Coaching conversations
For job seekers, career changers and organisations wanting to better support their people.
More applications aren't necessarily the answer. We'll challenge you to think differently about your job search. Which opportunities are actually worth pursuing? What is the employer really looking for? Where can you make a contribution, and how do you get that across?
It's about taking control of your job search, making more deliberate choices and giving people a reason to talk to you.
Start a conversationChoose the situation closest to yours.
More applications aren’t necessarily the answer.
If you've sent out dozens of applications without getting an interview, something isn't working. But is it your CV, the roles you're applying for, or how you're going about finding work?
We'll help you work out what's getting in the way, understand what employers are actually looking for and rethink your approach before sending another application.
Explore CVs & Job SearchWhen did we decide this was normal?
Work isn't always enjoyable, but it shouldn't take over your weekend before Monday has even arrived. Sometimes we've been doing something for so long that we stop questioning whether it's still right for us. A conversation might be a good place to start.
Explore Career Transition CoachingWho says you need to have the answer already?
It's hard to imagine doing something different when you've spent years doing what you know. And sometimes it's easier to identify what you don't want than what you do.
We'll explore what you're good at, what gets your professional juices flowing and what you want more (or less) of in your working life. You might discover there are more possibilities than you'd considered.
Explore Career Transition CoachingYou are not your job title.
Spend long enough in a role or profession and it's easy to start defining yourself by what you do. But there's a lot more to you than your position on an organisational chart.
We'll help you reconnect with what you're naturally good at, what makes you happy and what motivates you. You might be surprised by what you discover about yourself, and where it could take you.
Explore Career Transition CoachingBefore we dust off your CV, let's talk about the job.
The advert sounds great. But do you know what the employer actually needs, what you'd be walking into or how they'll decide who's right for the role?
We'll help you ask the right questions, work out where your experience fits and build an application that shows what you've contributed and why you're relevant.
No more task and skills lists!
Explore CVs & Job SearchFunny how we're expected to be experts at something we rarely do.
You might be brilliant at your job, but ask you to write about yourself and suddenly you're staring at a blank page. Sound familiar?
That's where a good conversation comes in. We'll ask questions, get into the detail of your work and uncover contributions you might never have thought to mention. Then we'll turn those stories into a CV that sounds like you and gives employers something worth reading.
Explore CVs & Job SearchDoing the job and talking about doing the job are two very different skills.
We'll help you understand what interviewers are trying to establish, find examples that show what you're capable of and practise telling those stories. You'll get an objective perspective on what's coming across, what's missing and where you can improve.
Explore Interview CoachingThe organisation is changing. Does that mean you have to?
When the ground shifts at work, it's easy to get caught up in what's happening around you. But this could also be an opportunity to think about what you want from work, where you do your best work and what you'd like to do next.
Whether you need to find another role quickly or want to reconsider your direction, we'll help you work through your options and decide what makes sense for you.
Start a conversationYou don't need to arrive with a plan. That's part of what the conversation is for. Tell us what's going on, and we'll work out where to start.
What if the problem isn't how many jobs you're applying for, but how you're going about it?
A good CV starts with understanding the opportunity, not listing everything you've ever done. We'll help you work out what employers need, identify the experience that makes you relevant and build an application that gives them a reason to talk to you.
We'll also help you approach employers and recruiters, and where we can, introduce you to recruiters who work in your field. From CVs and cover letters to LinkedIn and job-search advice, there's more to finding work than clicking Apply.
Explore CVs & Job SearchYou've spent years learning how to do your job. Now you've got an hour to convince someone you can do it.
Interviews can be uncomfortable, particularly when you're expected to promote yourself, recall examples on the spot and work out what the interviewer really wants to know.
We'll help you understand what you're being assessed on, select examples that provide the strongest evidence of your suitability for the role and practise talking through them. During the session, you'll get an objective perspective on how your answers come across, what's missing and where you can improve.
Afterwards, you'll receive a personalised interview preparation document, including suggested responses and examples you can draw on when preparing for the real thing.
Explore Interview CoachingHow much of who you are has become wrapped up in what you do?
It's easy to become defined by your job title. Somewhere along the way, you can lose touch with what you're naturally good at, what makes you happy and what motivates you.
Our Career Transition Programme starts by exploring when you're at your greatest, happiest and most motivated. From there, we'll challenge assumptions about your career, explore opportunities you may not have considered and work out how to approach the job market on your terms.
