Meet the Team
Dr. Carla Rutley
Founder | Executive Career Strategist
Helping experienced professionals transform career experience into strategic opportunity.
Dr. Carla Rutley founded CareerVantage Connections with a simple belief: most professionals struggle in their career search not because they lack talent, but because they lack a clear strategy.
With decades of leadership, coaching, and organizational development experience, Carla specializes in helping mid-career and senior professionals define their positioning, clarify their leadership value, and align their career direction with opportunities that match their expertise and aspirations.
Her work goes far beyond résumé writing or job search advice. Carla helps professionals examine the deeper questions that drive meaningful career progress — how their experience translates into market value, how they want to lead, and what opportunities will truly move their career forward.
At CareerVantage Connections, Carla leads the coaching and strategy work for professionals navigating career growth, transition, and reinvention. She partners closely with the broader CVC team to ensure each client receives a strategic plan supported by strong career tools and positioning.
Most clients begin their journey with CareerVantage Connections by completing the free career assessment and scheduling a short consultation with Intake and Strategic Success Director Deeatra Kajfosz, who helps determine the most strategic path forward.
Steve M., CPRW
Career Brand & Interview Tools Specialist
Helping professionals stand out in a hiring landscape dominated by ATS systems and AI-generated résumés.
Today’s job market is crowded with automated applications, keyword-stuffed résumés, and AI-generated content that often fails to truly represent a professional’s value. Steve McGarrett specializes in helping clients cut through that noise.
At CareerVantage Connections, Steve develops the career tools that translate a professional’s experience into clear, compelling positioning that both Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and human decision-makers recognize and value.
His expertise lies in building résumés, LinkedIn profiles, and interview messaging that do more than list responsibilities. Steve helps professionals communicate measurable impact, leadership value, and career direction in ways that align with modern hiring systems while still sounding authentic and strategic.
In an environment where many candidates rely heavily on generic AI tools, Steve ensures each client’s career materials reflect their real strengths, achievements, and positioning, giving them a stronger chance of being seen, understood, and remembered.
Steve works closely with the CareerVantage Connections coaching team so that every résumé, LinkedIn profile, and interview narrative supports the broader career strategy developed through the CVC process.
Most professionals begin their journey by completing the free online career assessment. After reviewing your responses, Intake and Strategic Success Director, Deeatra Kajfosz will recommend the most strategic next step and determine how the CVC team — including Steve — can best support your Rise, Reset, or Redirect journey.
Pamela Schoessling
Rising Talent Career Consultant
Helping early-career professionals build confidence, clarity, and momentum.
Pam Schoessling works with professionals who are in the early stages of building their careers and looking to gain direction, confidence, and a stronger professional presence.
Many rising professionals know they have potential but are unsure how to position themselves, navigate opportunities, or communicate their value effectively. Pam helps them translate their education, experiences, and strengths into a clear professional story that employers understand.
Her work focuses on helping emerging professionals develop the mindset, positioning, and tools needed to move forward with confidence — from defining career direction to strengthening professional communication and preparing for interviews.
Pam believes the most successful early-career professionals start with clarity about their strengths and goals before focusing on applications or job search activity.
At CareerVantage Connections, Pam supports professionals who are in the Rise phase of their career journey, helping them build the foundation for long-term growth and leadership.
The best way to begin is by completing the free online career assessment, which allows the CVC team to understand your goals and recommend the most strategic next step. After reviewing your assessment, Deeatra Kajfosz will help determine whether working with Pam and the CVC team is the right next step for you.
Deeatra Kajfosz
Intake & Strategic Success Director
Helping professionals turn career questions into a clear next step.
Before most people update a résumé or start applying for jobs, they’re often missing something far more important — a clear strategy.
As CareerVantage Connections’ Intake and Strategic Success Director, Deeatra helps professionals step back and evaluate where they truly are in their career journey and what path will create the most momentum. By reviewing each candidate’s assessment, understanding their goals, and evaluating their current positioning, she identifies the most strategic direction for their Rise, Reset, or Redirect phase.
Her role is to ensure every client begins the process with clarity before moving into coaching, personal brand positioning, and career tools developed by the CareerVantage Connections team.
If you’re considering your next career move but aren’t sure where to begin, the first step is simple.
Complete the free career assessment and schedule your complimentary consultation to receive a strategic recommendation for your next step.