Career Counselling Victoria | Expert Career Coaching & Counselling
Navigate Victoria’s unique job market — government, tech, and beyond — with clarity. ICF-certified coaches with 20+ years helping Vancouver Island professionals find work that fits.
- Find a career that fits Victoria’s market — perfectly.
- Land the job you really want across Greater Victoria & Vancouver Island — fearlessly.
- One-on-one coaching with ICF-certified coaches.
- Coaching via Practice Better — secure telehealth, scheduled around your day.
“Jen is an exceptional career development practitioner. Her authenticity, determination and heart in anything she undertakes is refreshing.”
“Coaching at Careers by Design helped me achieve the confidence and self-worth I always had but never was able to realize before.”
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 Victoria 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, ShirinOur signature approach — formally trained in heart-brain coherence, not just frameworks and tests.
Through BC government cycles, Island Health expansions, and the rise of Silicon Island’s tech cluster.
ICF-certified coaches and a Registered Psychotherapist — whose sessions may be covered by your benefits plan.
Coaches who know this market
With 25+ years of experience coaching professionals through major transitions, Linda guides Victoria clients through the clarity and confidence needed to move purposefully — whether that’s into the public service, out of it, or into something entirely new.
Jen brings a clinical counselling background to her work with clients across Canada, including Victoria. She supports professionals navigating burnout, career crossroads, or the quiet dissatisfaction that builds when work no longer fits. Sessions with Jen may be covered under your extended health or EAP plan.
Counselling Sessions with Jen may be covered by your plan
Jen holds the Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) designation from the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association — a nationally recognized credential that many extended health and EAP plans accept for reimbursement. This means counselling sessions with Jen may be partially or fully covered by your benefits plan, even when general career coaching isn’t. Particularly valuable for Victoria’s public-sector workforce, where extended health coverage is common.
Coverage varies by provider and plan — check your benefits booklet or ask your HR team, and we’re happy to provide documentation for reimbursement.
How we help — and why Victoria’s market is different
Victoria isn’t just a government town anymore — though government still dominates. We’ve been working with Victoria professionals since 2004, through BC government cycles, Island Health expansions, the rise of Silicon Island’s tech cluster, and the influx of mainlanders who moved here for the lifestyle and then had to rebuild their careers from scratch.
Navigating Victoria’s government economy
Victoria is home to the largest concentration of BC provincial government workers in Canada, plus a substantial federal presence through National Defence, the Royal Canadian Navy at CFB Esquimalt, and multiple federal agencies. Over 40,000 public servants work in Greater Victoria.
BC Public Service hiring system — MyHR competitions, competency-based cover letters, and career ladders require a fundamentally different job search approach than the private sector.
Moving out of government — Professionals who want to cross into the private sector often find their transferable skills are undersold on a resume built for competitions.
Federal roles — Defence, RCMSAR, DND, and federal agency positions each have their own hiring culture — we know the differences.
Victoria’s tech sector — real but still finding its footing
Greater Victoria has earned the nickname “Silicon Island” for good reason: 900+ tech companies including Metalogix, Certn, Expeto, and a growing cluster of defence-tech firms near CFB Esquimalt. The region consistently ranks among Canada’s fastest-growing tech hubs.
Salary gap reality — Victoria tech salaries ($75K–$135K mid-level) still trail Vancouver and Toronto. We help you decide whether a local role or remote-for-mainland strategy fits your goals.
Remote-for-mainland — Working remotely for a Vancouver or US employer while living on the island has become one of the most powerful career moves a Victoria tech professional can make.
UVic pipeline — Engineering and computer science graduates entering a job market that isn’t always sized to absorb them need a clear strategy.
Healthcare, education, and the island’s third-sector strength
Island Health employs 7,000+ workers across Vancouver Island. The University of Victoria, Camosun College, and Royal Roads University collectively employ thousands of staff and generate a steady flow of graduates entering a market that isn’t always sized to absorb them.
Stability vs. advancement — These sectors offer genuine stability and meaning, but advancement can be slow. We help you either move up within the sector or make a lateral move that’s harder than it looks.
Compensation lags — Many professionals in healthcare and education reach a ceiling without fully exploring what the private sector might offer them.
Non-profit sector — Victoria has a dense non-profit ecosystem tied to its public service culture. Career crossovers between sectors require a tailored strategy.
The Victoria-specific stuff nobody talks about
The Island Premium
Victoria ranks among Canada’s most expensive cities to live in while offering salaries that don’t always match. We help you get honest about what you actually need to earn, and build a plan that doesn’t force you to choose between your lifestyle and your financial reality.
