Career and job search advice in 2025 from Dr. Kyle Elliott
Dr. Elliott, it seems like AI is changing a lot about how career development and job search work now, and it is harder to distinguish what’s effective and what’s a waste of time. As a career coach, how do you help clients navigate effective career decision-making and job search?
AI has totally reshaped the job search and career development landscape. There’s now more noise than ever, and it’s easy for professionals to get distracted by the latest tool. My role is to help clients separate effective resources from noise.
I teach them to use AI strategically and intentionally, ensuring it aligns with their goals. You want AI to support time-consuming tasks, not to replace your thinking. For instance, you might use AI to edit an individual resume bullet or outreach message, while keeping the decision-making about what to include in your own hands.
Your website describes you as a “tech career coach, executive coach, and trusted confidante to Silicon Valley’s top talent,” but I assume you work with clients outside Silicon Valley, too, right? What’s your geographic reach?
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most of my clients lived in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. Since the remote work boom, there’s been a noticeable shift where professionals are relocating to other tech hubs across the U.S. and around the globe.
While most of the professionals I work with still live in the US and Canada, I’ve had more than 1,000 one-on-one clients on six continents (and a few who have even worked in Antarctica!).
Do you work with executives only, or do you also work with tech professionals who are in the early or middle stages of their careers?
One of the things that excites me most about my work is the impact that my clients make on the world through their careers. Consequently, I primarily work with executives because of their scope and level of impact. My executive clients are often navigating highly visible roles, challenging bosses and board members, and trying to prevent burnout.
That said, not everyone aspires to be an executive, and occasionally someone has an interesting opportunity or story that catches my attention, so I’ll work with a new manager or senior individual contributor on a case-by-case basis.
What does it mean to be a “tech career coach?” (For example, do you only work with clients who are employed by tech companies or do you work with anyone whose job function is tech-focused?)
This is such a great question. My clients work at tech companies, tech-enabled companies, and in tech roles at companies that aren’t traditionally considered “tech.” They span a wide variety of technical and non-technical roles.
At the end of the day, tech is everywhere. Beyond Fortune 500 and hyper-growth companies, my clients have also worked for the Big Four consulting firms, politicians and celebrities (or are celebrities themselves), nonprofits, NGOs, and pretty much every type of organization you can imagine.
You’ve probably seen the increase in posts on LinkedIn where tech executives say their careers were going great until an unexpected layoff, and now they are on the verge of becoming unhoused from extended unemployment. When someone is in a desperate situation like that, what steps should they take next?
Don’t expect your next job to be your forever job. We live in a capitalist society, and I firmly believe that it’s okay for a job to simply be a job. Unless you come from generational wealth or have significant financial safety nets, it’s perfectly acceptable to take a role for the paycheck until something better comes along.
Hindsight is 20/20, but it’s ideal to plan ahead. If you’re in an executive role, you’re likely receiving a compensation package that allows you to build up your savings so you’re not on the verge of being unhoused if you get laid off. Additionally, don’t wait to build your personal brand and relationships—start before you need them.
In your experience, is it true that most executive jobs are found through connections, not from an online job search?
There’s varied data on the precise number of executive roles filled through connections or the “hidden job market,” as it depends on your industry and the type of roles you’re targeting. Additionally, some roles may be posted online, but the company already has a candidate in mind by the time you see the opening.
That said, as you advance in your career, fewer of your target roles will likely be advertised publicly, and more will be filled through networking, referrals, and executive search firms. Rather than relying on a single strategy, diversify your approach: update and tailor your resume for each role, optimize your LinkedIn profile so you’re discoverable by employers, network with the right connections, develop an authentic online presence, remain in contact with executive headhunters, and be sure to “wow” the interviewers once you get in the room. You’re essentially diversifying your risk and increasing your odds of landing your next opportunity.
Your coaching is “trauma-informed.” What does that mean?
Gone are the days of checking your emotions at the door. As professionals experience increasing levels of trauma, leaders must acquire skills to navigate it effectively. Trauma-informed coaching is all about honoring and acknowledging the impact that trauma has in the workplace while empowering clients with greater awareness and resilience.
In practice, this means slowing down, ensuring clients are grounded, and equipping them with strategies and tools to implement trauma-informed principles within their own organizations.
Your coaching brand is notable for authenticity. When someone is in a job search during the current political climate, how do you advise clients to approach authenticity while staying safe?
I recognize it’s a tremendous privilege for me to show up fully, as I have the luxury of turning away clients and partnerships that don’t align with my values. Not everyone has that same privilege.
You must personally decide how much of yourself you want to share in the workplace, online, and in life, while also balancing your personal safety and values. At the same time, ask yourself, “What message am I sending when I do this?” Authenticity can be powerful, but it must also be intentional and self-protective.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom, Dr. Elliott!
To read more about Dr. Elliott and his tech career coaching services, please visit Kyle Elliott Consulting.
