Frequently Asked Questions

After you request a writing service or coaching session, we will confirm the booking and I will connect with you via email (check your junk mail) or phone (if you have provided your phone number) by the next business day.

There are 2 stages to the process:

The first step is for us to meet (usually online) and discuss your work experience and the job(s) you are interested in targeting. Clients usually send me a copy of their existing resume (if available), their LinkedIn profile and one or two examples of job applications they are targeting. During the meeting we discuss and review your resume and LinkedIn profile to see what changes are needed.

When you are happy to proceed, we begin the drafting process. If I require further information or clarification, I’ll contact you via phone or email until the draft is ready for review. When you are happy with the review, you will receive the final version, in an editable Word document format as well as a PDF version.

Typically, it takes around 5 business days to complete your resume, cover letter or LinkedIn profile, depending on your schedule, my schedule, and how many rounds of edits are required. We also have an Express Service if that is required, but please check with me first before booking the Express Service.

This will depend on the number of criteria. We start with a short online meeting. When I understand how your experience relates to the selection criteria, it typically takes between 3 and 5 business days to complete, depending on your schedule, my schedule, and how many rounds of edits are required.

I coach in person, face to face in Perth or globally via Teams, so regardless of where you are located, we can work together.

I am available on weekdays from 8am to 6pm (AWST). Depending on your schedule, and my availability, I may be able to open an extra evening for you, if required. You can select from the times that are available by viewing my booking calendar link which is sent to you. 

Coaching sessions are usually 60 minutes, however they may be a little longer or shorter depending on how the session progresses. There will be exercises for you to complete or actions to take in between sessions.

That depends on the type of coaching program that is right for your situation. The Insider Job Search Program, which is designed for professionals actively searching for their next role, runs across 12 sessions over 14 weeks. Every session covers something specific and valuable, not just for your current search but for every career decision you make going forward.

The program runs over 14 weeks rather than 12 as a practical contingency for scheduling, travel, or illness. It is 12 sessions of focused work, structured with enough breathing room to do the work properly.

Other coaching programs, including career clarity, career development, and leadership coaching, are structured differently based on the coaching objective. Get in touch to discuss which program is right for your situation.

We usually work together once a week, but it will depend on which phase in the process you are in. For example, if there is a week when you will be going for an interview, then we may schedule our next coaching session for the week after that.

We work through the rationale and direction together in the session. You make the revisions between sessions, and we review and refine together. Everything is guided, reviewed, and tailored specifically to your situation and target market. You are never left to figure it out on your own.

The framework behind the resume build is the foundation for more than half of what we do together. Each piece builds on what came before it. All materials, guides, and worksheets are provided between sessions. If you need more support in certain areas, that is catered for within the program.

Towards the end of each coaching session, we will agree upon actions that you will need to take to move you forward toward your goal. Depending on the phase you have reached, there may be exercises to complete, research to be done, activities to work through or a different approach to try, so that you are well prepared for our next session. The aim is to ensure you make progress during and between sessions.

Every client I’ve worked with has had a positive experience. Many have transitioned into new careers, some into different industries, some into different job roles. Quite a few have transitioned into a completely new career, others have transition to entrepreneurship.

That is no problem at all – you will need to let me know 24 hours in advance and we will reschedule that coaching session.

Yes, absolutely. I am here to support you and I am happy to provide support and encouragement between sessions if you have a question about a challenge at no additional charge.

Career coaching is right for you if you know something needs to change but you are not sure what, or if you know exactly what you want but cannot seem to get there. It is also right for you if you are searching for a new role and not getting the traction you expected, or if you want to make a deliberate move rather than just waiting for something to come up.

The best starting point is not a commitment to a program. It is a 15-minute conversation. From there, if it makes sense, the next step is a structured diagnostic assessment that identifies exactly where the gaps are and what the right program looks like for your specific situation. You do not need to have all the answers before you start. That is what the diagnostic is for.

Career coaching is professional support that helps you take control of your career direction and your search strategy, rather than leaving your future to chance or relying on job advertisements alone.

What makes Pillentum different is the foundation it is built on. With 20 years of senior technical recruitment experience, working directly with hiring managers across a wide range of industries and seniority levels, the coaching reflects how the job market actually works, not how it is described in textbooks. You get access to insider knowledge that most candidates never have.

Every program starts with a structured diagnostic assessment that identifies exactly where the gaps are, what is driving your current situation, and what needs to change in what order. That is what makes the coaching accurate. A professional coach does not prescribe without first diagnosing.

Yes. The program is industry and discipline agnostic. The methodology works because it is built on how the job market actually operates, not on what sector you are in. I have coached professionals from mid-level engineers through to CEOs and directors across dozens of technical fields.

The principles that make a candidate compelling to a hiring manager are the same whether you are in mining, construction, infrastructure, resources, or technology. What changes is the language, the targeting, and the positioning. That is exactly what the diagnostic and the tailoring process addresses.

If the program only worked for people who had already done what you are trying to do, there would be no point in having it. The whole purpose is to get you there.

Yes, and they are one of the most powerful parts of the program. It is where all the pre-work comes together in a live situation. Clients find that they are able to answer questions clearly, stay composed under pressure, and leave feeling confident. That preparation consistently translates into strong interview performance and offers.

That is something we address before you start the program and again in Session 1. When there is a gap between where you are now and where you want to be, it is rarely about the destination, it is usually about the timing. There may need to be a step in between where you are now and where you want to go.

In those situations we work together to map out a realistic pathway that will get you there. Clients find that process clarifying. Instead of a vague desire, they leave with something concrete, a visible path forward they can see and believe in.

There are no unused sessions in this program. Each one covers something specific and valuable, not just for your current search but for every career decision you make going forward. If you secure a role before the program is complete, the remaining sessions shift to making sure you start well, negotiate effectively, and have the tools to manage your career long term.

Continuation support is available beyond the program if you need more time. The support does not stop when the sessions are complete. Most clients complete their search within the program, but if you need more time, you will not be left without support.

Details on continuation support are discussed as part of the program overview and confirmed in Session 1.

Success is not something I define for you. It is something we define together. I have worked with enough clients to know that what success looks and feels like is different for every person, and it has to be meaningful to you specifically, not to me.

At the start of Session 1 we establish exactly that. We agree on the outputs, the milestones, and what meaningful progress looks like for your situation. That becomes the benchmark we measure everything against throughout the program. Instead of a vague goal, you leave Session 1 with something concrete and visible that you can work toward.

Program pricing and details are available following an initial consultation. Every program is tailored to the individual based on the diagnostic assessment, so the right starting point is a conversation about your situation.

Book a 15-minute call to find out which program is right for you.