By The Human Reach Editorial Team
When Thomas, a VP of Professional Services in AI and Automation, enrolled in The Human Reach’s Career Amp program, he was skeptical of the promise. A 60 to 70 percent increase in take-home pay? It sounded like marketing hyperbole. But after completing the program, he found himself not just believing the number — he was living it.
AJ Mizes, founder of The Human Reach and former global HR executive at Meta, built the Career Amp program around a simple but powerful insight: most executives are dramatically undervaluing themselves in the job market. Not because they lack skills or accomplishments, but because they don’t know how to identify, articulate, and position their value in a way that commands premium compensation.
The Investment Framing
Mizes frames the Career Amp program as an investment, not an expense. His math is straightforward: if a 3 to 5 percent investment of your annual income results in a 60 to 70 percent increase in your take-home pay, the return on investment is extraordinary — and it compounds over the course of a career.
Thomas articulated it well: “I wouldn’t have believed myself if I had said that, but that’s not the main value. The true value lies in having a structured program that identifies your value and ignites your passion.”
What the Career Amp Program Actually Does
The Career Amp program is built around four core components:
Value Identification. The program begins with a deep-dive process to identify and articulate the specific value a client brings to the market. This involves a systematic audit of accomplishments, skills, and experiences — often surfacing achievements the client has forgotten or undervalued.
Positioning and Narrative. With a clear picture of the client’s value, the next step is developing a compelling professional narrative — a clear, specific, and authentic story about who they are, what they’ve accomplished, and where they’re going.
The Sidedoor Method. The program teaches Mizes’s proprietary approach to accessing the hidden executive job market through targeted relationship building, thought leadership positioning, and strategic networking.
Interview and Negotiation Coaching. The final component prepares clients for the high-stakes conversations that determine outcomes: executive interviews, compensation negotiations, and offer evaluations.
The Results
The Career Amp program has helped thousands of executives land roles with significantly higher compensation than they were targeting when they started. The 60 to 70 percent income increase figure comes from aggregated client outcomes — but Mizes is careful to note that results vary based on starting point, industry, and the effort clients invest in the program.
What’s consistent across successful clients is the combination of a structured approach to identifying and communicating their value, and the confidence that comes from knowing exactly what they’re worth and how to ask for it.
About AJ Mizes: AJ Mizes is the founder of The Human Reach and a former global HR executive at Meta. He was named USA Today’s #1 Emerging Entrepreneur of 2023 and has been featured on NBC, CBS, FOX, and ABC.