“I landed a great new job within 4 weeks.”
A great help — the coaching gave me the focus and confidence to move quickly and decisively.
Career Coaching & Counselling — Serving London Since 2004
Career Coach London | Expert Career Coaching & Counselling
Certified coaches help you navigate London’s job market and find work that fits — 100% online, wherever you are.
- Find a career that genuinely fits you — and your life.
- Land the job you really want — in London, or wherever you land.
- One-on-one coaching with ICF-certified coaches.
- Coaching via Practice Better — secure telehealth, scheduled around your day.
Drew Robinson, M.Sc.
Financial Advisor
“Linda guided me through redefining my career path with clarity and calm. I landed the first job I interviewed for after working with her.”
Heather Nicholas
Clinical Risk & Quality Director
“A great help — I landed a great new job within 4 weeks. The coaching gave me the focus and confidence to move quickly and decisively.”
Trusted for over 20 years by:
★ 5.0/5 on Google Reviews
ICF & RP Certified Coaches & Psychotherapists
20+ Years Helping Canadians Since 2004
Why Careers by Design
We help London professionals find work that actually fits
“Most London professionals come to us thinking they have a job search problem. What they actually have is a clarity problem — and once we solve that, the right opportunities become obvious.”
Shirin Khamisa Founder, Careers by Design
01
Connect Head & Heart
Our proprietary methodology goes beyond skills matching. We help you align what you’re good at with what genuinely energizes you — so the right path becomes clear, not just logical.
02
20+ Years Guiding Career Change
We help you understand how hiring really works in sectors like London’s healthcare, education and manufacturing employers — how to research them, read a posting, and position yourself — so you can navigate the market yourself, from wherever you are.
03
Full Team, Not Just One Coach
You work with a team — Shirin, Linda, and Jen — bringing complementary perspectives. Career strategy, executive coaching, and psychotherapeutic depth, all working together on your behalf.
Your Coaching Team
Coaches who help you navigate any market
Shirin founded Careers by Design in 2004 on the question most career advice skips: what do you actually want? Her Connect Head & Heart method has helped 1000s of Canadians, including many across London and Southwestern Ontario, find real clarity.
With 25+ years’ experience, Linda helps clients — many across London and Southwestern Ontario — find the clarity and confidence for their next move, and coaches you to run your own search. (Coaching isn’t covered by benefits plans.)
Jen brings a clinical counselling background to clients across Canada, including London and Southwestern Ontario. As a Registered Psychotherapist (RP), her counselling sessions may be covered by your extended-health or EAP plan (coaching isn’t). Like Linda, she helps you build the skills to move forward yourself.
Benefits & Coverage
Career counselling that may be covered by your benefits
Many London professionals working in healthcare, education and the public sector have extended-health benefits or EAP plans that cover registered psychotherapy. Our team includes a Registered Psychotherapist (RP), Jen Davies — so her counselling sessions may qualify for reimbursement under your plan. Career coaching (including Linda’s) isn’t eligible for coverage, but many clients combine both.
Jen’s RP Credential
Jen Davies holds the Registered Psychotherapist (RP) designation from the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) — the provincial regulatory body recognized by most Ontario extended health plans and Employee Assistance Programs. Check your benefits booklet or call your plan provider to confirm coverage.
- Extended health plans — many employer benefits packages at LHSC, St. Joseph’s, Western University, Canada Life and the City of London cover RP sessions
- Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) — many Ontario EAP plans cover sessions with a registered psychotherapist, with no referral required
- CRPO-regulated designation — Jen’s RP credential is recognized by Ontario’s provincial regulator, the standard most Ontario insurers require
- Receipts provided for all sessions — submit directly to your insurer or EAP provider for reimbursement
- No doctor’s referral required — you can book directly with Jen and submit receipts after each session
London’s Job Market
How we help — and why London’s market is different
London’s economy is anchored by one of Canada’s largest hospital systems, a world-class research university, and a strong manufacturing and technology base. Wherever you are, we help you make sense of it — how to research these employers, understand how they hire, and plan your next move yourself.
