Women's Circle

Renu Lala Vitale

CWC Board Member and Executive Coach, Renu Vitale, fields your burning career questions. Renu is a member of the CBS Sanford C. Bernstein and Co. Center for Leadership & Ethics coaching program, and has been helping clients develop winning strategies and make better decisions for over 20 years. To submit your career question for consideration, email Renu at [email protected]. Please include Coach's Corner in the subject line.

Question: I have been looking to make a career pivot for months now. I have a background in a creative field, but I'm looking for a job in a more secure and lucrative industry. I've been landing interviews at top finance and consulting firms, but repeatedly, after months of interviews and positive feedback, I get rejected in the final round. Why am I having trouble actually landing the job? How can I get a more positive outcome? 

From,
Stuck at the Final Round

Response: Dear Stuck at the Final Round,

I understand how disheartening it is to make it so far in an interview process and not get the offer. Clearly, you’re making a strong impression - and several rounds of success with multiple companies means that your skills and suitability are not in question. But when you reach the final round, something shifts. My guess? Both you and your interviewers sense a hesitation: Is this actually the right fit? Not because you aren’t capable, but because deep down, part of you may not be fully on board.

You come from a creative background—likely internally driven by your natural curiosity and affinities. Now, you’re pivoting to a field that offers more stability and financial upside. That makes sense, but here’s something to consider: those are externally driven outcomes. If the work itself doesn’t resonate with you, that disconnect is going to come through—whether you realize it or not.

A Quick Exercise to Find Clarity

Here’s something to try:

Print out the job descriptions for the roles where you made it to the final round.

Grab three highlighters—pink, yellow, and green.

• Pink: Tasks you love and/or excel at
• Yellow: Tasks you could learn, don’t mind, or feel neutral about
• Green: Tasks you’re not qualified for or would dread doing

Step back and look at the results. If most of the description is yellow and green, you may be trying to force a fit that just isn’t there. If it is mostly pink, then I suspect you are still showing up to that last interview believing your job is to prove yourself.

By that last interview, you have enough evidence to know you bring value to the table - so your job in that last round is to show up recognizing that you are an asset and sharing that value through conversations as though you have the job. This powerful shift will give them the confidence to move forward with you.

But given how different finance and consulting are from each other and from a creative field, I am willing to bet that your pages will be more green and yellow than pink.

How to Move Forward if Misaligned 

Do the same exercise with roles that actually interest you. Which ones have more pink and yellow? And here’s the real question: Why aren’t you considering those roles? Do you assume they won’t pay well? Is it that they aren’t “serious” enough? That’s worth exploring.

The qualities that got you this far in your career, as well as to those final interview rounds, are the same ones that will help you succeed in a role that actually fits. Freeing yourself to align with what you care about will also enable you to be more engaged in finding opportunities to grow financially in ways you may not have considered yet. When you get to the final round for something that genuinely excites and energizes you, you won’t feel like you have to prove yourself—you’ll already know you belong there, and so will they.

Try the exercise and see what you discover. I’d love to hear what comes up for you!

• Michelle Gaines '16 welcomed her second child Rory on Jan. 5. He was a little early but already 9lbs 1oz and thriving.
• Emily O'Halloran '07 recently joined the board of the Inspire Mexico Foundation. It provides a Youth Center in Los Cabos Mexico for kids and teens so they can access essential resources, educational support, and enriching activities.
• Yvonne Fung '18 welcomed daughter Cora on February 11. She arrived with a strong pair of lungs and a kick that will knock anyone out.
• Holly MacDonald '08, will become CEO of Bessemer Trust when the current CEO retires in early 2026. She is presently Chief Investment Officer at Bessemer.
• Jennifer Prosek '99, Founder and Managing Partner of Prosek Partners, has been named to Observer's 2025 PR Power List.
• Christine Alemany '04, was recognized as one of the 30 most influential Fintech Marketers by Fintech Marketing Hub. These influential Fintech Marketers were chosen based on their degree of influence and achievements over the past year, including ability to shape trends and inspire others.  
• Aynat Ravin '01, was selected as one of the "Top 100 Women in the Technology Industry for 2024" by King Street Ventures (KSV). Advising start-ups as well as female founders is a personal passion of hers. 
• Jaycee Pribulsky '01, was promoted last year to Chief Sustainability Officer at Nike.
• Gretchen Meyer '11, President & Founder, Gretchen Meyer Financial, was selected to join LPL’s Ambassador Council. Only 60 individuals out of about 22,000 advisors are a part of this group and only 30 openings per year are available.
• Onika Williams '18, is now the head of Meta Elevate, which is focused on accelerating economic success for SMB entities of color.

Please share your achievements with us! Email [email protected] with “Shoutouts” in the subject line or post on our Women’s Circle LinkedIn Group

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