We have decades of experience working in and building a variety of companies, large and small.
As former executives and entrepreneurs, hiring managers and human resources directors, and career development counselors, we’ve reviewed tens of thousands of resumes and LinkedIn profiles, and hired hundreds of college graduates. Because of our extensive experience mentoring new hires, we know first-hand the experience, attitude, and skills required for your early career success.
We also know that there are many other factors that impact whether a company or job will be a good fit for you:
What is the company culture?
Do the company’s values complement your values?
Is the working environment one in which you are likely to succeed?
What are the opportunities for career growth?
The Career MatchPoint coaches are excited to share the lessons we’ve learned so that you can not only land your first job out of college, but also thrive in it.
Bob Carlton
College and Career Consultant
LinkedIn Profile
With more than 30 years of experience as a marketing executive and COO at global technology companies, venture-backed startups, and media companies, Bob has hired hundreds of interns and recent college graduates.
He has a special talent and passion for recognizing and nurturing people’s interests and aptitudes. Mentoring students and recent graduates to help them discover their interests and channel their strengths has always been his greatest joy. Countless young employees have cited working with Bob as some of the most meaningful and formative experiences of their careers. Additionally, his practical experience in a variety of industries provides our students with real-world examples of future job opportunities.
Bob's extensive knowledge of career possibilities and job search best practices began with his role in helping to build WetFeet, a career advice website for college students looking for support launching their careers. Over the last 20 years, millions of student have used the WetFeet Insider Guides and WetFeet.com to guide their career launch.
Bob grew up in Dallas where he met his high school sweetheart, now wife and business partner, Lisa Bain Carlton. They are the proud parents of two adult daughters. A Texas A&M grad, Bob has a BBA in Marketing and Business Analysis. When he is not at the office helping launch the careers of college students, you can find him riding his bike while listening to a great podcast.
How I Launched Out Of College
After a competitive interviewing process, I was thrilled to land a prestigious job as marketing representative at IBM right out of Mays Business School. But after only six weeks, I realized the job was a total mismatch with my skills and interests. I resigned and re-launched my career planning process to focus on what I enjoyed doing and what I was good at – connecting people with ideas to help them learn and grow. I networked with individuals in a variety of industries, shadowed four different professionals and interviewed with more than 20 companies. Finally I accepted a sales position in higher education, which began my career focused on helping students succeed—and was exactly where I was meant to be.
Lisa Bain Carlton
College and Career Consultant
LinkedIn Profile
Lisa Bain Carlton has been helping students and young adults realize their potential for more than 25 years. Her experience includes extensive college and career coaching as well as in-depth counseling with adolescents and their families.
After graduating with a BBA in business from Texas A&M and a master’s degree in counseling with a focus on career development from UNT, Lisa started a mentoring program for a coalition of nonprofit agencies and the school district in Dallas for first-generation female high school students to explore their career interests and develop a college and career plan. The program was so successful that it was implemented nationally. She is well versed in career and academic testing and has extensive practical experience administering a wide variety of assessments.
During her career in the nonprofit and educational fields, Lisa has provided invaluable career guidance to people pre- and post-graduation from college. Her expertise in coaching students through clarifying their career interests and making a concrete plan of action has helped hundreds of students launch satisfying and fulfilling careers. She has a special interest and expertise in working with LD or other special needs students on career placement. She is a longtime member of the National Career Development Association.
Lisa grew in Dallas where she met her husband Bob in first grade as he walked down the hall of their elementary school cracking jokes. Outside of the office, Lisa loves swimming at Deep Eddy, doing yoga, and reading.
How I Launched Out Of College
I always knew I wanted to help young people discover their passions and plan for their future. With that goal in mind, I completed a number of internships at non-profits and schools serving adolescents. My final internship, between junior and senior year, was at Girls Club of Dallas helping early high school students explore their career interests. I quickly learned my "book knowledge" had to be adapted for the real world. One of the great benefits of this final internship was collaborating with other non-profit agencies. After working on a project with a woman from American Red Cross, she approached me to join her youth leadership development team. It was a fantastic first job and allowed me to network with others in the fields of non-profit management and education. I met my lifelong mentor there and went on to graduate school in counseling based on that experience.
Julie Richie
College and Career Consultant
LinkedIn Profile
Julie is an experienced career coach with a passion for guiding college students and young adults through the career exploration and personal branding process.
A former journalist and business communications professional with an MFA in creative writing, she has helped dozens of students and young adults navigate their early career journey. She is an expert at interviewing young people to help guide a student toward best-fit careers and transform their resumes and LinkedIn profiles to showcase their key strengths and accomplishments. She especially enjoys helping students with learning differences navigate communication challenges and find fulfilling career paths that match their aptitudes and motivators. She has a special interest in teaching young people how to effectively incorporate AI into the job search process. Julie is a member of the National Career Development Association.
Julie attended with a BA in Political Science from Brown University where she played soccer and lacrosse and met her husband, Chris. They have two young adult sons and a black Lab mix named Reacher. In her spare time, Julie enjoys baking, hiking, painting, playing piano, and reading.
How I Launched Out Of College
After majoring in political science and completing a Congressional internship in Washington D.C during my junior year of college, I thought political communication was the career I wanted. My first job after college was with a political consulting firm in Austin. I worked in opposition research on political campaigns. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I loved communications, but I hated writing negative things about people. That realization led to a master of fine arts in creative writing and a multifaceted (and positive) communications career promoting ideas, events, and people looking for new jobs. I found MatchPoint in 2017 and landed my dream job of using creativity and interpersonal communication skills to help young people reflect on what truly excites them and then transition into fulfilling college majors and careers.