Industry Focus
Find Your Career Fit →
Healthcare & medical research — London’s anchor
London Health Sciences Centre (15,000 staff), St. Joseph’s Health Care, and Western University’s medical research anchor London’s single biggest employment sector. It runs on credentials, scope of practice and outcomes — and it hires by its own rules.
Clinical-to-leadership moves — stepping from a front-line or clinical role into management follows patterns we help you name and navigate.
Advancing inside a large system — moving up at a hospital network depends on visibility and framing that aren’t obvious from inside. We help you build both.
Research-to-industry — translating clinical or academic research experience into private-sector terms is hard alone. We make it navigable.
Industry Focus
Land the Right Job →
Universities, colleges & the education sector
Western University, Fanshawe College and the Thames Valley and London Catholic school boards employ thousands of educators, administrators and researchers across the region — with their own advancement paths.
Academic-to-industry transition — moving from a university role into the private sector is one of the hardest transitions to make alone. We help you translate it.
Advancement within education — from staff to administration, or into leadership, often needs a more strategic approach than people expect.
New grads from Western & Fanshawe — entering a competitive local market takes direction and a standout strategy, not just a resume.
Industry Focus
Find Your Career Fit →
Tech, manufacturing & financial services
London is a quietly significant tech hub (300+ technology companies), with manufacturing anchored by CAMI Automotive and General Dynamics, and a strong financial-services base in Canada Life, TD and Libro Credit Union.
Standing out in a smaller tech scene — fewer local roles means positioning matters more. We help you decide between a local role, a move, or a remote strategy.
Manufacturing & skilled-trades moves — translating plant, operations and trades experience for the next role — up, across, or out.
Finance career paths — advancing or switching firms in London’s financial-services sector needs the right framing and a clear plan.
More of London’s Market
The parts of London’s market most coaches miss
01
Agriculture & Agri-Food
Southwestern Ontario’s agricultural belt surrounds London, and its agri-food and food-processing professionals have specific career needs. We help you position that experience clearly for your next move.
02
Arts, Culture & Non-Profit
London’s active arts scene — festivals, galleries, the Grand Theatre — and its large non-profit sector create real career-transition needs that generic coaching overlooks.
03
Western & Fanshawe New Grads
Thousands of graduates enter London’s job market each year and need real guidance — not a resume template — to land roles that actually fit their goals.
04
Municipal & Public Sector
The City of London and Middlesex County are significant employers, and career moves within — or out of — the public sector take a specific approach we help you plan.
Programs & Services
Support for wherever you are right now
Every program is one-on-one with an experienced career coach, delivered via Practice Better (our secure telehealth platform) and built around your schedule.
01
Find Your Career Fit
For professionals who feel stuck, lost, or ready for change. We help you get clear on who you are, what you want, and how to move forward with intention in the London market.
Learn More →
02
Land the Right Job
A full job search coaching program covering your resume, LinkedIn, job applications, and networking strategy — tailored to London’s healthcare, education, manufacturing and public-sector employers.
Learn More →
03
Interview Coaching
Targeted interview preparation for London employers — from LHSC and St. Joseph’s to Western, Canada Life and the City of London. Go in confident, not anxious.
Learn More →
04
Leadership Coaching
For managers and senior professionals navigating greater responsibility, organizational politics, or the leap into an executive role across London and Southwestern Ontario.
Learn More →
05
Resume Writing
A professionally written resume tailored to the London job market — whether you’re targeting healthcare, education, manufacturing, the public sector, or a cross-sector move.
Learn More →
06
Executive Resume Writing
Senior-level resume writing for directors, VPs, and executives targeting leadership roles across London, Southwestern Ontario, or the broader Ontario market.
Learn More →
Getting Started
Three steps to moving forward
1
Book a free chat
Tell us where you’re stuck. We’ll listen carefully and show you how we work.
Book A Free Chat
2
Meet your coach
First session on Practice Better, our secure telehealth platform. Bring your goals and your honest frustrations. Your coach will help you build a step-by-step strategy.
