Over a year ago I was not doing well at work. I was recommended to seek out a Career Coach. Little did I know how helpful Shawn was. Shawn was beyond helpful! He helped me from struggling to getting a promotion! In one year! He is always prepared for every meeting and remembers everything we talk about. It didn't feel like a meeting with a coach/therapist. It felt like I was catching up with an old friend. I will more than likely continue my work with Shawn, not because I have to, but because I want to. Thank you so much for your help and support Shawn! read more

About a year or so ago I was searching for a career coach to help me find "the work I was meant to do". Prior to working with Shawn, I thought that a career coach would assess my skills and then tell me what role/job I should do. Very quickly, I learned that that was not how the process worked and I couldn't be happier to have been wrong. Shawns' process helped me uncover what truly makes me happy, what kind of team I want to be a part of, what kind of organization I want to be a part of, and most importantly what job responsibilities would make me happy on a daily basis. For anyone looking to get a better understanding of their skills and job desires and use that knowledge to find a role that fits what you're looking for, then I'd recommend working with Shawn. While I found Shawn via Yelp, I also found a handful of other career coaches on the platform. I chose Shawn due to his business background and the fact that he was a true "Career Coach". I had a business background so it felt like a good fit and I was looking for a "career" specific coach versus a "Life/Career" coach. I worked with Shawn (In-person - I used to live in Seattle) for ~6 sessions. He broke down each session ahead of time so I knew what work I had to accomplish before our meetings and what to expect to talk about in our meetings. The work was challenging and thought provoking, but it really helped me discover my skills, shortcomings, non-negotiable and ultimately led me to the work that I wanted to do. He helped me define what I was looking for in a role, including: team structure, day-to-day responsibilities, environment, reporting structure, and more. He helped me gain confidence that even though I didn't have a background in design, I had inherent skills and aptitudes for the field. One year removed for working with Shawn, I landed a new role in a new career. Shawn helped me find a career path and happiness in my work. Working with Shawn really helped me understand my abilities and clearly define what I was looking for. Once I was able to define my ideal role, I was able to go out and get it. All in all Shawn was a major asset to helping me find the role I'm currently in. I would recommend him to anyone searching for a career coach. Just know, the work is hard but very rewarding!!!! read more

I hired Shawn as a career coach, but he become a mentor and a friend. Shawn truly cares about my success and has gone above beyond to help me achieve my career and life goals. I first came to Shawn feeling burned out working in the legal and financial fields. I thought about making a career change but had no idea where to start. From the first meeting with Shawn, I knew I had come to the right place. In our first meetings Shawn utilized a methodical and thoughtful approach identify my strengths, weaknesses and values. Using a combination of tools, he facilitated a deep dive into my core abilities, key motivators, and self-definition of success. Shawn helped me unpack what energizes and excites me; what type of work drives me to succeed and what type of work causes me to dread going to the office. Using this comprehensive evaluation, Shawn and I identified different career paths that might be a good fit for me. I explored several options, gradually narrowing my fields of interest. Shawn then helped me revise my resume to focus on these fields. When I landed some interviews, Shawn thoroughly prepared me and gave me the confidence to "knock them out of the park," as he likes to say. I am now in a career that provides personal and financial fulfillment. I cannot thank Shawn enough for guiding me on this journey. read more

Shawn was incredibly helpful on my job search. I was able to sail through all the behavioral questions because of the prep work I did with him. It made a big difference. More importantly, I now know that if I need to leave a bad workplace, I can do that with relative ease. My husband is working with him now too! read more

I consider myself a solid interviewer and generally haven't had issues with interviewing in the past so I was quite surprised by just how helpful Shawn was for me. During our time focused on interview prep Shawn helped me to polish my own answers and focus on the work stories and anecdotes that would resonate the most with my audience. I felt confident before I started working with him but left our session ready to knock my interviews out of the park. I did receive an offer from the Company that we were focusing on. I have recommended Shawn to many of my friends and will continue to do so in the future. Thanks so much! read more

