Briefcase Coach Resume and Career Search Services

08/17/2026

My husband and I are on a 90's movie binge. After many, many Amazon new-release disappointments, we've decided to go back and rewatch many of the old classics. They don't make 'em like they used to.

The Matrix? It's held up remarkably well.
Forrest Gump? Still my favorite.
The OG Devil Wears Prada? Brilliant writing.

And I'll say it: I'm over comic book movies.

Which got me thinking about job searching.

There’s a recent Harvard Business Review article titled “AI Has Broken Hiring” that makes an interesting point: For years, corporate hiring has increasingly favored candidates who could present a polished résumé, deliver highly structured interview answers, and essentially learn how to “perform” well in the hiring process.

Now generative AI makes it dramatically easier to do all of those things.

You can produce a flawless résumé in seconds.
You can generate a polished answer to virtually any behavioral interview question.
You can even practice until your response sounds perfectly calibrated to what a recruiter or hiring manager wants to hear.

The problem?
If everyone can look polished, polish stops being a differentiator.

The HBR article focuses largely on the problem from the employer’s perspective: How do you identify actual competence when AI can help candidates convincingly demonstrate competence they may not actually possess?

But there’s another side to this problem that I think job seekers should be paying attention to.

The competition is starting to look eerily similar.
The same resume language.
The same leadership buzzwords.
The same “results-driven strategic leader” headlines.
The same perfectly structured STAR stories.
The same AI-generated LinkedIn posts.
The same carefully optimized personal brands.

And ironically, the more we use technology to make ourselves look “right” for the job, the harder it can become to actually stand out.

So maybe the answer isn't another AI tool.

Maybe it’s the career equivalent of going back to the classics.

Maybe it's going back to something that technology can't replicate very well:
Being human.

Get out from behind the screen.
Go to the industry event.
Join the professional association.
Attend the conference.
Have coffee with the person who knows the hiring manager.
And don't just collect connections on LinkedIn. Take the connection offline.

Find the decision makers.
Introduce yourself.
Ask good questions.
Have an actual conversation.

Tell them what you're working on. Ask what they're seeing. Listen. Be curious. Let them get to know you as a person—not as a résumé, LinkedIn profile, or AI-optimized candidate.
Because when everyone has access to the same technology, your ability to produce a polished digital version of yourself becomes less valuable.
Your ability to create a real relationship becomes more valuable.

Maybe the old stuff isn't old-fashioned after all.
Maybe some things just hold up.

08/05/2026

"Your services are much more affordable than I was expecting."

A prospective client—a middle manager at a regional bank—said exactly that during a recent call.

She continued, "I really needed some help with my job search, and I appreciate that you have a range of services."

It made me realize that many people assume executive career coaching and resume support are only available through expensive, all-inclusive packages.

That's never been our philosophy at Briefcase Coach.

While we're best known for our white-glove, done-for-you executive branding services for senior leaders, we also believe that sometimes a single conversation can completely change the trajectory of someone's job search.

That's why we offer standalone services that deliver immediate, actionable value:

✅ Resume Review — $135 (30 minutes)
Meet one-on-one with one of our senior executive resume writers. We'll review your resume together in real time, identify what's working, what's holding you back, and give you specific recommendations you can implement immediately. Clients consistently tell us this service exceeds their expectations.

✅ Interview Coaching — $245 (60 minutes)
No long-term commitment. No requirement to purchase a coaching package. Just an hour of focused preparation to help you tell your story with confidence, answer difficult questions, and perform at your best when the opportunity matters most.

Not everyone needs a complete resume rewrite. Not everyone needs months of coaching.
Sometimes you just need an experienced professional to help you see your blind spots, refine your message, and move forward with confidence.

One small favor: These services are available for direct purchase on our website, making it easy to schedule at your convenience. Because they're designed to be affordable, self-service offerings, we're not able to provide complimentary 30-minute discovery calls beforehand.