Four meetings to understand what you want from work, explore your options and develop a plan to approach the job market. And when you're talking to recruiters, weighing up opportunities or preparing for interviews, we're here to offer advice, challenge your thinking and help you make informed decisions.
Explore Career Transition CoachingWhen someone's job changes or comes to an end, are we giving them support they can actually use?
Kojiex helps organisations support employees through redundancy, redeployment and career change. Available to one person or a wider group, it gives people somewhere to start and the freedom to work through things in their own time.
Through guided conversations, Kojiex helps people recognise contributions they may have overlooked, find evidence of what they're capable of and use it to build their CV, cover letters and LinkedIn profile. They can also practise interviews using their own experience, with follow-up questions and feedback.
It's career support built on a proven job-search methodology, designed to work alongside the people and services you already have.
Explore KojiexClient experiences
“Thanks to your help, I've received an offer! A nine-month contract with AIA New Zealand as Marketing Specialist, working on marketing automation. I also met Rhys today, and he's absolutely brilliant! One of the most professional recruiters I've encountered over the years, across the UK, China and Hong Kong. I wouldn't have received the offer or met Rhys without your help. Thank you again!”
Melanie ManMarketing & Product Manager
“The stellar CV got me in the door, and the interview coaching helped to focus on interview prep and practice short and succinct examples. I used just about all the examples I had prepped, had an excellent interview with a good flow of energy and asked some spot on questions at the end. Thanks for your coaching, a good investment in this tricky job market!!”
Caren BerlinPrincipal Advisor, MBIE
“Ben has supported me with my CVs for more than 10 years. He's helped me recognise strengths and capabilities I didn’t fully appreciate in myself, which significantly increased my confidence and changed the way I approached the job market. With Ben’s help I have consistently secured interviews, I’ve changed careers taking on new roles and responsibilities, and increased my income. If I need to run anything past him he's always super responsive and happy to chat.”
Kaaryn DenholmSenior Privacy/OIA Advisor
“I was looking for a significant step up and a move into a new sector. Trying to articulate my experience wasn't easy, but Ben did an amazing job. My investment in Ben's skills paid off. It was the best investment I could have made. I asked the interviewers why they selected me, and one DCE said, "I liked the short, succinct CV. Top job, Ben. I'm loving the new role!”
Michelle LewisProgramme Manager
“Ben, I wanted to thank you for the service you provided me earlier this year. I am now employed again, and in a market where public servants are struggling to find work. I am settled in my new role with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, and I know it was your assistance that got me the interview - this is a fact, my manager told me. So, thank you for your help - this has had the highest return on investment I have ever made. Keep up the good work Ben, will see you again when I am aiming for my next promotion.”
Amir NaghFinance Analyst, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
“Ben supported me through a successful application process. Despite more than 40 years of experience, I'd had little exposure to formal recruitment and found it daunting. With his help, I applied for two roles and was offered both. Ben developed my CV, wrote targeted cover letters and helped me prepare for each interview. His insight and support were invaluable, and I'd highly recommend Ben to anyone serious about improving how they approach finding work.”
Graham BurkeTransformation Lead, MBIE
“Ben quickly understood the breadth of my experience and produced an excellent CV and supporting application that captured my capabilities and achievements in a way I was struggling to do myself. I was shortlisted and offered both positions I applied for with Ben's help.”
Pauline CleaverDeputy Secretary, Ministry of Education
“Ben not only revamped my CV but helped me rethink how to approach job applications after four years in the same role. We worked together to develop my value proposition, identify transferable strengths and capabilities, and put it all together in a format required by recruiters. His insights and introductions to trusted recruiters gave me real momentum; I was interviewing for exciting roles within days. I can't recommend Ben and StellarCVs highly enough. The process was practical, confidence-building, and incredibly effective.”
Dave Butler-PeckSenior Project Coordinator, MfE
“What I particularly valued was the advice and coaching that went well beyond writing the documents. Ben helped me think through my motivations for each role, how to communicate them and how to approach recruiters, including the questions to ask to better understand what an organisation was looking for.”
Kylie McQuellinCEO
Partners
Start a conversation.
You might know exactly what you need help with. You might just know that what you're doing isn't working. Either way, tell us what's going on. We'll ask a few questions, share our thinking and work out whether we can help.
Start a conversation