I initially came to Shawn seeking clarity on career mobility and direction. I assured Shawn that I was already very competent in my interviewing and resume writing skills, thus didn't need assistance in that area. Long story short, I was wrong. Not only did Shawn direct me to roles and companies that better reflected my strengths and personal passions, but he took my interview skills to the next level and helped me fit my eclectic background beautifully into a 2-page resume. I was deeply humbled by how much I learned in just 3 coaching sessions. What was particularly powerful was Shawn's ability to help me identify and abandon the negative narratives I had been telling myself for years about my scrappy freelance past. In its place, Shawn worked with me to build a new story that was honest, genuine, and enthusiastically capitalized on my hard earned skills and experiences from that period of my life. This process lead to a better understanding and appreciation of my own worth. Before working with Shawn, I held intro calls with 5 other career coaches. I feel 110% confident that I made the right choice by choosing Shawn. I highly recommend Shawn to anyone who is looking for clarity on their career and are ready to take it to the next level. read more

I have been working with Shawn for a little over a year, and I absolutely love taking classes with him on interview prep and career coaching. Shawn is professional, thoughtful, encouraging and most importantly, he is very, very knowledgeable of his profession, and his lessons are of great value. I recently landed a position at a great organization, and I seriously don't think I could have gotten this opportunity without Shawn's help. It has been a pure pleasure working with him, and I want to recommend his service to everyone who's in need of career guidance or assistance with interview prep. read more

I can't say enough great things about Shawn as a career coach, mentor, and friend. I was lucky to spend two years working with Shawn as a part of my graduate school program and can confidently say that his expertise and coaching helped me land my dream job. He is thoughtful, detailed, and incredibly passionate about the work he does.  Shawn has a unique ability to create a comfortable environment to better understand your strengths and how to leverage them, while still addressing any perceived weaknesses. There were times where self-doubt crept in and Shawn was there as a beacon of hope, highlighting my strengths and building up my confidence when I needed it most. Whether you're looking to prepare for an interview loop or do some career/soul searching, Shawn is an incredible coach and resource.  Pro tip: don't forget to record your sessions with Shawn! Trust me, you'll want to be able to go back and listen to all of his tips and narrative tweaks. read more

So I researched career coaches for about two full weeks before making my final decision. I'm going to share my experiences with Yelp as I go on the journey. The first thing I noticed with this person is the $200 PER HOUR price tag associated with him. That's according to an actual email from the owner of this company. That was FAR AND ABOVE what others suggested in our area. Color me surprised on that front. Then also I noticed a truly glaring typo right on his website - "He is a Master Practitioner in the Meyers Briggs Type Indicator Personality assessment, certified in the EQ-I 2.0, the most reliable and valid emotional intelligence assessment on the market today, as well as being certified to administer the Highlands Ability Battery". That's all fine and dandy ladies and gents. But, it is the "Myers-Briggs Type Indicator" when spelled correctly. Maybe he is a "master practitioner" whatever that means but you'd think he could spell his own hucksterism. Just to let people know, I found someone quite a bit less expensive without all the fluff. I found someone who actually had genuine LinkedIn reviews within the last three years! This guy couldn't show me that on his profile. For a guy with a law degree, the evidence just ain't there. Would not recommend. Peace out. read more

Shawn and I met for one session to focus on interview prep, I had been getting to many final round interviews and then not getting an offer. That's why I looked for a coach, to help get over that final hurdle and help me approach the interview process differently. Shawn responded to my inquiry quickly (within 24 hours) and 3 days later we had an appointment, which was much faster than I expected. He took the time to read through my resume, research the company that I was interviewing with and even review the notes that I had written for prior interview prep to get a sense for where I may be going wrong. We spent a couple of hours together in his home office first talking though my situation, my experience, my goals and interests. Then we dove into actual role playing where I'd answer a question and he'd give feedback immediately and in a clear but non confrontational way - which I appreciated. Shawn feels like he is on your side and promotes a good attitude to help teach you plus give you more confidence for your interview. Shawn also recommended I audio record the session (I used my iPhone) which made the session even more valuable, afterwards I was able to listen to our conversation and write out notes to help me focus with an outline to interview but not be overly scripted. I highly recommend Shawn. read more

