Career Coaching

There are many reasons people engage a career coach in tech to help them make a career move, for example:

• Take on more or different responsibilities.
• Get onto a path with better long term growth.
• Unhappy or stuck in current job.
• Unexpected transition e.g. downsizing resulting in job loss.
• Planned transition e.g. relocation.

A career coach is a companion and trusted guide for your journey to your authentic career.  As a result, they are often an experienced recruiter, manager or counsellor. They are adept at helping clients gain insight into their goals and job needs. They are also an idea generator who can help you see new opportunities.

Because of my unique expertise working in the tech sector can help you make your next leap forward in tech.

I believe that a career is more than a paycheck.  It’s a journey that leaves you feeling accomplished and satisfied at every stop along the way.  Sometimes people get lost along the way, that’s where I can help.

I believe that your fit with the organization is the biggest difference between loving what you do, and dreading waking up in the morning.  There are many aspects to fit. It starts with company values and the people it hires. It also includes how work gets done, how decisions are made and who is rewarded.

There are 145M career opportunities in the United States right now.  Your next step is out there and as a career coach in tech I want to help you find it.  As a matter of fact, that perfect job needs your energy, passion and skills.  Most important they need the unique way you apply them to your work.

James Pratt is a career coach in tech who prepares you to take your next opportunity.  In truth, you are an individual and there is a path that is unique to you.

Starting with simple reflection techniques, we walk through your career history to build new perspective on your now.  Then, we explore the possibilities, settling on a few to explore more deeply.  After that, we work build a narrative for your next step and the plan to take it.  As your partner on your journey, we walk as far along the path with you as you need.

Once you complete the coaching engagement you will have identified 3 potential next steps in your career.  Second, you will have a detailed guide that helps sift job sites and find the opportunities that match your needs.  Third, you will be able to tell your story to recruiters & interviewers, and be able to interview companies for fit.

In short, my goal as a career coach in tech is to help you take a next step where you thrive and are energized to go to work every day.

The initial engagement is a three month commitment in which we meet once per week.  During our first coaching session, we will discuss your goals and define how we can best work together.  From then, each session, you will complete a pre-work assignment that we will discuss during the session.  Usually, I meet my clients via Zoom but I am flexible and can use other platforms.  Career coach sessions generally last one hour.  As a career coach in tech I build a shared record of our work together in Google Docs.

I’m constantly exploring the dynamics of career development on both the candidate, employee and company side of the story.  Therefore I often  write articles sharing what I learn.  For example this article about recruiter outreach.

Accelerated programs are available on request.

Hi.  I’m James, your companion on this journey.  I’m a British ex-pat living in the United States with a 20 year career in tech companies.  During this time, I have been a leader in diverse fields, from engineering, to product, to human resources.   As a result, I’ve interviewed, hired, fired and coached 100s of people.  My coaching clients appreciate my insight and ability to see behind the story of their career and unearth a powerful narrative for what they offer employers.  As well as my work as a career coach in tech, I coach executives, advise companies on building high performance teams. Finally, I also train managers through my Art of Management program.