Career Counselling Ottawa
Expert Career Coaching & Counselling
Navigate Ottawa’s job market with confidence.
ICF-certified coaches with 20+ years helping Ottawa professionals succeed.
- Find a career that fits Ottawa’s market — perfectly.
- Land the job you really want across Ottawa & the National Capital Region — fearlessly.
- One-on-one coaching with ICF-certified coaches.
- Coaching by video call, scheduled around your day.
“As a direct result of my coach’s efforts, I was able to land a difficult to obtain full-time position with the Government of Canada in a field I’m passionate about.”
“The Zoom meetings were great. It’s no different than face to face, and much more convenient for me — no travel time.”
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 Ottawa & National Capital Region 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 Ottawa professionals find work that fits, on their own terms.
With more than 25 years of experience, Linda’s coaching helps Ottawa 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 Ottawa, 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 Ottawa’s market is different
Ottawa isn’t just a government town anymore — it’s a capital balancing a massive federal workforce with a growing tech corridor and one of the country’s densest concentrations of national associations and institutions. We’ve worked with professionals across all three for 20+ years, helping people navigate change without losing their footing.
Navigating machinery-of-government change
The Government of Canada is the region’s single largest employer, and that brings a different kind of career rhythm — program reviews, departmental restructuring, and machinery-of-government shuffles are simply part of working here. We help public servants read those shifts clearly instead of reacting to them.
Real challenges we help with: many EX-level executives we work with earn in the $130-190K range, but advancement often means a lateral move across departments, or a deliberate step out of government altogether — both are decisions we help you make with confidence.
Ottawa’s tech corridor advantage
Kanata North is Canada’s largest technology park, sometimes called “Silicon Valley North,” and it sits alongside scale-ups like Shopify and Calian that have made Ottawa a real alternative to a federal-government career.
What’s different here: tech employers expect a faster pace and a flatter structure than the public service, and we help government and corporate professionals make that adjustment in both directions.
Stability in defence, health & associations
Ottawa is home to National Defence Headquarters, a deep bench of defence contractors, and major health and research institutions like The Ottawa Hospital and CHEO. Proximity to Parliament Hill has also made the city one of the country’s biggest hubs for national non-profits and associations.
The trade-off: these roles offer real stability and mission-driven work, but often come with more bureaucratic decision-making than a private-sector career — something we help clients weigh honestly.
The Ottawa-specific stuff nobody talks about
Program reviews and spending cuts can reshape or eliminate a role overnight, even after years of strong performance. We help you build a career that isn’t entirely dependent on one department’s budget cycle.
Many federal professionals hit a plateau at the EX-01 or Director level and aren’t sure whether to wait for the next reorg or make a deliberate move. We help you decide, then act on it.
French-language requirements gate many federal and bilingual-region promotions. We help anglophone professionals build a realistic plan, whether that means language training, a lateral move, or a path outside government.
Ottawa’s professional and policy circles are smaller and more interconnected than Toronto’s — the same names turn up across government, non-profits, and the private sector. We teach relationship-building that actually works at that scale.
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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa market — wherever you’re working from.
Is career coaching or counselling covered under my Ontario extended health or EAP plan?
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 — 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 the federal public service and machinery-of-government change?
Yes. We work extensively with public servants navigating program reviews, departmental restructuring, and EX-level transitions — both within government and into the private or non-profit sector. We understand the unique pressures of a career tied to budget cycles and political change, and help you build options that don’t depend on any single department’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 Ottawa
Part of our team is based right here in Ottawa, with deep roots in the city’s federal, tech, and institutional community. Whether you meet us by video from Centretown or the surrounding region, you’re working with people who understand the Ottawa market.
255 Albert St #705, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H2
+1 (613) 454-5297
All coaching sessions are held by video call, no need to travel downtown.
We work with clients by video across Ottawa and the National Capital Region — the same coaches and counsellors, wherever you’re logging in from.
- Centretown
- The Glebe
- Hintonburg
- Westboro
- Sandy Hill
- Old Ottawa South
- Nepean
- Kanata
- Orleans
- Stittsville
- Manotick
- Richmond
- Carp
- Blackburn Hamlet
- Rockcliffe Park
- Vanier
- Cumberland
- Riverside South
- Alta Vista
- Hunt Club
- Gloucester
255 Albert St #705, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H2
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CONTACT US
Phone: 1.888.977.6284
General Inquiries:
support@careersbydesign.ca
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