I am so glad I found Shawn, and I strongly recommend him. If you find yourself seeking a career change, clarification, or focus, he is a great coach. I had been trying to make a job change, and it seemed most of the people or businesses I reached out to were not interested in what I wanted. They had cookie-cutter packages and pat answers, often that all I needed to do was rewrite my resume for the 100th time. I was nearing the end of my rope when I found Shawn and reached out. Shawn's coaching approach fits me well. He provided me with reliable guidance based on what I told him, not what he thought I should do. He saw me as a person first and as someone who wanted to get unstuck and out of feeling defeated. Shawn listened to me but didn't necessarily agree with how I saw myself; thank goodness! He challenged some old ideas and limiting thoughts I had about my skill set, and this is just what I needed. Shawn challenged me to see my accomplishments as professional accomplishments, not just job duties or a job title. Additionally, he helped me know that I put in the work, and I could own that fact. This was an important milestone for me, and I believe it contributed to me getting the job I have now, and it's an excellent job. Shawn incorporated a variety of questions and self-paced tests to build on and help facilitate our conversations. Additionally, these tools helped me see things differently and put my wants into actions and ideas in to plans helping me to move forward in my career. I highly recommend Shawn. He listened to me and tailored his approach to what I needed to move forward. Shawn challenged me to look past my ideas and open my mind about what is possible in the best possible way. As I said, I ended up in a great job, and I will continue to work with Shawn to continue growing my career and prepare for the next step in my professional journey. Give Shawn a call, you're worth it. read more

After making a decision to return to work post raising my babies, I knew that I needed extra support to prepare to return to the corporate world. I googled interviewing coaches, and hired over 5 different coaches. Shawn was the first person that I worked with, and he ended up being the best. I was able to land a job offer in the tech industry with Shawn's support. He was the most knowledgeable, personable, and was super warm and encouraging. Some coaches were married to their interview plan, and it didn't exactly fit into what I needed. Shawn was one of the only one who actually listened to what my personal needs, and customized our sessions to meet those. I would recommend him wholeheartedly to anyone! read more

I had an unexpected second round of interviews come up for a role that I was up for and Shawn was able to work me into his schedule. The main help I needed was polishing my answers and delivery and most importantly - have confidence in myself! Shawn did a great job getting right to the meat of what I should focus on, was clear and straightforward. I felt really prepared going into the next round and was able to secure the role. Thanks Shawn! read more

I initially decided to work with Shawn on interview coaching because I was getting paralyzed in the interview process, and feeling stuck between my past goals and objectives and a new direction--knowing where I want to go, and knowing I have the majority of the skills to do so, but not knowing how to crack the code. Shawn is easy to develop quick rapport with, and to speak with honestly. Shawn had done a lot of leg-work reviewing my resumes--I had sent him three, slightly different tailored resumes representative of three overlapping but different professional angles. I also sent job descriptions of three positions I've recently applied for, and Shawn reviewed everything in advance. He was prepared, with an ability to quickly and accurately discern both my own goals and the goals of companies I am interested in. Through our practice session and discussion, I realized I do have strong answers and ideas; the main task at hand is to organize my experience and ideas into more effective and compelling stories. Shawn provided me with many practical, proven strategies to apply myself more broadly, and I definitely feel more in control of my process for it. Shawn is also very detail-oriented in his suggestions, adept with harnessing nuance, and current/relevant in his understanding of the market. read more