Government or Bust Thinking
When 40% of the professional workforce is in the public sector, it starts to feel like the only real option. We work with many Victoria professionals who have never genuinely explored the private sector — not because it doesn’t interest them, but because the job search process is so different.
The Mainland Transplant Problem
Victoria has been attracting lifestyle migrants from Vancouver and the Lower Mainland for over a decade — and the pace accelerated sharply post-2020. If you moved here for quality of life and then realized the Victoria job market doesn’t mirror what you left, you’re not alone.
The Island Network Effect
Victoria runs on relationships to a degree that surprises people from larger cities. The professional community is small enough that who you know matters enormously — and insular enough that breaking in from the outside takes patience and intention. We teach relationship-building strategies that actually work here.
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.
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.
Learn More →Land the Right Job
A full job search coaching program covering your resume, LinkedIn, job applications, and networking strategy — including BC government competitions.
Learn More →Interview Coaching
Targeted interview preparation for government competitions, private-sector interviews, and executive roles. Go in confident, not anxious.
Learn More →Leadership Coaching
For managers and senior professionals navigating greater responsibility, organizational politics, or the leap into an executive role.
Learn More →Resume Writing
A professionally written resume tailored to the Victoria job market — and to government competition formats when relevant.
Learn More →Executive Resume Writing
Senior-level resume writing for directors, VPs, and executives targeting leadership roles in government, tech, or the broader BC market.
Learn More →Three steps to moving forward
Book a free chat
Tell us where you’re stuck. We’ll listen carefully and show you how we work.
Book A Free ChatMeet 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.
Start moving
Continue in one of our programs with an experienced coach guiding you every step of the way.
What our Victoria clients are saying
“Linda guided me through the process of redefining my career path, helping me to step back and assess my needs and priorities with clarity. She was extremely good at helping me prepare for interviews, and thanks to her guidance, I landed the first job I interviewed for after working with her.”
“Linda Faucheux was my career coach and she was absolutely fantastic. She supported me through one of the biggest transitions of my life and I will be forever grateful. I am successfully employed and feel more confident and connected to myself than ever 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.”
“Coaching at Careers by Design helped me achieve the confidence and self-worth I always had but never was able to realize before.”
“Jen is an exceptional career development practitioner. Her authenticity, determination and heart in anything she undertakes is refreshing.”
“Participating in The More Happy Mondays coaching program 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.”
Victoria career counselling, answered
What can I expect from career counselling and coaching in Victoria?
+Career counselling with us can help you gain clarity and confidence in your career journey. We’ll provide personalized support, career path planning, and guidance to explore your options — whether that’s navigating a BC government competition, moving into Victoria’s tech sector, or building a strategy to work remotely for a mainland employer while staying on the island.
What’s your approach?
+We offer a holistic, heart-based approach to Victoria career counselling. It’s unique in the marketplace — you won’t find it anywhere else. We help you identify your skills, interests, and values to find a career path that’s right for you, not just what’s available. Our counsellors are formally trained in Connect Head & Heart — a methodology grounded in both clinical insight and the physiology of heart-brain coherence.
How long does the career counselling process take?
+We’ll customize a plan that works for you. For a career change or transition, the process generally takes 7–12 sessions. If you already know your target role and need job search coaching, 4–7 sessions is a reasonable estimate. We’ll talk through what fits during your free chat.
What makes Careers by Design different from other Victoria career coaches?
+We’ve been working with professionals across Vancouver Island since 2004 — through government hiring cycles, Island Health expansions, and the emergence of Silicon Island’s tech scene. We have over 300 five-star Google reviews and a team of ICF-certified coaches and a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC). Unlike a solo practitioner, you get the collective experience of a full coaching team — and counselling sessions with Jen may be covered under your extended health or EAP plan.
Let’s find work that actually fits
Book a free, no-pressure chat with Caroline, our Client Happiness Manager. She’ll talk through where you are and match you with the right next step — whether that’s a coaching program, a counselling session with Jen, or something else entirely.
Serving Clients Across Victoria & Vancouver Island
We work with clients across Greater Victoria and throughout Vancouver Island — including Saanich, Oak Bay, Langford, Colwood, Sidney, and Nanaimo — entirely by video call and phone. No commute required.
No commute, no waiting room — just flexible, one-on-one sessions via Practice Better, our secure telehealth platform, scheduled around your day from anywhere on the island.
- Downtown Victoria
- Saanich
- Oak Bay
- Langford
- Colwood
- Sidney
- Nanaimo
- Courtenay