I've been in the career development space for a while now.
In that time, I've seen a lot. Career coaches who charge $2,000 for a package that includes a resume review and a LinkedIn scrub. Influencers who promise to “hack” the job search and deliver nothing. Content that exists to make the creator famous, not to help the person who's watching.
I've seen young people spend money they don't have on services that don't work. I've seen them told to “build their personal brand” when what they actually needed was one good interview practice session. I've seen them follow advice that was designed for a different economic reality than the one they're navigating.
I've gotten tired of it.
So I want to be very clear about where I stand.
This Is What I Believe
The early career industry has a gatekeeping problem.
Information that should be free is behind paywalls. Advice that could change someone's life is being hoarded by people who make money keeping it scarce. Career success is being sold as a product instead of being offered as a skill — and young people are paying for it.
I don't think that's okay.
I believe in accessible career support. That means:
- Information that actually helps, not just content that performs helpfulness
- Pricing that reflects the reality of who needs these services most
- Honesty about what the job market actually looks like, not a fantasy version
- Building people up, not keeping them confused so they'll keep paying
I believe the job market is broken. And I think the people who are trying to help job seekers should be honest about that — not use it as leverage to sell more services.
I believe young people are not the problem. They're navigating a system that was not designed for them. They're not underqualified — they're often under-resourced, under-connected, and under-supported. Those are different problems.
I believe career coaching is not a luxury. It's a skill that should be available to people who need it — not just people who can afford to pay market rate for a private coach.
This Is What I Refuse to Do
I won't sell advice that's designed to make me money rather than help you. If I'm writing a post or building a service, it's because I think it will genuinely help someone navigate their career better. Not because I need another piece of content to drive engagement.
I won't pretend the job market is fair. It's not. And I think treating job seekers as if all they need is the right resume or the right LinkedIn headline is dishonest. Yes, there are tactics that work. But tactics without an honest assessment of the system are just wishful thinking.
I won't use AI to generate content in place of actual insight. AI-generated career advice is noise. It can summarize a job description. It can't tell you what it actually feels like to get rejected 50 times. It can't tell you what it's like to be a first-gen professional figuring out the unwritten rules. Real insight comes from real experience. I won't fake that.
I won't charge for things that should be free. Career resource guides, job search strategy, salary negotiation frameworks — these are the basics. I don't believe in putting a paywall on foundational information that everyone needs access to.
I won't pretend career success looks the same for everyone. If I only share advice that worked for me — a person with a graduate degree, a university affiliation, and a professional network — I'm leaving out most of the people who need help. I'll keep learning, publishing, and sharing what I learn across contexts, backgrounds, and situations.
What You Can Expect From Working With Me
If you work with me — in any capacity, paid or free — here's what I promise:
I will meet you where you are. Not where I think you should be, not where some idealized job seeker is. Where you actually are.
I will tell you the truth about the job market. Even when it's hard to hear. Even when it means admitting that some things are out of your control. I won't sell you a fantasy.
I will never make you feel like your problems are your fault. The system is broken. You didn't break it. My job is to help you navigate it — not to make you feel worse about the fact that it's broken.
I will be honest about what I don't know. I'm not going to pretend I have answers to everything. If I don't know something, I'll tell you — and I'll help you find someone who does.
I will keep learning so I can keep showing up for you. Career development is a field in motion. What works today might not work tomorrow. I'm committed to staying current, doing research, and keeping my perspective fresh.
What I'm Asking From You
Show up as yourself. Don't perform a version of confidence you think I want to see. Don't pretend you have everything figured out when you don't. The most productive coaching relationships I've had are the ones where people are genuinely honest about where they're stuck.
And: give it time. Career growth is not a content sprint. It's a marathon. The people who get the most out of working with me are the ones who stay in the work — who come back, who iterate, who don't give up when things don't happen overnight.