Meet Pivot’s New Coach, Kate Williams

Since starting Pivot Journeys in January 2016, we’ve hosted dozens of workshops, and spent over 1,000 hours coaching individuals.

And at the end of 2019, it was time to bring someone else into the coaching practice to keep up with the demand from job seekers.

After a few phone calls with Kate Williams, I knew her style, approach, and enthusiasm for helping people navigate their careers was just the right fit for us.

I recently had a chance to get to know her better. Read on to learn more about our new coach!

TELL US WHY YOU WANTED TO CONTINUE CAREER COACHING OUTSIDE OF YOUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK?

“The process of searching for jobs, or contemplating a career change, can feel really disempowering, confusing, and is often surrounded by a lot of negative feelings. I want to flip that script and equip everyone I work with the skills they need to design the life they want.

I’m a storyteller by nature, and have been coaching and training people for as long as I can remember. In high school I taught rambunctious kindergartners the art of chocolate creation at a local candy shop. During my time at Mount Holyoke College, I was a mentor at our speaking and writing center. And my professional experience has included human resources and organizational development. Working with others and helping them gain proficiency has always been an engaging, fun experience for me! 

As a technical recruiter earlier in my career, I really saw how creating your career narrative and sharing is challenging for people, especially if you’re working on a career change or just getting started in the field. 

I want to dig in to use my skills from my time recruiting, and leading a university career office, to help people tell their own compelling stories. It’s a really empowering moment when you realize you’re capable of writing your own script, and designing a job search the way that best fits your strengths, needs, and goals. 

The process of searching for jobs, or contemplating a career change, can feel really disempowering, confusing, and is often surrounded by a lot of negative feelings. I want to flip that script and equip everyone I work with the skills they need to design the life they want. This type of work is immensely fulfilling and I absolutely love having the opportunity to work with people during this challenging but rewarding time in their professional lives. 

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR DAY JOB CURRENTLY. WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON?

I recently transitioned into an employee and organizational development role at the business school at the University of New Mexico. Now, I have the opportunity to train and coach teams and departments across the University to help them identify their needs and design solutions. 

I absolutely love what I do. One day might be spent training a department on leadership best practices, another might be creating a brand new curriculum, and yet another might be immersing myself in new content to deliver - all while working to meet the needs of a diverse population on campus. 

It’s energizing and definitely allows me to practice my top StrengthsFinder result: Woo!

WHAT ABOUT OUTSIDE OF WORK? TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE OTHER PARTS OF YOUR LIFE (FAMILY, HOBBIES, ETC).

When I’m not at work, you’ll find me at a yoga or barre class--in the studio if I can, but I’m a big proponent of office workouts to break up the day and go into the afternoon invigorated! 

I’m raising two future world-changers. Maggie, now 8, famously educated her kindergarten class about the importance of International Women’s Day. Mac, 5, is my naturally caffeinated kiddo who loves dinosaurs, yoga, and baking. I share custody with their father, and while it’s a tricky balance to make it all work, we’re a happy, busy household! 

I’m passionate about social justice and advocacy, and am involved with my local chapter of the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and efforts to make the city of Albuquerque a more inclusive place to live. In 2018, I worked with local photographers to launch a Families Belong Together fundraiser--we raised over $6000 in just a few hours and were able to give this to New Mexico Immigrant Law Center on behalf of incarcerated parents and children. Living in a border state and working at a Hispanic-Serving Institution, these issues are never far from my mind and I believe it’s my responsibility to take action wherever and however I can. 

If I had unlimited time (and childcare!) you could find me curled up with a great novel, planning an adventure to a mountain or river, or trying to devise the perfect almond milk latte.

WHEN YOU THINK OF WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER COACHES, WHAT COMES TO MIND?

I’d say my recruiting experience. I spent a lot of time reviewing resumes and conducting interviews remotely, and I learned a lot about the most common pitfalls that happen to even the most experienced candidates. 

“I’ve retained that recruiting mindset and use it to inform my clients so that they can understand the perspective of the hiring manager or team.

I’ve retained that recruiting mindset and use it to inform my clients so that they can understand the perspective of the hiring manager or team. Sharing this often proves an illuminating experience, and can be very helpful in understanding how to craft resumes with impact, and deliver interview answers that resonate with the hiring committee. 

I also love to write and edit--finding the right combination of words that make a resume bullet point sing, or designing a succinct and powerful LinkedIn headline, is the most fantastic challenge.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO WORK ON WITH PEOPLE LOOKING TO MAKE A CHANGE IN THEIR CAREER? 

There are a few key moments.  

I always ask clients to walk me through their professional experience, and that process typically includes questions like, “what did you dream about doing when you were a child,” or “what would you do with your days if money were not a factor,” and learning the answers to those questions often leads to some true lightbulb moments of awareness. 

Also, much of our work centers on empowering career changers to tell their own stories and take control of their career narrative. This is such a key skill for everyone in their careers, but it’s especially important when someone is seeking a change. Helping clients connect and then communicate the dominant themes, strengths, and goals that motivate their work is truly an energizing and inspiring experience, and watching the process unfold is absolutely one of the best parts of what I do. 

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTIONS YOU THINK PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT JOB SEEKING OR CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN GENERAL?

First, I think there’s a big misconception that you are either great at career navigation, or you’re not. I’ve worked with many people who tell me at the outset that they just aren’t good at marketing themselves, or resumes are impossible, or they’re just plain old bad at looking for jobs. 

I always tell my clients (and anyone else who will listen, sorry kids!) that we call them career skills for a reason. You wouldn’t expect to be able to run a marathon or cook a complicated recipe perfectly well without doing some preparation and practice first, and the same goes for career development. Sure, some people do have a natural aptitude in this area, but even that doesn’t go very far without strategic, targeted practice and implementation. Skills can be acquired through practice and determination, and careful coaching will accelerate this process. It doesn’t require magic...just practice. 

Another one of my favorite misconceptions is around the concept of “irrelevant work experience.” I’ll often have clients come to me and say they don’t know how to make sense of their varied work history and have concerns about the jobs that “don’t really matter.” I believe every job matters and every job provides some type of valuable experience, but it’s up to you as the job seeker to tell the hiring manager why it matters! So part of it is a mental exercise to rebrand your experience. 

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT THE PIVOT COMMUNITY TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?

First, that I’m thrilled to be a new coach with Pivot! 

I have a lot of experience working with people who are returning to employment outside of the home, or people who have experienced career interruptions - and I’m excited to bring that to our Pivot clients.

There are challenges associated with returning to the workforce and I’ve got lots of strategies and methods for making this transition positive and empowering.