Career Coaching

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. […]

You work so hard with that top notch client. They had a great record of accomplishment. You guided them to apply for what seemed like a perfect job. Then came the email. Your client wants to know why they didn’t get the job. It’s so natural for them to blame themselves and you! I wrote […]

In 1978 – the dark ages – a roller coaster opened at Great America in Gurnee Illinois called “The Tidal Wave”.  It was a big deal.It was one giant loop, 137 feet high that went 55 mph in 5 seconds. Every radio ad and commercial touted the “wild ride” and I used to stand in […]

“Admiration must be kept up by the novelty that at first produced it; . . .  there must always be the impression that more remains.”  Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784)   I’ll bet every client you have ever served is different from any other. I will also bet that, in one important sense, every client you […]

Since the beginning of January 2026, PARWCC and 20 of its Certified Professional Career Coaches (CPCC) have been participating in a pilot career-coaching program with The Labor Club (TLC).  I would like to thank the CPCC volunteers who selflessly and generously gave of their time and resources to work with their clients, offering passion, empathy, […]

“All know the way, few actually walk it.” – Bodhidharma If the 5th century Buddhist monk I just quoted was alive today, I suspect he’d understand more about how to use LinkedIn than many of our clients, and if truth be told, many of us. When it comes to that gold standard for professional networking, […]

I recently sent a questionnaire to an executive client requesting her top five hard and top five soft skills. Interestingly, she named only soft skills.  As I built her résumé, I reviewed all of the materials she sent to work from, including a performance evaluation, previous résumé, essays, and more. I culled and identified several […]

LinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools you can use to have our clients move their careers forward. It’s also a considerable paradox. On the surface, it seems straightforward. It is anything but. Consider the “About” section. How natural for uninformed users (that’s most of them and nearly all of our clients) to think […]

The term Pink Slip originated in the early 20th century, when employers in America used pink-colored paper to print termination notices for their employees (in other countries, different colors are used). This expression has become widely recognized as a symbol of job loss and workplace insecurity. It can be used literally and figuratively, with people […]

Self-care is like refilling the pitcher from which you pour. If you do not care for yourself, you may begin to dry up, crack, and crumble. As career coaches, we demonstrate compassion for our clients daily. We listen to their stories of job loss, stress over finding new roles, daunting job searches (and “ghosting”), and […]

December can feel strange in the career coaching world. Half your LinkedIn feed is off sipping mulled wine and talking about their “word for the year,” while the other half is launching into orbit like their entire business depends on closing Q4 with a bang. And then there’s you — somewhere in the middle. You’re […]