machine to help ambitious people make their experience count at pivotal career moments. The questions differ with each career move, but the need for clear thinking, relevant evidence and honest feedback remains.
The Career Transition System brings structure and personal guidance to the next move. Together, we connect what you've done with what you want to do next and what a future employer needs.
My team, the content I teach and I have been involved in offer negotiations representing more than EUR 300 million in starting annual salaries. Bring that experience to the decisions that shape your next package: scope, level, compensation, timing and the alternatives you have built.
- Former McKinsey Junior Associate Partner
- SPIEGEL BESTSELLING AUTHOR
- Experience developing and training more than 100 consultants and clients
- Founder of CTS and co-founder of MBB Offer Machine, with more than 3,500 client offers across the programs
INDEPENDENT VOICES. SHARED EXPERIENCE.
Read the experiences.
Make up your own mind.
More than 170 independent client reviews on Trustpilot across The MBB Offer Machine and The Career Transition System. Both rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
The MBB Offer Machine
Trustpilot
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot
Read client reviews ↗The Career Transition System
Trustpilot
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot
Read client reviews ↗OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU
What we
guarantee you.
The Until It’s Done Guarantee
If you have not secured an offer by the end of the agreed program, we continue supporting you at no additional coaching fee until you do.
The Money-Back Guarantee
If you pay in full and decide within the first seven days of the program that it is not right for you, you will receive a full refund.
IS THIS THE RIGHT NEXT STEP FOR YOU?
For people ready to take
their next move seriously.
Who this is for
- You bring professional experience and are ready to take responsibility for your next move.
- You're considering a new role, a change of direction or your next step in leadership.
- You want clearer direction and a stronger case for your next role.
- You're willing to reflect, act on feedback and do the work.
Who this is not for
- You expect a done-for-you service or someone to place you in a role.
- You expect a guaranteed offer without doing the work.
- You only want a quick resume edit rather than a broader career transition.
- You want reassurance rather than honest correction, or are unwilling to act on direct feedback.
We assess fit together in the initial conversation.
YOUR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Before you apply.
Is this only for people with a consulting background?
No. CTS supports experienced professionals across backgrounds. We explore your situation, goals and the support you need in the initial conversation.
Do I need to know my exact target role?
No. Clarifying your direction is part of the work. Bring your questions, priorities and the options you are considering to the initial conversation.
What will we cover in the first conversation?
Your current situation, goals, main obstacles and whether our approach fits what you need. If there is a match, the next step is a more detailed consultation.
Is this a recruiting or placement service?
No. We provide career transition guidance and support. You remain responsible for your applications, decisions and performance.
Is the initial conversation free?
Yes. There is no charge for the initial conversation. If we explore a paid program, the scope and commercial terms are discussed before you decide.
Can you guarantee an offer or a particular salary?
We guarantee continued coaching support as described above, rather than a particular employer’s decision or salary. Outcomes depend on your background, target roles, the market and your own work. We deeply believe our approach is among the best in this industry. Explore the client experiences and speak with us to decide for yourself.
YOU'VE BUILT THE EXPERIENCE. NOW CHOOSE THE DIRECTION.
Make your next move
an intentional one.
Start with a conversation about where you are, where you want to go and what stands in the way.
Apply for a Free Career Transition Strategy CallLet's explore your next move together