If you know you're looking for a resume review or interview coaching—not a bespoke executive branding package—PLEASE purchase the service directly through the website rather than scheduling a discovery call. It helps us reserve those calls for executives considering our comprehensive, custom engagements while allowing us to keep these lower-cost services accessible.

Thank you for helping us make expert career guidance available to professionals at every stage of their careers.

Ps. If you know a job seeker, consider GIFTING them one of these sessions.

08/04/2026

I started the morning off with a 6:30 am interview with NewsNationtion's Markie Martinartin about a workplace trend that's generating a lot of debate:

Parents are becoming increasingly involved in their adult children's careers.

They're calling hiring managers.
Attending interviews.
Negotiating benefits.
Even calling in sick for their adult children.

As a career coach, I have a slightly different perspective than many people discussing this trend.

I don't think the story is about helicopter parents.

I think it's about parents who love their children and are watching them enter one of the toughest job markets in recent memory. They're responding the way parents always have—by trying to help.

The problem isn't wanting to help.
The problem is crossing the line between preparing the child for the conversation vs. having the conversation.

The parent's role should be the coach, not the player.

Here's what I encourage parents to do instead:
✔️ Conduct mock interviews.
✔️ Review résumés and LinkedIn profiles.
✔️ Proofread important emails.
✔️ Open doors through your network.
✔️ Help them research companies.
✔️ Talk through difficult workplace situations.
✔️ Be their biggest encourager after rejection.

But when it's time to talk to the employer...

Let your child do the talking.

Every interview.
Every difficult conversation.
Every negotiation.

These aren't just moments in the hiring process—they're opportunities to build confidence, resilience, and independence
One of the greatest gifts we can give our children isn't removing every obstacle.
It's helping them discover that they can overcome obstacles themselves.

Parents, your role doesn't disappear when your child enters the workforce.
It evolves.
Move from being their manager to being their mentor.

I'm curious: Where do you think the line is between supporting an adult child and stepping in for them?

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/helicopter-parents-hiring-job-interviews-gen-z-x/

07/27/2026

I've spent 5,000+ hours interviewing some of the world's most accomplished executives.

People assume I write resumes for a living.

I don't.

I interview leaders.

I'm talking about two-hour conversations with CEOs, CTOs, COOs, founders, and executives from some of the world's most respected organizations, where we unpack every major career decision, leadership challenge, and accomplishment.

(That interview is our secret sauce. It's the reason our resumes aren't just a laundry list of responsibilities, but instead tell a result-rich story)

Here's what I've learned over the years:

1. Most successful people didn't start their career with an end goal in mind. Or at least, they allowed the end goal to evolve and change.

Serendipity mattered.

So did a willingness to raise their hand, embrace uncertainty, and work incredibly hard when opportunity knocked.

2. Money is not the primary driver for the most successful people I've worked with. Don't get me wrong—they're happy to make a lot of money. But most would take a major pay cut to work on something cutting-edge or to have an equity stake.

3. "Learning" is a core value for most of the most successful people I've worked with. And it started from a young age. I can't tell you how many stories I've heard about executives who spent their childhoods taking apart computers just to see how they worked, building businesses in middle school, reading far beyond what was assigned, or obsessing over a hobby until they mastered it.

4. One of the biggest surprises from thousands of executive interviews has been that there is often an inverse relationship between ego and accomplishment. I've gone into interviews intimidated by Fortune 25 CEOs and global executives, expecting them to be guarded or rushed. Instead, they've been incredibly generous with their time. They've remembered my daughters' names from previous conversations. They've asked about my business. They've stayed on the phone long after the interview was supposed to end because they genuinely enjoyed the conversation.

5. Everyone wants "feedback"-- even the CEO. I've done a lot of interview coaching with CEOs and senior executives, and they're often the most receptive clients I work with.

They don't want compliments. They want honest, direct feedback. They know the stakes are high. They hold themselves to incredibly high standards. And they're constantly looking for ways to improve.

