CLOSEAs someone who struggled to find a role that aligned with my career objectives, I would often ask myself, "am I showcasing my greatest strengths effectively? Is my resume up to par? How can I improve my interview skills?" As my search progressed, I lost a fair degree of confidence in my ability to answer these questions accurately due to my limited success. Karen and Dave were instrumental in getting me on the right track through their process. Not only did they assist in improving my resume and interview skills, but they gave me a much-needed boost in confidence in regard to how I approached my search and viewed myself as a candidate. I highly recommend reaching out to Karen and Dave for anyone ready to take the next step in their career.
Travis P.
CLOSEMy work with Karen transformed my search from marginal success to being offered a role that was perfect for me. Working with her and Dave on my resume and LinkedIn profile changed my perspective both professionally and personally, and I believe it was the key ingredient to getting the offer I did. Karen was so helpful in focusing me on what I wanted to do and encouraged me to put myself out there with my LinkedIn profile and my resume. She is also great to talk to and a good listener, which I needed at times during my search. I am so happy to have worked with her and I cannot be more thankful for how she helped me get the role that is a great fit at this stage of my career.
Christina W.
CLOSEI can’t say enough on behalf of Karen and her team. I worked with Karen on the Mindfulness-Based Career Coaching and I feel not only prepared for the next act in my career, but energized and confident. I went into this program without a clear sense of what I would do. The mindfulness component of the program has been invaluable, not only in my current job search, but also in my life and relationships. I now have a clearer sense of what type of work I want to do and how I will connect with organizations that are good fits.
Karen is knowledgeable, honest, and supportive. Together we reviewed my strengths, my past work, and discerned the best path forward. Karen was always supportive, offering suggestions. And outside our meeting times, she was responsive, especially when I was preparing to apply for a particular job.
She and her team assisted me throughout, with helpful guidance about my resume, LinkedIn profile, and even letters of interest to potential positions.
I enthusiastically recommend their services.
Thomas M.
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As a career marketer, I rely on Karen's expertise to assist me in building my most important brand—myself. The CareerMode® methodology offers a compelling perspective to assess your achievements and strategically plan your next career and life adventure. Karen's wealth of experience and insightful presence transform this process from mere words on a page into the narrative of your professional journey.
Craig B.
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Working with Karen Pappas was a wonderful experience. She had a warm, patient, and insightful approach that was refreshing. She allowed me to pause and evaluate my current situation with a clearer perspective that got me to appreciate the journey I had been on and the path that lay ahead. Karen's ability to listen deeply and her targeted encouragement and guidance helped me regain clarity and momentum. Her coaching went beyond mere advice; it empowered me with renewed confidence and direction. I highly recommend Karen to anyone seeking a genuinely impactful career coach.
Tony M.
CLOSEA friend introduced me to Karen when I mentioned I was trying to figure out a transition to a new job, and possibly a new career. Karen helped me to think about what my ideal position would be, looking beyond the confines of my current and past positions. She was invaluable in working with me to market myself, updating my resume and LinkedIn profile so that it would catch the eye. Later when I received invitations to interview, Karen conducted a mock interview with me and gave me helpful suggestions on making the best possible impression. Throughout all of our interactions, Karen has been professional, warm, supportive, and insightful. She is extremely responsive and makes herself readily available to her clients. I highly recommend Karen as a career coach.
Elizabeth K.
CLOSEI think that if I had to describe Karen Pappas in a phrase, it would be "a force in nature". Throughout my long career I never once considered consulting a career coach. COVID-19 changed that! I was furloughed from my position in March of 2020. I had an agenda for what I intended to do over the months following my furlough: Learn a foreign language, pursue my photographic hobby, and consult a career coach. I wanted to move on from where I had come to (and stalled) in my career so, through LinkedIn, I contacted and interviewed seven career coaches. Karen Pappas was the first potential career coach I interviewed. It so happened that she was the gold standard by which all the others were judged...not once during the other interviews did I waver in my belief that I had found the career coach that I needed in Karen.
In my initial contact with Karen, she listened! She told me that she had done work with late-career changers and that she had not worked with people in my industry but was very interested in the work that I did. The other interviewees were more interested in telling me about themselves and their accomplishments than in me. Karen got the job...she listened! We went right to work setting a timeline and a management-by-objectives plan.
Our initial meeting was in person and the following meetings were virtual. One very valuable part of our working relationship was Karen required that I carry my share of the load in the process. She drew out of me how we would together craft my image by assigning me projects and having me take personality tests.
Karen helped me identify strengths as well as areas of my style that needed improvements. As a result of our sessions and assignments, Karen led me to a professional confidence that I had not experienced over my long career. Karen and her partner, Dave, helped me to totally reconstruct my resume into a document that I am very proud to display. If you are considering a change within your career or a change of careers, I would highly recommend that you consult CareerMode®, a truly professional firm. Their consulting fees are extremely reasonable and their results are stellar.
David H.
