About Me
I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do after college. I liked reading, writing, teaching, and helping people — so I would be a philosophy professor! That was an obvious answer for me, as I have a father who worked in academia and I always enjoyed school. It never even occurred to me to consider other jobs that used those same skills and interests. For example, jobs that might’ve not required a several-years-long PhD and tens of thousands of dollars of debt, that wouldn’t require me to move to a small town anywhere in the country at the drop of a hat, and that might actually pay the bills.
I enrolled in grad school and didn’t question my decision until I got to the end of my Master’s degree and panic attacks were preventing me from writing my PhD application essay. I realized the hard way, with tears streaming down my face: this career would actually be a terrible fit for me. I had focused on a few ways it seemed like a good fit on the surface, and had completely ignored everything else, both about the actual work and the lifestyle required.
While this period was stressful and scary, realizing this started a career exploration journey that ultimately led me to working as a career coach — where I could help others avoid the mistakes I’d made.
This time, I took my time and did research into multiple careers, while being supported and guided by career advisors. I realized that the people helping me were using a lot of the same skills as a professor (but not the ones I was bad at)! And importantly, career advising and coaching still aligns with my values: every day, I get to help people and make a difference in their lives.
Career changes can happen at any age, and usually happen cyclically: you will be in a great place, but then start to get that itch, and begin to head back into another transition. Or, like me, you will hit a roadblock and have to re-think things. There’s nothing wrong with this — it’s the way our careers (and lives) unfold. But my goal is to make these career transitions easier for you. There will still be hard parts, but I can support and guide you in order to keep you on track and help you dig deeper into your desires and needs so you can make informed decisions that feel right.
Now, in my 40s, I continually see my friends re-think their work situations and go through transitions in search of meaningful jobs that match their strengths, values, and lifestyle needs. I’m committed to helping mid-career professionals like them who need a change, whether it's a similar job in a new setting, a whole new career field, or something in between.
When you’re mid-career — which might be anywhere from your mid-30s to mid-50s — job transitions come with both challenges and benefits.
— You have years of experience and knowledge about what you like — and don’t like — to pull from when you make your future plans.
— You might be experiencing changes in family life that you need to take into account: a new baby, marriage or divorce, children becoming more independent or leaving home, aging parents.
— You might need more work/life balance or just a different kind of balance than you needed before your life circumstances changed.
— You might already have been doing meaningful work for years, but be burned out and need something different.
I care about helping people like you — juggling complex lives and jobs while wanting to make the most of your experience and skills so that you can contribute to helping people and society.
I have similarly always been driven by my values and the goal of using my strengths to make a difference, and I would love to do that by helping you with your career.