"Three rounds with three different companies, all got to offer stage but kept getting beaten at the final interview. After four sessions with Tara I understood what I was doing — leaving too many things unsaid, assuming the panel would join the dots. Next panel, I said the thing. Got the offer."
— David S., Senior Project Manager, Melbourne
Career Coach — Mount Rumney, TAS
Most people get hired on paper. The sharp ones get hired in the room.
If you're a strong candidate but interview panels keep choosing someone else, the problem probably isn't your experience. I've watched 460+ hiring decisions get made from the inside. The gap between shortlist and offer is almost always fixable.
Client results
Here's what tends to happen
I'll tell you what I actually see. Not averages, not marketing copy — just the types of outcomes that come up often enough to mention.
"I'd been in the same salary band for six years. Not because I wasn't good — because every time a review came up I accepted the number they offered. Tara walked me through the conversation twice before I had it. I came away with an extra A$18k and a review clause."
— Priya M., Finance Manager, inner-city Melbourne firm"My CV was a mess of roles and no story. It looked like I'd moved around without a plan. After the session it looked deliberate — because actually it had been, I just hadn't written it that way. Two weeks later I had two interview invitations."
— James L., Account Director, returning to market after a breakNo coach can guarantee an offer, a promotion, or a specific salary increase. What coaching can do is sharpen preparation, decision-making and communication — measurable things — within a process you and the coach control together.
How it works
Four steps, no theatre
Here's what happens when you start. No discovery questionnaire, no 90-day transformation framework.
Discovery call — free, 20 minutes
I ask where you're stuck, you ask what I'd actually do about it. You leave knowing whether this is worth pursuing further. No commitment, no sales talk.
Brief and focus
You send me what's relevant — the role, your CV, the brief if there is one. I read it before session 1. We don't waste the first 20 minutes explaining context.
Sessions, with work between
Each session has a clear focus. There's usually something to review or practise before the next one. Most people do a 5-session programme; some need just two or three.
You go in prepared
A week before the panel, a day before the negotiation — you have a session for that specific thing. Then it's yours to take into the room.
Common questions
Things people ask before they book
What does a session actually look like?
It depends on where you are. A first session is mostly listening — I want to know the role, the timeline, what you've tried, where it's not working. Sessions after that are usually more active: mock interviews with debrief, CV review line by line, or working through a specific negotiation scenario. I work via video call. There's no standard script; the session is shaped by what you need that week. Most sessions run 60 minutes.
How quickly will I see results?
Four out of five times, clients tell me they can feel the change by the second session — not because anything dramatic has happened, but because they've stopped doing the things that weren't working. For interview prep, the feedback usually comes after the first real panel. Some people see results in two sessions; others need a full programme to get to where they want. I won't keep billing you if the work is done.
What do you charge?
A single session is A$295 incl. GST. A 5-session programme — which is what most people take — is A$1,180 incl. GST, which works out to A$236 per session. An extended programme of 8 sessions is A$2,480 incl. GST. Payment plans are available on request. Everything is outlined in the Terms, and there's a clear cancellation policy: 48 hours notice for a full refund on single sessions; partial refund arrangements on programmes. Pricing is on the Terms page.
How is this different from talking to a recruiter?
Recruiters are working for the employer, not for you — even the good ones. The recruiter's job is to find the right person for the role; my job is to make sure you're in the best position to be that person. I used to be on the briefing side of that conversation. What I do is tell you what's in the brief — including the unwritten part — so you can prepare for the actual interview, not the official one.
How confidential is what we discuss?
Everything stays between us. I don't take notes that leave the session — I use shorthand for my own prompts and discard it afterwards. I won't share your name, your employer, or any detail of our work without your explicit permission. I don't have any relationship with your employer or potential employers. The ICF code of ethics binds my practice. If you have specific concerns, say so in the discovery call and I'll tell you exactly what applies.
What's your training and credentials?
Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation — this requires a minimum 500 logged client hours and a performance evaluation. I completed my initial training with the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), supplemented by applied work in talent management across an 11-year corporate HR career. I hold professional indemnity insurance and participate in regular supervision. Happy to provide documentation if you need it for employer-funded coaching.
About Henry
From inside the hiring room to the other side of the table
I spent 11 years in HR leadership — the last four as Head of People at a large ASX-listed company in Melbourne. In that time I sat on probably 600 hiring panels, briefed hundreds of hiring managers, and watched the shortlist decisions get made. I know what gets said in the debrief when the candidate has left the building.
In 2016 I made the switch and started coaching. The number of people with strong backgrounds who weren't getting through panels was — and still is — higher than it should be. The gap was almost never about capability.
I've been coaching full-time for 13 years. PCC-credentialled with the ICF. Based in Mount Rumney.
Read the full story
Services
Four things I actually do
Not a programme that covers everything from "find your purpose" to "ace your interview". Four focused services, done well. You pick what you need.
Interview Preparation
Competency, panel, and executive-level coaching. Mock panels with debrief, STAR structuring, and the questions hiring managers are actually asking internally — not the ones in the job ad.
More about interview prep →CV Review
Structural, not cosmetic. Most CVs are a chronology, not a case for the role. I read yours the way a hiring manager reads it in 40 seconds, then we rebuild from there.
More about CV review →LinkedIn Optimisation
The headline and about section, the activity strategy, how to show up in searches. LinkedIn is where recruiters start; most profiles are a waste of a good page.
More about LinkedIn →Salary Negotiation
Most people accept the first number. There's almost always room. We cover the conversation, the framing, and the alternatives worth knowing before you walk in.
More about salary negotiation →Get started
20 minutes. No commitment.
Book a free discovery call. I'll tell you whether coaching is the right move, and if it is, what we'd focus on. If it isn't a fit, I'll say so — and often point you somewhere more useful.
Book the free callOr call directly: +61 419 284 736