Early Career Coaching

The ground shifted under an entire generation.

AI strangled the early career job market and made everyone look good on paper.

The old playbook stopped working. Here are the numbers:


❋ The degree isn't the shield it was

Recent grads now face higher unemployment (about 5.6%) than the workforce overall (4.2%) — reversing the historical pattern where graduates fared better than everyone else. -Federal Reserve Bank of New York

❋ Application radio silence

For every campus job posting, the number of applicants has surged nearly 30% in a single year — a flood of candidates for each opening, most of them never getting a reply. -Handshake

❋ Entry-level jobs are being squeezed

Early-career workers in the most AI-exposed fields have seen about a 13% drop in employment since 2022, while older workers in the same jobs held steady. -Stanford

❋ Overqualified for the job

Roughly 4 in 10 recent grads are underemployed — working in jobs that don't require a degree, the highest rate since 2020. -NY Fed

However, none of that is a verdict on your potential.


What we work on together

For a living, I recruit, lead, and promote early career people — from internships to full-time roles.

That's the seat I'm coaching you from — and it's why we focus on the four things AI can't do for you:


❋ Relationships before applications

The application pile is fed by a machine you can't beat by just giving it better paper. I teach you the backchannel — how to reach real people inside companies and start conversations that get you seen before you ever hit "apply." This is where we start, because it's the one that beats the pile.

Referrals are only about 7% of applicants but account for 30–50% of U.S. hires — referred candidates get hired at roughly 30%, versus 7% from other channels. The backchannel is where most jobs actually go. -National Bureau of Economic Research

❋ Sharp, not scripted

How to stay sharp, clear, and authentically yourself in the room — real-time judgment no AI can rehearse for you, and exactly what employers say they're screening for.

❋ Your story that no prompt can write

The angle only you can claim — so your candidacy reads like a person, and a hiring manager sees you actually understand the role. Specific, human, and memorable beats polished.

❋ Habits that compound and last

How to follow through and land the role, build enduring relationships, and grow the skills that pay off for years — not just after one job search.

The first job sets the trajectory — grads who start underemployed are about 5x more likely to still be underemployed five years later, while 87% who land a fitting first role stay well-employed. Early moves compound. -Strada Institute


What to expect

Start with a conversation — see you at the trailhead.