Shawn is great and I would highly recommend working with him. He was very helpful preparing me for my last round of interviews and I ended up getting the job. I think what differentiates Shawn as a career coach is his ability to build on each coaching session. He was able to provide great interview prep, however I think his career advice and experience from working with other clients kept me coming back. He challenged me to improve and I will be forever grateful. read more

Shawn is a PHENOMENAL coach. He puts together a comprehensive plan for the meetings so you know what you're paying for. Professional services can often have an unknown Return On Investment-- his methodology reassures the client there is REAL value in coaching. He helped me organize my values and goals into a cohesive strategy. Before meeting with him I had an intuitive sense about my natural abilities. After our meetings I had documented proof that I was pursuing the career that best suited my strengths. Self knowledge is an asset that is well worth the fee. Shawn pointed me in the right direction, saving me many steps in my career search. Now I go into the future with confidence that I am on the right track. read more

I can't recommend Shawn enough. We met, via referral by a trusted friend, for a single extended session to prep for one of the most important interviews of my life. Shawn was warm and professional, and really created a space where we could work on my worries and weak spots collaboratively. Shawn was very honest, and used our time really effectively to set me up for future success. He spent a considerable amount of his own time reading my CV, personal statement, and other applicable materials to prepare for our meeting, which I appreciated, it allowed us instant rapport and the ability to dive directly into the tasks at hand. I initially met with Shawn because I felt extremely nervous about an upcoming interview for a competitive graduate program with an extremely low acceptance rate. It was my first choice, and I knew the interview was my last opportunity to show the committee why I was right for the cohort. Shawn guided me through the process, offering essential interviewing skills, tips, and suggestions along the way. His process was totally intuitive and engaged. Shawn spent the entire session honing in on the areas where I felt nervous, kindly pressing me to tighten and develop my answers, and offering industry tips I might have never found on my own. I will also mention that Shawn was very honest about my strengths, critiqued my writing positively, and reminded me that I deserved to be in that interview to share my unique story and perspective. That felt above and beyond what I expected. Shawn is genuine and committed. Shawn reached out to me as interview day approached (again, above and beyond), and he'd allowed me to record our entire meeting, which was essential when prepping on my own. I was the least nervous candidate on the panel, and because of my work with Shawn, I think I was able to enjoy the experience rather than wish it over. I left feeling as if I did my best (thank you, Shawn). I received an offer to join the program two weeks later. read more

Fast forward to 2022, and I was staring down the barrel of my dream job and of course needed to go back to Shawn to help me interview prep. We met on two occasions and it was really amazing how he turned my barely coherent responses into exactly what I needed to ace the interview. Without Shawn's guidance I know I would not have been able to get my dream job. He once again proved how unbelievably invaluable he is! read more

Some career coaches don't have a structure or methodology that they follow, so meetings are continually scheduled indefinitely with no real sense of strategy or coherence. If you are lost in your career (like I was), then you need someone who knows how to make progress in a short amount of time. When I first reached out to Shawn, he sent me a three meeting attack plan. One to discuss my past experiences and current values, one to take an aptitude test & review my results, and a third to craft a plan for moving forward. I was asked to fill out information before each meeting or complete a worksheet. I sent Shawn essays worth of information and each meeting he had clearly read and digested this information. He was able to quickly get a sense of my strengths. Before your second meeting he has you take the highlands ability test. This is not like a Myers-Briggs which is subject to change over time. This test looks at your natural abilities, which don't change. I didn't have a good sense of mine, but this test left me confident in my ability to succeed in the future. Shawn was able to make suggestions on careers by using the natural abilities and personality traits as building blocks. He focuses on making sure your day to day will be fulfilling to you and doesn't base your career off of a fantasy that you have. It's based on the reality of your daily tasks and obligations. By the time I walked in our third meeting, I knew what I wanted to do. I have a great sense of clarity around my future. While Shawn likes to keep things to 3-4 meetings, I will likely be meeting with him a few months down the line to get help with Grad School applications or job interviews. If you're feeling unfulfilled in your career, Shawn will be a big differentiator in your trajectory. I know he was in mine. read more