Do any of these surprise you?

07/10/2026

Let's talk about something nobody seems to discuss enough: job search intensity.

Job search intensity is simply the amount of focused time and effort you dedicate to finding your next role each week.

Research suggests most job seekers spend anywhere from 3 to 17 hours per week on their search.

But here's the thing...

It's not just about time spent. It's about time well spent. Purposeful hours beat busy hours every single time.

Now let's call a spade a spade...

Some of y'all aren't spending nearly enough time on your job search.

You say you want a new job, but you're treating it like a hobby instead of a priority.

If you only spend an hour here... 20 minutes there... and skip it altogether on Fridays, don't be surprised when your search drags on for months and months!

Finding your next opportunity is a part-time job until it becomes a full-time job.

So what does meaningful effort actually look like?

✅ There is glory in the spreadsheet. Build a list of target companies. Identify decision-makers, hiring leaders, recruiters, and people in your network who can open doors. Great job searches are organized.

✅ Measure conversations, not just applications. Your goal shouldn't be "How many jobs did I apply for?" It should be, "How many decision-makers did I talk to this week?" Conversations create opportunities. Applications simply put your name in a pile.

✅ Prioritize face-to-face conversations whenever possible. Research consistently shows that your "weak ties"—people you know but don't interact with regularly—are often the most valuable connections in a job search. Don't overlook the former coworker from 15 years ago, the parent you chat with on the sidelines of your kid's soccer game, or the neighbor you wave to every morning. Opportunities often come from the people you least expect.

The good news? Job search intensity is one of the few things you can actually control. Increase both the quantity and quality of your effort, and you'll give yourself a much better chance of landing faster.

One final reality check...

If Netflix knows you're still watching... your next employer should know you're still looking.

06/22/2026

A client recently shared a story that (sort of) surprised me.

He was recruited into an Executive Director role through a retained search firm. The opportunity looked solid. Strong compensation. Great mission. Engaged board.

Then, a few months into the role, he made a misstep with a board member.
And... not just any board member.

This individual had significant influence within the organization and had been instrumental in selecting the executive search firm that ran the search.

The relationship deteriorated quickly.

Then the executive learned something he hadn't known when he accepted the role:
Many retained executive search firms offer a replacement guarantee.
Industry-wide, these guarantees often last 6 to 12 months. If the placed executive leaves—or is terminated for cause—during that period, the search firm conducts a replacement search at no additional professional fee.

That's not a small concession.

Retained search fees can easily range from 20% to 30% of an executive's first-year compensation.

The board member knew the guarantee window was still open.

Before long, the executive was out, and the search firm was preparing to recruit his replacement.

The lesson isn't that executive recruiters are hiding something.

The lesson is that your recruiter is not responsible for conducting due diligence on your behalf.

A good recruiter won't lie to you. But they may not volunteer every political dynamic, difficult stakeholder, or historical challenge associated with a role unless you ask.

When evaluating a leadership opportunity, consider asking:
• Who are the stakeholders whose support is critical to success?
• What happened to the last person in the role?
• Is there a board member, department chair, donor, founder, or executive with outsized influence?
• Has this role experienced high turnover?
• What challenges have previous leaders faced?
• Is there anyone known for being particularly difficult to satisfy?

The higher you climb, the more important these questions become.

Most executives spend their due diligence evaluating the company.
The smartest executives spend just as much time evaluating the people.

06/15/2026

The average new college graduate has parents who were listening to Lauryn Hill, NSYNC, and Third Eye Blind when they graduated from college.

The average college graduate's parents graduated college between 1997-1999.

That got me thinking...

If you were launching your career in the late '90s, what did your job search actually look like?

Did you:
Snail mail resumes?
Cold-call employers?
Circle opportunities in the newspaper classifieds?
Attend on-campus recruiting events?
Network without LinkedIn?
(Please tell me someone faxed a resume.)

