About me

My qualifications and experience

I am a qualified career coach (Postgraduate Certificate in Career Coaching, University of London), a Registered Career Development Professional and Member of the Career Development Institute (CDI). I also hold a BA and a PhD (University of Reading) from earlier career lives.

In addition to my professional training, I bring to my coaching the learning and insight I have gained through decades of professional and personal experience. My own career has featured several changes of focus and direction. Prior to coaching, I spent most of it working in and around academia, moving from administration into teaching and research roles, and then on to project management and senior leadership, focused on organisational planning and strategy development and delivery.

Along the way, I instigated and led several major projects relating to career management, employability and change. These remained key areas of interest and I ultimately chose to move away from my organisational role and into coaching and writing, with a particular focus on career decision-making at 50+.

See my LinkedIn profile for more information.

I manage my professional development through the CDI and other professional networks, as well as through my ongoing exploration of research, debate and data relating to career decision-making and transitions at 50+.

My values

These values are what I’m all about. They inform how I approach and deliver my work, including in the following ways:

Open-mindedness – I meet all clients with compassion and acceptance; I accept the validity of others’ perspectives and experiences; I create a safe space for people to explore, without judgment; I question prescriptive thinking and prescribed routes

Partnership – I always work in my client’s best interests, while remaining clear about my own principles and expectations; I am open to learning from others; I share my knowledge and resources with others to achieve outcomes of mutual benefit

Practicality – I focus on the feasible; while presenting challenge, I remain mindful of my clients’ real practical and personal constraints; I keep theory and practice in healthy balance; I only commit to what I can deliver in a timely and professional manner

Professionalism – I only accept clients who I believe can benefit from my coaching and where there is no conflict of interest; I follow through on my commitments to my clients and to my professional community; I respect professional boundaries; I actively maintain my continuing professional development and participate in professional supervision; I abide by the CDI Code of Ethics (see https://www.thecdi.net/Code-of-Ethics)

Generosity – I aim to keep my fees at a level which makes my coaching affordable to individual clients; I share my knowledge and expertise with my professional and social communities, at little or no cost to them