Career Coaching & Counselling in Toronto, Ontario
Feeling stuck in your Toronto career or job?
Get clear, confident direction from a coach who knows the GTA market.
- Find a career that fits you in Toronto’s market — perfectly.
- Land the job you really want across the GTA — fearlessly.
- One-on-one coaching with ICF-certified coaches.
- Coaching by video call, scheduled around your day.
“Careers by Design helped me achieve the confidence and self-worth I always had but never was able to realize before.”
“Jen uses intuition and her wide-spanning knowledge of a variety of fields and resources to pinpoint career opportunities. Her energy is boundless.”
Founder & Practice Leader
Career success,
on your own terms.
“Hi, I’m Shirin Khamisa, and I founded Careers by Design with a singular goal in mind: to help professionals achieve success in their careers on their own terms.
Most career advice leans on tests, frameworks, and clinical language to map out who you are. Over more than two decades, we built something different — a way of working we call Connect Head & Heart, because real clarity comes from listening to both.
The heart side of that isn’t just a nice idea — our counsellors are formally trained in the physiology of heart-brain coherence, so guiding you to hear what your own heart already knows is every bit as evidence-based as any psychometric test. It just doesn’t feel like one.
Don’t just settle for a job. Let us help you find work that’s meaningful and fulfilling, so you can be truly happy in your career.”
Warmly…ShirinCoaches who know this city
Shirin founded Careers by Design in Toronto in 2004 and has spent over 20 years helping GTA professionals find work that fits.
With more than 25 years of experience, Linda’s coaching helps Toronto professionals navigating career transitions build clarity and confidence in their next move.
Jen brings a clinical counselling background to her work with Toronto clients facing burnout, uncertainty, or a major career crossroads. Sessions with Jen may be covered under your extended health or EAP plan.
Counselling Sessions with Jen may be covered by your plan
Jen is a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. Because RP services are a regulated health service, many extended health and EAP plans cover some or all of the cost — even when general career coaching isn’t included.
Coverage varies by provider and plan — check your benefits booklet or ask your HR team, and we’re happy to provide documentation for reimbursement.
Coaching built for Toronto’s job market
The Greater Toronto Area is home to more than 6 million people and anchors major Canadian finance, technology, and healthcare employers — from the bank towers of Bay Street to the King Street tech corridor and the hospital network around University Avenue. Wherever you work, we help you navigate what makes the Toronto market different.
Built for Bay Street & the finance sector
We work with professionals from RBC, TD, and other major Toronto institutions who are navigating promotion, transition, or burnout inside the finance sector.
Coaching for internal promotion and politics inside large financial institutions
Support for professionals moving out of banking into fintech or adjacent industries
Navigating Toronto’s tech corridor
From the King Street tech corridor to high-growth firms like Shopify, we help tech professionals move between startup and corporate environments with a clear plan.
Career pivots between startup and enterprise tech roles
Interview and positioning coaching for product, engineering, and design roles
Support for healthcare workers
We work with clinical and administrative staff from Toronto’s hospital systems, including UHN, who are facing burnout or considering a move within or out of healthcare.
Burnout-aware coaching for clinical and front-line staff
Planning a move within the hospital system or beyond it
Support at every career stage
From new graduates finding their first real role to senior professionals navigating a pivot or promotion, our coaching programs meet you exactly where you are — built around two outcomes: finding work that fits, and landing the job you want.
Find Your Career Fit
For anyone feeling stuck or unsure of their next move — get clear on what work actually fits you, at any career stage.
Learn More →
Land The Right Job
Once you know what you’re after, we help you run a focused, confident job search and land it.
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Interview Coaching
Practice and preparation that builds real confidence — so you can walk into any interview ready.
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Resume Writing
A resume that reflects what you actually bring — written by our Resume & Branding Specialist, Tami Cooper.
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Executive Resume Writing
Executive-level positioning and resume strategy from our Executive Resume & Branding Specialist, Adam Winfield.
Learn More →
Outplacement Services
Supporting departing employees through transition with the same coaching approach we bring to individual clients.
Learn More →Three steps to clarity
Book A Free Chat
A no-pressure conversation to talk through where you are and whether we’re the right fit.
Book A Free Chat →Meet Your Coach Or Counsellor
Work one-on-one with a coach or counsellor to get clear on direction and build a plan that actually fits your life.
Move Forward With Clarity
Leave every session with real next steps — not just advice, a plan you can actually act on.
What our Toronto clients say
“The More Happy Mondays coaching program gave me the tools to feel more positive and handle a stressful situation with real confidence. My coach helped me explore my options, and I came away with a clear new direction.”
“It had been over a year, but it was those six sessions that really set my plans in motion. I got a better handle on my anxiety, pushed myself to apply for jobs, and built up real interview confidence along the way. Now I’m bookkeeping for theatres and artists on my own schedule, building seminars to share what I learned — and earning more than I ever did before.”
“Linda is an exceptional career counselor whom I wholeheartedly recommend. She not only understood my aspirations but also guided me in gaining a deeper understanding of myself, which has been instrumental in shaping my career goals. Thanks to Linda’s unwavering support and expertise, I’ve successfully secured my aspirational role.”
Toronto career coaching, answered
Is career coaching or counselling covered by my employer benefits or EAP?
+Many Ontario employers include career counselling under an EAP or extended health plan, and sessions with our Registered Psychotherapist (RP) are often covered even when general coaching isn’t. Coverage varies by provider, so we recommend checking your plan details, and we’re happy to provide documentation for reimbursement.
How long does coaching or counselling take?
+It depends on your goals. Some clients find clarity in a handful of sessions, while others work with a coach over several months through a longer transition. We’ll talk through what makes sense for you on the free chat.
Do you work with professionals in specific Toronto industries?
+Yes. We regularly work with professionals from Toronto’s finance, technology, and healthcare sectors, including people coming from major employers like RBC, TD, Shopify, and UHN.
What happens during the free chat?
+It’s a short, no-pressure conversation to talk through where you are right now and what you’re looking for, so we can recommend the right next step — with no obligation to book anything further.
Are your coaches ICF certified?
+Yes. Our coaches hold ICF (International Coaching Federation) certification, and our team also includes a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) with a clinical counselling background.
Do you only work with clients in Toronto?
+No. While much of our team is based in the Toronto area, we also work with clients across Ontario and Canada — including Mississauga, Hamilton, and Oshawa.
Let’s find work that actually fits
Book a free, no-pressure chat with Caroline, our Client Happiness Manager & Intake Counsellor. She’ll talk through where you are and recommend the right next step — no obligation to book anything further.
Serving Clients Across the Greater Toronto Area
We work with clients across the Greater Toronto Area, including Downtown Toronto, North York, East York, Scarborough and Etobicoke. All consultations are held by video call or phone.
No commute, no waiting room — just flexible, one-on-one sessions by video call, scheduled around your day.
- Downtown Toronto
- Scarborough
- East York
- Vaughan
- Thornhill
- Aurora
- Rosedale
- The Beaches
- North York
- Etobicoke
- Markham
- Richmond Hill
- Mississauga
- Newmarket
- Forest Hill
- Leaside