I'm fascinated by how much has changed—and how much hasn't.

At its core, job searching is still about building relationships, telling your story, and finding someone willing to take a chance on you.

For those who graduated in the late '90s: What do today's graduates have easier? What do they have harder?

05/28/2026

Interview coaching is one of our most popular services-- and for the next two weeks, we are offering $50 off one session.

We’ve seen it time and time again.
Candidates with the perfect experience…
…who still bomb the interview.

Brilliant people. Impressive careers. Strong credentials.

But when the pressure is on, they:
• over-explain
• sound too rehearsed
• struggle with behavioral questions
• minimize accomplishments
• lose control of the conversation
• fail to communicate their value clearly

Interviewing is a skill.
And most people were never actually taught how to do it well.

That’s why interview coaching has become one of the most popular services at Briefcase Coach.

Our coaches are former HR VPs, talent leaders, and university career center executives who have interviewed thousands of candidates across every level—from early career professionals to the C-suite.

And unlike many firms, we don’t force clients into expensive multi-session packages filled with unnecessary appointments.

You can book a single session just to try it out.

Every coaching session is completely customized, one-on-one, and led by a real human being—not some AI bot reading generic interview scripts.

The result? A 95% client satisfaction rate for interview coaching services.

For the next two weeks, we’re offering $50 off interview coaching sessions.
Whether you’re preparing for an executive interview, trying to improve confidence, or tired of making it to the final round without an offer—we can help.

The right preparation can completely change the trajectory of your search.

05/18/2026

I was introduced to "clipping" this weekend at a middle school girls' soccer tournament.

The concept is simple: Wooden clothespins are decorated with sparkles and phrases like "MVP" or "Girl, you're on fire." The clothespins are secretly "clipped" on the clothes and hair of girls that you admire.

But the impact? Bigger than you’d expect.

The whole vibe of the tournament was transformed by one team's random act of kindness. Some girls from our team got "clipped" which resulted in them wanting to spend the whole evening after playing all day making clips to pay it forward.

The next day, I ventured into “enemy territory” after a particularly heated game.
I walked up to a group of moms and opened with:
“We played your team yesterday, and I wanted to talk to y’all about something that happened.” (In hindsight, this sounded less like “heartfelt compliment” and more like “SEC postgame confrontation.”)

Every mom immediately stood up and looked at me like they were prepared to defend their daughters, their team, and possibly the entire county.

Then I told them how impressed I was by their girls’ sportsmanship and how much their random act of kindness meant to our team.

The mood changed instantly.
The moms lit up. They were proud of their girls — and honestly, they should’ve been. They were a class act.

It made me think about workplace culture.
People often bond over negativity:
Complaining.
Gossiping.
Eye-rolling in meetings.
Shared frustration.

But the strongest cultures aren’t built on shared negativity. They’re built on shared kindness.

Recognition.
Encouragement.
Thoughtfulness.
Tiny moments that make people feel seen.

You can connect over negativity.
Or you can connect over kindness.

One creates temporary camaraderie.
The other creates trust.

04/29/2026

Over 20,000 senior executives just opened their inbox this morning and were greeted by my latest Career Briefs newsletter.

This week’s Career Briefs breaks down exactly what’s shifting in the job market right now:

💼 The new non-compete laws are reshaping mobility

💼 A job scam targeting senior leaders (and impersonating trusted brands)

💼 Why AI “double” debates are turning into workplace resistance movements

💼 What’s really happening in the Class of 2026 hiring market

💼 And practical AI prompts professionals are using to sharpen their positioning

Plus: a new interview strategist joins my team—and she’s ahhhmazing!

If you’re navigating a search right now (or expect to be soon), this is one of those issues you’ll want before you need it.

Read it here → Career Briefs: Success Favors Proven

LOADED ISSUE: Free Prompt download, new non-compete legislation, AI clones, new grad job market and more.