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Home > Undergraduate Program > Post-Graduation Planning > Alumni Career Experiences : Wetzel

Dr. John Wetzel's Interview

Dr. John Wetzel, Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, Vice President, Executive Services at Right Management (PhD in Psychology 1973)
Interview James Updyke (B.S. 2012)

 

Q: Can you tell me about your current role as Vice President of Executive Services at Right Management?
A: I work with individuals who are in job transition – primarily executives – and have been displaced from their organizations. At Right Management, we work with everything from Fortune 500 companies to small “mom-and-pop” organizations. The w
ork I do usually starts with assessing individuals’ strengths, interests, and values to determine what he/she wants to do in the next phase of his/her career and to understand what may be some stumbling blocks along the way. We then come up with a strategy to achieve the individual’s goals. This usually involves editing resumes, preparing for interviews, and identifying contacts within his/her professional network.

Q: I know that you are involved with various community groups. For example, what type of work do you do with the Minneapolis Job Support Workshop?
A: The Minneapolis Job Support Workshop is a non-profit organization that started back in 1993. We do work with individuals in job transition and we meet on a weekly basis at Christ Presbyterian Church in Edina. There is no type of registration required for participants, so the number and type of individuals we work with varies each week. We have had individuals that are still in school, individuals who come from senior roles at their organizations, and individuals from traditional, blue-collar type jobs.  As Managing Director, I am primarily responsible for the workshop curriculum, identifying speakers for sessions, and assessing the needs of the population we continue to serve.

Q: You received your Master of Arts in Social and Child Psychology from the University of Toronto, but what led you to the University of Minnesota and industrial-organizational psychology?
A: During one of my last courses as an undergraduate at the University of Toronto, a consultant from a local I/O consulting firm came to speak about his job. I knew that I would be getting my Master’s from the University of Toronto, but I then applied to I/O programs and was accepted to my top choice (University of Minnesota). Under my advisor, John Darley, I was able to do the coursework for the counseling sequence as well as the I/O sequence. I began to realize that my interests were more of a blend of the two and I wanted something a little different than the traditional route. This is what really led me to coaching and counseling.

Q: Prior to joining Right Management, you worked for IDS Financial Services (now Ameriprise Financial). Can you tell me about that experience?
A: I worked closely with the marketing, investment, and human resources departments to essentially contract my services as an internal consultant. I worked under titles such as Staff Psychologist and Director of Field Staffing; managing projects for everything from recruitment and selection to training and development. That is where I received my broadest experience as a practicing psychologist.

Q: What was a defining moment in your career?
A: During a time when I was transitioning to a new position at IDS, a co-worker who acted as my coaching specialist asked me “Have you ever considered doing what we do?” And the rest, as they say, is history. I have found my job to be very rewarding. I can’t imagine something that I would find more enjoyable. I make an impact on people’s lives by maximizing their career and personal potential – that’s important to me.