Career Counselling Calgary |
Expert Career Coaching & Counselling
Navigate Alberta’s changing economy with confidence.
ICF-certified coaches with 20+ years helping Calgary professionals succeed.
- Find a career that fits Calgary’s market — perfectly.
- Land the job you really want across Calgary & Southern Alberta — fearlessly.
- One-on-one coaching with ICF-certified coaches.
- Coaching by video call, scheduled around your day.
“Coaching at Careers by Design helped me achieve the confidence and self-worth I always had but never was able to realize before.”
“This service was a great help...and I landed a great new job within 4 weeks.”
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 in the Calgary Area 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 market
Shirin founded Careers by Design in 2004 and has spent over 20 years helping Calgary professionals find work that fits, on their own terms.
With more than 25 years of experience, Linda’s coaching helps Calgary professionals navigating career transitions build clarity and confidence in their next move.
Jen brings a clinical counselling background to her work with clients across Canada, including Calgary, supporting people through burnout, uncertainty, or a major career crossroads. Sessions with Jen may be covered under your extended health or EAP plan.
How we help — and why Calgary’s market is different
Calgary isn’t just an oil town anymore — it’s an economy in transition. We’ve worked with Calgary professionals through the highs and lows of the energy cycle for 20+ years, from downtown towers to the emerging tech corridor, helping people navigate change without losing their footing.
Navigating energy’s transformation
The oil and gas sector isn’t disappearing — it’s transforming. Traditional roles are evolving toward clean tech, carbon capture, and hydrogen development. Companies like TC Energy and Suncor seek professionals who understand both conventional energy and sustainability transitions.
Real challenges we help with: salaries remain strong at $85-150K for mid-level roles, but job security now requires continuous adaptation as the industry redefines itself.
Calgary’s tech sector emergence
Calgary’s tech scene has grown 25% since 2020, with real strength in energy tech, agtech, and fintech. Companies like Benevity, Symend, and Helcim offer genuine alternatives to a traditional energy career.
What’s different here: tech employers expect a different cultural fit than corporate Calgary — more collaborative, less hierarchical — and we help you make that adjustment.
Stability in professional services
Downtown Calgary’s financial and professional services sector provides steady opportunities. Big Four firms, major banks, and law firms value professionals who understand the energy sector even if they’re not working in it directly.
The trade-off: these roles offer real stability but often mean accepting slower advancement than boom-time energy positions paid.
The Calgary-specific stuff nobody talks about
High energy-sector salaries make it financially difficult to leave, even when you’re miserable. We help you evaluate your total compensation package and plan a strategic transition that doesn’t sacrifice financial security.
When your career identity is tied to a company or industry that’s downsizing, the psychological impact goes well beyond the job loss itself. We understand this distinctly Albertan challenge.
Many Calgary professionals carry real anxiety from past downturns. We help you separate those past experiences from your current opportunities, so you can move forward with confidence instead of fear.
Calgary runs on relationships — who you know matters here in a way that surprises people who move from bigger, more anonymous cities. We teach relationship-building strategies that actually work in Alberta’s business culture.
Support for wherever you are right now
Not sure what’s next? We’ll help you get clear on the work that actually fits who you are, not just what’s available.
Learn More →Job search strategy, networking, and positioning support to help you move from applications into real conversations and offers.
Learn More →Practice and feedback to help you walk into interviews prepared, confident, and ready to tell your story well.
Learn More →
A resume that reflects your real value, written with Tami and our resume team, built to get past both the screeners and the humans.
Learn More →
A senior-level resume and positioning package for executives and director-level leaders, led by Adam.
Learn More →
Supporting employees through layoffs and restructuring with dignity, led by Shirin and our outplacement team.
Learn More →Three steps to moving forward
Book A Free Chat
A short, no-pressure conversation to talk through where you are and what you’re looking for.
Book A Free Chat →Meet Your Coach Or Counsellor
We’ll match you with the right coach or counsellor based on what you need, then get to work on a plan.
Move Forward With Clarity
Leave each session with practical next steps, so you’re always making real progress, not just talking about it.
What Calgary clients are saying
“Jen is an exceptional career development practitioner. Her authenticity, determination and heart in anything she undertakes is refreshing.”
“Jen uses intuition and her wide-spanning knowledge of a variety of fields and resources to pinpoint career opportunities. Her energy is boundless. She is one of the most insatiably curious career professionals I have met.”
“Participating in the career coaching program at Careers by Design gave me the tools to feel more positive and handle a stressful situation better. All this boosted my confidence so I could take the next steps to get out of a difficult situation.”
Frequently asked questions
Is career coaching in Calgary in person or virtual?
Coaching sessions are held by video call, giving you the same one-on-one experience with a coach who knows the Calgary market — wherever you’re working from.
Is career coaching or counselling covered under my Alberta extended health or EAP plan?
Many Alberta 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 — we’re happy to provide documentation for reimbursement.
How long does career coaching typically 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 navigating Calgary’s energy sector and economic transitions?
Yes. We work extensively with professionals navigating the transformation of Alberta’s energy sector — from oil and gas roles evolving toward clean tech and carbon capture, to professionals affected by industry restructuring. We understand the unique pressures of boom-bust cycles and help you build a career that isn’t entirely dependent on one industry’s fortunes.
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.
Let’s find work that actually fits.
Book a free, no-pressure chat with Caroline to talk through where you are and what you’re looking for — no obligation, just a real conversation.
Book A Free Chat →Rooted in Calgary
Part of our team is based right here in Calgary, with deep roots in the city’s energy, tech, and professional services community. Whether you meet us by video from Downtown or the surrounding towns, you’re working with people who understand the Calgary market.
639 5 Ave SW #850, Calgary, AB T2P 0M9
+1 (403) 744-5188
All coaching sessions are held by video call, no need to travel downtown.
We work with clients by video across Calgary and Southern Alberta — the same coaches and counsellors, wherever you’re logging in from.
- Downtown
- Chestermere
- Beltline
- Strathmore
- Eau Claire
- High River
- Chinatown
- Canmore
- Sunalta
- Banff
- Airdrie
- Bragg Creek
- Cochrane
- Crossfield
- Okotoks
- Black Diamond
639 5 Ave SW #850, Calgary, AB T2P 0M9
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CONTACT US
Phone: 1.888.977.6284
General Inquiries:
support@careersbydesign.ca
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