Career Coaching

One constant question among my career coaching community and my Certified Professional Career Coaches is: How do I coach job seekers discouraged by the current job market? We see job seekers who apply for hundreds of jobs online and maintain meticulous spreadsheets; however, they don’t build relationships, meet people in person, or follow up on […]

During my tenure as a career coach, some parents of young adults (coachees) have hired me to provide career coaching and professional résumé development for their children. Sometimes they gift coaching services and résumé development to their young adult children for a birthday, holiday, or graduation. Other times, they recognize that their coachee is struggling […]

For months, career coaches and résumé writers have heard the same thing from clients: This job market feels harder than the numbers suggest. Candidates are applying to more positions, waiting longer for responses, moving through multiple rounds of interviews, and watching opportunities disappear or get put on hold. Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate has remained […]

People often retire with visions of no longer working. They daydream about sitting by a pool or at the beach day after day, golfing, hiking, traveling, hanging out with grandkids, or taking up a beloved hobby. They dream about permanent leisure time. And for some people, this is a reality, and they enjoy it tremendously.  […]

The U.S. labor market continues to send mixed signals. On paper, the economy remains remarkably resilient. Unemployment has held steady near historic norms, layoffs remain relatively low, and employers continue to add jobs each month. Yet career coaches, résumé writers, and recruiters across the country are hearing a very different story from the professionals they […]

Of course, you use announcements and, if you can get them, position descriptions (PDs) to guide your AI tools to help you write for and coach your clients. Supposedly, announcements and PDs capture what the hiring officials are looking for…except when they don’t. First, what’s asked for is often shown in “key words.” They’re little […]

If you’ve worked with job seekers recently, you’ve likely heard a version of the same frustration: “I’ve applied to hundreds of jobs and heard nothing back.” “The unemployment rate is low, so why can’t I find a job?” “Everyone says companies are hiring, but it doesn’t feel that way.” The latest labor market data tells […]

In career management, AI is used by job seekers for resume and social media profile development and preparation for AI interviews, and by companies for reviewing resumes and conducting interviews.   Interviews I recently coached a client through interview preparation and simulations. When she joined the interview, AI conducted it. She had the option to […]

As usual – I was on the phone with one of my dearest friends. She works for a well known not-for-profit organization and one of her responsibilities is hiring.  “Why is it so hard to hire someone?” This was a rhetorical question. “It’s TikTok. TikTok has made people stupid.”  I laughed because she meant it […]

I am a bit fuzzy about the most important project I ever worked in my previous career—except it shapes the way I run my business. I remember the project directly affected national security, was classified above Top Secret, and would be read by people whose names I saw regularly on the front page of the […]

The federal government workforce experienced an unprecedented shake-up in 2025, with mass layoffs under the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA), Deferred Resignation Offer, and other options. Moreover, the application process was transformed from a long, résumé-and-questions application to a short, industry-style two-page résumé and skills-based hiring process.  USA Today reported in December 2025 that more […]

Many of my Certified Professional Career Coaches ask me how to build a career coaching business.  Building a business is akin to a job search and career management. I coach clients seeking to build a business, much like a job search client. Instead of a résumé, the client may need a prospectus instead, for example. […]