3
Start moving
Continue in one of our programs with an experienced coach guiding you every step of the way.
Professionals across London work at employers like
London Health Sciences Centre
St. Joseph’s Health Care
Western University
Fanshawe College
Thames Valley DSB
CAMI Automotive
General Dynamics
Canada Life
3M Canada
City of London
What our clients say
Real career-coaching outcomes from clients across Ontario and beyond — read more stories.
“I landed the first job I interviewed for.”
Linda guided me through redefining my career path with clarity and calm. She gave me the confidence I needed.
“I secured my aspirational role.”
Linda guided me to a deeper understanding of myself — instrumental in shaping my goals.
“Confidence and self-worth I’d never realized before.”
Coaching at Careers by Design helped me achieve the confidence and self-worth I always had but never managed to realize.
“The tools to take my next steps with clarity.”
The program gave me the tools to feel more positive and boosted my confidence to take the next steps.
“An exceptional practitioner.”
Her authenticity, determination and heart in anything she undertakes is refreshing.
Ready for clarity like this?
A free, no-pressure chat with a coach who’ll help you navigate the London market — wherever you are.
Book A Free Chat Read more client stories →
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about career counselling in London
We start with a free 20-minute discovery call to understand where you’re at and whether we’re the right fit. From there, most clients begin with our Find Your Career Fit program, which helps you get clear on what you actually want before jumping into job search mode. Sessions are one-on-one via Practice Better, our secure telehealth platform — flexible scheduling around your work schedule, no commute required.
We work with London professionals at all career stages: recent Western and Fanshawe graduates entering the market, mid-career professionals feeling stuck or burned out, and senior leaders navigating transitions across healthcare, education, manufacturing and the public sector.
Clients come to us from across London’s largest sectors: healthcare and medical research (London Health Sciences Centre, St. Joseph’s, Western), education (Western, Fanshawe, Thames Valley DSB), and technology, manufacturing and financial services (CAMI Automotive, General Dynamics, Canada Life, TD, Libro). We also work with municipal professionals at the City of London and Middlesex County, and with new graduates.
Whatever your sector, we help you understand how those employers hire and how to position yourself — and we help many people move between sectors, from healthcare into industry or academia into the private sector. Cross-sector moves are some of our most common work.
It depends on where you are in the process. If you’re trying to figure out what you want, a career change program typically runs 7–12 sessions over 3–4 months. If you already know your direction and need help with job search execution — resume, LinkedIn, networking, interviews — a job search program typically takes 4–7 sessions.
Some clients come in knowing exactly what they want and move quickly; others need more time to work through a significant transition. We’ll give you a realistic picture of what to expect after the initial discovery call.
Quite possibly, yes. Our counsellor Jen Davies holds an RP designation — Registered Psychotherapist, regulated by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). Many Ontario extended-health plans cover RP services under a mental-health or counselling benefit — common providers include Canada Life, Sun Life, Manulife, Green Shield and Blue Cross.
EAP programs at London employers like LHSC, St. Joseph’s and Western University may also cover career counselling when it’s delivered by a regulated health professional. Career coaching itself isn’t covered — only Jen’s RP counselling. Check with your HR or benefits provider before your first session; self-pay options are available too.
Ready to Get Started?
Your next chapter starts with a conversation
Whether you’re figuring out your direction or ready to start your job search, we’re here. Book a free 20-minute coaching chat — or, if you’d like to explore coverage under your benefits plan, book directly with Jen for a counselling session. Caroline can help you get started.
Serving London & Southwestern Ontario
Serving Clients Across London & Southwestern Ontario
We work with clients across London and Southwestern Ontario — including London, St. Thomas, Woodstock, Strathroy, Sarnia and surrounding communities — entirely via Practice Better, our secure telehealth platform. No commute required.
London, ON — serving all of Southwestern Ontario virtually
All consultations via Practice Better (secure telehealth) — no in-person required
Areas We Serve in London
- Downtown London
- Old North
- Old South
- Byron
- Westmount
- Masonville
- Wortley Village
- Argyle