I had been practicing law for a number of years when I was ready for a change. Not only did I want to start working in a different county, but I was also open to pursuing a career in a different profession. Having worked with Shawn Lipton, albeit briefly, at Seattle University Law School, it seemed natural to seek his guidance at this stage in my career. I am incredibly grateful that I did. Shawn first helped me discover what I value most from a job (e.g., the type of work environment, the type of work being performed, etc.). Then he identified different professions (and companies) that mirror my priorities and would appreciate my law degree and experience. Nest, he provided the nitty-gritty assistance of resume and cover letter editing, completely overhauling my law-firm-centric writings. Finally, when the time came, he provided interview prep, including sample questions, which was incredibly valuable. Through all of this, Shawn showed me nothing but kindness, respect, and humor: I couldn't be more grateful and appreciative of his assistance. I did find a job that is much closer to home and in a different profession. A job that I know I would not have found without Shawn. I highly recommend Shawn for any person looking for career counseling. read more

I have worked with Shawn over the course of the past decade and he has helped me make some tough decisions. He has been a sounding board and helped me work through my decisions in a way that is thoughtful and empathetic. Shawn brings the highest integrity to the legal field and is someone whose advice I completely trust. read more

Working with Shawn, I had a great experience with great results. I was in a company and function that no longer fit, and new to Seattle. I needed a change, but wasn't clear what kind of company, role, people, I should pursue. I'm pretty senior, so didn't need resume services or help fleshing out limited work history. Instead, I needed high level help finding the best path forward in a varied career. Shawn and I did three sessions, with homework before each one. We started by identifying activities I prefer and motivators in a job. It was very high level, such as "I need to be constantly learning," "I need peers who love challenging each other," etc. Before the third session, I lined up an interview at my target company, so we practiced a few common questions and cases. The earlier work actually helped tremendously in the interview--it's just way easier to impress a panel when you can confidently tell them how their company and role fit your high-level motivations. Anyway, I got the job and learned a lot about myself in the process. 謝謝你幫我找到這樣一個興奮的新工作！ read more

I can't say enough great things about Shawn. I met with him because I was flooded with opportunities and unsure where to take my next career move. I was simultaneously pursuing my dream job while having to line something else amazing up as a back up and felt completely overwhelmed. We connected for a ~20 minute intro discussion via phone to make sure he could assist in my situation where we dove into my background and thought processes behind each move I had made thus far. From there, he assigned me some homework to be completed before our session. We spent 90 minutes sussing out what my plan of action was and working together to make sure it made sense with my current qualifications and where I wanted to go. I left feeling so much calmer, so much less stressed AND so much more prepared to tell my stories in interviews. WORTH EVERY CENT AND EVERY SECOND OF MY TIME! Thank you Shawn!! read more

I started working with Shawn when I knew I needed to start considering new career options, but I wasn't sure where to start or what to focus on. We started with conversations and assessments to help me identify how to build on my past experience, but also pivot to a new role that was a better fit for my natural skills and values (as identified during our work together). Once I had a strategy for job searching, he worked with me to build my skills and confidence around interviewing and taught me to identify if a company would be a good fit for me. He is patient and encouraging, but also makes sure to give correction and detailed feedback. I highly recommend Shawn and The Trusted Coach. read more

Shawn is an excellent teacher and professional. Cannot recommend this service enough.

