My Reflection on The Circle of Professional Life
You asked me why I love my work as a career coach, writer, interview coach, and job search strategist. Let me share a glimpse into why I love helping people at all career stages find meaningful work.
Recently, a father called and said, "My daughter just graduated from college. Will you write her résumé?"
Three years earlier, I'd worked with him on his executive résumé for an SVP role. Now his daughter needed help landing her first professional job.
Six months after that? His wife reached out about pivoting from healthcare to tech.
This is what I love about being a career coach and writer.
The Privilege of Walking Alongside People
As a Christian career coach, I don't just optimize résumés; I walk alongside people during some of the most uncertain, vulnerable moments of their lives.
Career transitions. Unexpected pivots. The courage it takes to reinvent yourself at 45. The fear of launching a job search after being in the same role for a decade.
These moments require more than strategy. They require compassion. And I'm honored every time someone trusts me with their career story.
The Multi-Generational Advantage
Over the past 25+ years, I've worked with entire families: a senior executive negotiating their next six-figure role, a spouse in an individual contributor position exploring advancement, the oldest child navigating their first job search, and the youngest entering (and eventually graduating from) college.
Each generation brings different strengths, different fears, different dreams.
What do they share? The need for clarity, confidence, and a job search plan that works.
I'm not bound by one age group or one career stage, and that's what makes my work so fascinating and rewarding. Multi-generational relationships give me perspective. They keep me sharp. They remind me that career growth isn't linear, and neither is life.
The Wisdom of Age Diversity
Right now, we have five generations in the workforce.
That's not a challenge; it's an opportunity.
Companies thrive when they leverage the wisdom of experience alongside the innovation of young professionals. The same is true in coaching. I learn as much from my 23-year-old clients as they learn from me. And my 55-year-old clients? They're teaching me resilience as they pivot into second-act careers.
Age diversity makes organizations stronger. It also makes my work infinitely more meaningful.
The Circle of Professional Life
There's something profound about watching a family navigate their careers together—each person at a different career stage, each person facing different obstacles, but each of them moving forward, stepping into new roles.
It's a circle of professional life. And I am blessed to get a front-row seat.
I've seen parents celebrate promotions while their kids land internships. I've watched adult children return years later, now navigating leadership challenges their parents once faced.
This isn't transactional work. It's relational. It's long-term. And it's deeply fulfilling.
Career transitions don't happen in isolation.
Whether you're 22 or 62, launching a search or leading a team, your next chapter deserves intentional strategy and compassionate guidance.
I'd love to walk alongside you.
Sincerely,
Sharla