CLOSEI had the pleasure of participating in a CareerMode® workshop with Karen Pappas, attempting to transition my business development skills to enter the nonprofit sector. Karen’s program is an iterative process. We discovered my five most important strengths using the VIA Survey pioneered by the University of Pennsylvania. Completing a workbook to discern my strengths provided a foundation to convey my core competencies to prospective employers. Karen helped transform my resume and LinkedIn profile into actionable documents to land a job in a new field. Karen’s professionalism and positivity kept me focused, providing the push I needed to continue my job search. Narrowing job targets, networking, and building a target list helps me progress toward my goal. I’m now getting the attention of prospective employers.
Joe V.
CLOSEKaren and CareerMode® helped me get my confidence back to position myself for success during the interview process. The program helped me build a strategy for how to communicate my experiences in a relatable way for the positions I was interviewing for, and enabled me to elevate my career to the next level. Karen was there every step of the way through the interview process to bounce ideas off of and help me prepare. Her coaching program undoubtedly helped me land my new role and I would highly recommend CareerMode® to anyone looking for help in taking their career to the next level!
Louann H.
CLOSECareerMode® was perfect for me to successfully prepare for interviews and actually it resulted in me landing a great job. Preparing for interviews alone is a very challenging task in my opinion. I believe you need someone to provide feedback on the answers you provide, giving you the opportunity to rework your answers in order to be successful on the interview day. With this in mind, it was extremely beneficial working with someone who has interviewer experience and has a great understanding of what companies are looking for in a candidate. Other than interview preparation, we worked on cleaning up my cover letter and resume to make it more presentable. All in all, CareerMode® was exactly what I needed to land the job I wanted.
Josh F.
CLOSEI’ve known Karen for nearly two decades, having partnered with Pappas & Pappas’ executive search practice as both candidate and hiring manager many times over the years. I came to a career crossroads recently; I wasn’t happy with what I was doing and needed a change. The prospect of rebranding and re-defining my value proposition in my late 40’s was daunting, so I decided to partner with a career coach, but wanted to work with someone I already knew and respected. I don’t know where I’d be right now if I hadn’t engaged Karen as my guide. She’s a natural coach. She’s honest and authentic but doesn’t preach. There was no set-in-stone roadmap to jump starting my career. She encouraged me to be my greatest advocate and authentic self. Now, as Thoreau once wrote, I go confidently in the direction of my dreams.
Ben R.
CLOSECareerMode® came into my life at the right time as I was trying to strengthen my executive presence in the corporate workspace. Karen was so genuine and thoughtful as she worked with me on recognizing my strengths, eradicating my imposter syndrome, and reminding me to celebrate my accomplishments and how to use them to advance my career. The program far exceeded my expectations all thanks to Karen’s guidance. I have recommended CareerMode® to several friends and will continue to do so. If you’re thinking about inquiring about the program, wait no longer – just do it! You won’t regret it.
Shirley K.
CLOSEKaren is a brilliant career coach. I recently worked with her during a career transition and, in the face of overwhelming career uncertainty, her work was invaluable in getting me back on track. Karen provides clarity with ease, and her talents only seem to increase alongside the complexity of the problems she's given to solve. Most importantly, Karen is genuinely invested in her client's success, and it's always evident that the solutions she provides are based on a wide breadth of knowledge and experience.
Jeff C.
CLOSECareerMode® inspired me to reinvent myself and helped me jumpstart my professional career. As a first-generation American and first in my family to graduate college, I felt lost but CareerMode® supported me every step of the way. We worked on my resume, interview skills, and so much more. It was a truly empowering and personal experience for me. Thank you for the amazing, life-changing work that you do!
Lisa N.
CLOSEIt was a pleasure to work with Karen Pappas of CareerMode®. I had never used a Career Coach before and was a little apprehensive. Karen was able to guide me in the right direction and open my eyes to how I could move into the right path with very simple strategies that I could incorporate into my daily routine. I would recommend anyone that I know to work with Karen so that she can help you reach your goals faster and create the path that is right for you and not one that someone chooses for you.
Anita F.
CLOSEI had worked with Karen for many years, providing her outplacement services to my employees. When it was time for a career change of my own, Karen was my first phone call. Although I already had some incredible milestones under my belt, I did not have the confidence in my resume or my experience that I needed to pursue future high-level opportunities. That insecurity completely changed after our first session. Karen has a way of infusing confidence into her clients that they didn't know they were capable of. I would leave each session more inspired and more determined than I ever thought possible. Karen worked with me not only to polish my resume and my interviewing skills but most importantly she helped me realize the limitless career potential that I had never truly considered for myself! The confidence Karen instilled during these private sessions is something that has stayed with me as I entered this next chapter of my life and for that I am forever grateful. I would (and have!) recommend her services to anyone and everyone.
Christine H.
CLOSEWorking with Karen and the CareerMode® program encouraged me to do a deep dive on my core competencies and to explore my strengths and interests during a career transition. I appreciated Karen's and her team's candor, positive energy and attention to detail, especially with my resume and board biography. I highly recommend CareerMode® to anyone who is transitioning between careers or looking for new opportunities.
Janice W.