Shawn is everything you can ask for in a career coach. I contacted him a few days before an important interview and he fit me into his busy schedule. He structured our call to be efficient so I could get as much as possible out of our session. We covered possible answers to likely interview questions and what I should expect. Best of all, Shawn was savvy enough to build my confidence with compliments and encouragement while assisting me with the substantive material. Based on my girlfriend's experience with career coaches, I definitely know that I was lucky to find Shawn. Btw, I got the job! Thanks, Shawn! read more

Can't recommend Shawn enough! Wow! He has been monumental to my interviewing success and as a result of his help, I landed 3 offers in no time! Thank you Shawn! read more

If you're reading this, you are already taking positive steps and I hope you work with Shawn! He is an excellent listener, asks thoughtful questions, and truly has the desire to help. He provides transparency at the beginning of the process so one knows what to expect and he has a cheerful and good sense of humor. When one is going through a transition or some uncertainty in life and career, it is all too easy to forget or minimize the positive attributes one has. I am thankful Shawn was there to offer objective perspective and guide me through a few assessment tests to offer clarity where previously it was lacking. So yes, if you're here reading reviews like I was in 2017, go ahead and work with him because you'll be glad you did. read more

I met with Shawn prior to in-person interviews and I would highly recommend him as he gave me great tips and strategies on a variety of behavioral, situational and technical questions. Using his methods and with perseverance, I was able to land a job. He is personable, upbeat, and authentic. Highly recommend him: excellent! read more

When I first contacted Shawn, I was questioning whether or not to stay in the profession that I had been devoted to for over 25 years - wanting promotions, but feeling defeated and doubtful in my own capabilities as a leader. Even during my first meeting with Shawn, I felt listened to; I knew he could help me work through it all, whether I needed to change my career direction or reinvest in myself, my current profession, and my skills. Happily, with Shawn's expert coaching, I rediscovered my passion for my work and am more determined than ever to secure that next promotion. Shawn is a gifted counselor, pulling right alongside his clients to help them rediscover their self worth and become familiar again with their deeply held values, beliefs, and passions. Like any excellent coach, Shawn develops such a foundation of trust with each client that the hard work of deep and honest reflection can be done safely; you know you've nailed your resume, applications, letters, and interviews when you've carefully sculpted them with Shawn's guidance. I've joked with Shawn that I am going to keep him on retainer. But he will stay my Trusted Coach and I will check in with him routinely, and will use the resources he provided as well-used references. Trust Shawn. Working with him will be one of the best personal and professional decisions you will make, one you won't regret. read more

I have 20 years of experience in software development (much of it as a manager who does a lot of hiring) and yet I still learned a lot about the interviewing process from Shawn. In fact, we went much deeper than simply preparing for an interview; he also helped me to assess my situation and provided a good sounding board for the life-changing decision that I was in the process of making. Ultimately I did get the job that he helped me to prepare for and I attribute much of the cool and calm I had during the interview process to the preparation that he helped me with. I could not possibly recommend his services any more strongly than this; if you're wondering what's next in your career and/or looking to start interviewing, start with Shawn! read more

Shawn is an amazing coach. Through his questions, exercises, and insights, I got a renewed awareness of my strengths as well as my opportunities, which greatly increased my career possibilities. He truly challenged me. read more

I can't recommend Shawn enough! He is an incredibly thoughtful and professional advisor, and has been an invaluable asset in developing my career goals. Not only does he thoroughly analyze and interpret your work history and natural abilities, but he does a great job of introducing new avenues with excitement and optimism, and delivers critical feedback with grace. Working with Shawn really makes you feel like you have someone in your corner who's truly invested in your job satisfaction and success. read more

I reached out to Shawn for help determining the next step in my career. With over 20 years in the same industry, I was seeking a way to leverage my experience and skills to find opportunities in completely new areas. Shawn skillfully helped me identify my strengths and how they could be applied to new ventures. Most importantly, Shawn helped me look inside and determine what was most important to me as I consider the next step in my career. During the time I worked with Shawn, I experienced significant personal and professional changes (all good stuff!), and Shawn adapted to incorporate these changes into our planning. Shawn also encouraged me to think way outside the box, which has always been a challenge. Shawn quickly Earns Trust, and is clearly invested in helping his clients identify and achieve their goals. By the conclusion of our engagement, I considered Shawn a friend as well as an advisor. I highly recommend him as a career coach. read more

Shawn recently coached me through a turning point in my career, and his guidance was instrumental in helping me identify my next step - and then land it. In a series of initial sessions we identified a few top areas to focus my search in, and freshened up my resume and LinkedIn profile. We then reconnected prior to a major interview to practice interview questions. Shawn consistently brought forth a new perspective on things I thought I'd considered from every angle, which not only helped me sharpen my career focus and avoid pitfalls in my interview, but also helped me grow as a person. The benefits I've gotten from my sessions with Shawn extend well beyond my professional life. I couldn't recommend him more highly to someone looking for career guidance. read more

Shawn has been my go-to career guidance (and life) counselor since I started law school in 2008. While in law school, Shawn always made me a priority, never made me feel like any of my questions were silly, and approached each situation with positivity. I went through a particularly tough situation during the holiday break one year and Shawn took time away from his family (on his holiday!) to help me through this extremely difficult time. Shawn's consistency and expert advice is what makes him a terrific counselor. I can't say enough good things about Shawn and highly recommend him to anyone looking for career or personal advice. read more

Experienced, creative, intuitive, kind, helpful and a great listener. These are a few of the words that describe Shawn Lipton. I don't know how many times I've contacted Shawn out-of-the-blue with general career questions, mini meltdowns, etc. Despite his extremely busy schedule, he always found the time to respond with encouragement, phenomenal advice, insight I could have never discovered myself and a big smile. If you are looking for the best and most down-to-earth career coach in Seattle, look no further. Shawn cares about every individual and without his guidance (which started when I first entered law school) I would not be where I am today. With Shawn's expert guidance, you CAN wake up excited to go to work every single day. read more

I met with Shawn to help me through a plateau in my business. Nothing was going wrong but at the same time felt that more could be going right. Shawn and I talked about where I wanted to improve, he clearly let me know where he thought he could help me out and we set a plan to move forward. What I got from working with Shawn was a better understanding of my business, he helped me write down the things I needed to do in order to be successful and motivated me achieve all the goals that we set together. I learned that creating a plan and holding myself accountable to that plan are vital to my success and thank him greatly for it. My experience is in using Shawn to develop my business plan for sales, Shawn knew nothing about my industry, my products or my process (which is why I believe he was the best person for the job) It was a pleasure working with Shawn and I would highly recommend him to people in positions other than sales and in all different industries. read more

I found Shawn on Yelp and hope this review can help another professional struggling with a career transition "nail it". Shawn is the real deal - candid, encouraging, and really knowledgeable about the market- even the non-profit niche I occupy. Shawn wrote me a proposed scope of work for our sessions and we started to tackle it. Along the way, I added my own agenda items which he welcomed. I thought I was a skilled at interviewing yet Shawn asked tough questions in our mock interviews. And he helped me consider my style, at one point reacting to my overly-candid response about my limitations with, "It's an interview, not a confession!". My husband attended one session with me (due to an injury that required assistance) and was also impressed with Shawn noting, "I would absolutely see him if I were engaged in a job search." Shawn did extensive research on my positions of interest, helped tailor practice interviews with customized questions, and showed me how my resume and cover letters could be stronger and customized to each position. He had great tips for communication from the networking ("it's not smarmy to maintain professional relationships") to evaluating the offer ("it looks like a solid offer, top of their range..."). He helped me feel confident when I came to him in the middle of discouraging dry spell. And he was genuinely excited when I got calls for interviews and - at last- an offer on the table. I cannot recommend him more highly. read more

Shawn helped me through a complex career transition from an executive role into time off, and back into the workforce and guided me through all phases of the job search, interview, and negotiation phases. Perhaps most importantly, he enthusiastically helped me produce my recent career "story" which has stuck with and aided me in subsequent positions. Shawn is a great coach to have on your side. read more