Strategy First. Results Follow.
You're Qualified.
So Why Aren't You Getting Interviews or Offers?
The problem isn't your experience.
It's how you're positioned.
Let's have a quick conversation at no cost to see how I can help you.
Paul Freiberger
Strategic Career Advisor
I've helped professionals for over 18 years cut through the noise by fixing how they're positioned:
strategically, authentically, and powerfully.
THE PROBLEM
Why Smart, Experienced Professionals Get Stuck
The Typical Approach (That Is Not Working)
You're doing what everyone tells you to do:
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Applying to dozens (or hundreds) of jobs online
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Using AI tools to optimize your resume for keywords
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Tweaking your LinkedIn profile
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Networking when you can
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Hoping recruiters will notice you
And you're getting nowhere.
Maybe you get an occasional interview, but no offers. Maybe you're hearing "you are overqualified" or just silence. You're frustrated, confused, and starting to doubt yourself.
What's Actually Blocking You:
"It's not your experience. It's your positioning."
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You're seen as what you were, not what you are ready to become. Your resume reads like a job description, not a value proposition. Your LinkedIn profile isn't attracting the right recruiters or hiring managers. You're applying to roles that don't quite fit or you're perfect for but can't articulate why.
"The market moves on positioning, not credentials alone."
THE SOLUTION
Strategy First, Then Everything Else Falls Into Place
Most career services jump straight to resume templates and LinkedIn optimization. That is backwards.
I start with strategic positioning:
Where have you been and where do you want to go?
Not just titles and companies. What is the arc of your career, and what's the next logical chapter?
How should you present yourself for the roles you're targeting?
Are you positioned as what you were, or what you're ready to become? There's usually a gap.
What story makes you compelling to hiring managers?
Not a chronology of jobs, but a narrative about the value you create and problems you solve.
What's blocking you that you can't see yourself?
Age bias, overqualification concerns, unclear positioning, industry pivot challenges; we diagnose it together.
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Once the positioning strategy is clear, everything else follows: resume restructuring, LinkedIn optimization, interview coaching, tailored applications, and salary negotiation.
But without the right strategy, better tactics won't save you.
WHO THIS IS
FOR
I Work With Professionals Facing:
Post-Layoff Transitions
Especially senior professionals where age bias and positioning create invisible barriers. You need to reframe the layoff and reposition yourself confidently.
Stalled Job Searches
You're applying everywhere, but getting nowhere, or you're getting interviews, but no offers. Something's not connecting, and you can't figure out what.
Career Pivots
You're transitioning industries, moving from individual contributor to management or reinventing yourself, and the market isn't seeing you as credible for the new direction.
Strategic Positioning
You're ready for the next level, but recruiters and hiring managers aren't reaching out for those roles. You're being seen as what you were, not what you're ready for.
I've worked with professionals across virtually every industry: technology, finance, healthcare, marketing, operations, legal, nonprofit, manufacturing, education, and more.
The industry doesn't matter. The career challenge does.
AI
Navigating AI in Your Job Search
AI has changed job searching in 2026, both as a tool you might use and as a capability employers increasingly expect.
I help you navigate this strategically:
Using AI tools effectively:
AI can help with brainstorming, drafting, and research, but it can also fabricate data, invent accomplishments, and create generic content that sounds like everyone else's. I help you leverage AI's strengths while avoiding its common pitfalls.
Positioning your AI stance:
Whether you're an AI power user, use it selectively, or intentionally avoid it, you need a clear, confident position. I help you articulate where you use AI, where you don't, and why that makes you valuable.
Understanding what AI can't replace:
For what remains uniquely human in an AI-saturated workplace, see my LinkedIn series: "The Part That's Still Yours: What Matters When AI Can Do the Rest," exploring judgement, relationship navigation, and the invisible work that defines real value. You can find the posts on my LinkedIn profile.
CREDIBILITY
Why Professionals Trust Me:
I Understand How to Tell Your Story
I started my career as a technology and science journalist with NPR and senior editor at InfoWorld, covering Silicon Valley's personal computer revolution. My bestselling book Fire In The Valley was adapted into the Emmy-nominated film Pirates of Silicon Valley and named one of the 100 Best Business Books of All Time. I've won the LA Times Book Prize.
I know how to draw out what makes you distinctive and convey it powerfully.
Executive & Leadership Coaching
I'm a Certified Executive Coach through the Center for Executive Coaching. What that means in practice: I've trained in executive presence, leadership dynamics, and strategic decision-making. It's the difference between helping someone get a job and helping them lead well once they're in it. This background shapes how I work with all my clients. I'm not just positioning you for the role. I'm helping you think strategically about your impact and how you want to show up as a leader.
I Think Strategically
I spent seven years at McKinsey & Company as Director of Communications, learning how to position complex ideas for C-suite audiences. I approach your career the way a consultant approaches a business problem: diagnose, strategize, execute.
I've Helped Thousands Do This
For over 18 years, I've guided professionals through exactly what you're facing. My clients land roles at companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500 giants across every industry.
ROI LOGIC
Time Is Money
The typical job search takes 6-9 months going it alone.
With strategic positioning, most of my clients land roles in 2-4 months.
What's 3-4 months of unemployment costing you?
$120K salary = $10,000/month lost = $30K-$40K total
$180K salary = $15,000/month lost = $45K-$60K total
$250K salary = $21,000/month lost = $63K-$84K total
Investment & Timeline
This isn't a package - it's customized to your situation.
Every engagement is different because every professional's challenge is different. A VP recovering from a layoff needs different support than a mid-career professional seeking promotion.
Timeline:
Most clients have updated materials within 2-3 weeks. Job search timeline varies, but I support you throughout - however long it takes.
How pricing works:
After our initial conversation, I'll send you a customized proposal outlining exactly what's included and the investment. This ensures the plan and pricing are tailored specifically to your needs.
How It Works
Step 1: Initial Conversation
Complimentary 20-30 minute conversation to understand your situation, goals, and challenges. No sales pitch - just a conversation about where you are and where you want to be.
Step 2: Customized Proposal
I send you a tailored proposal outlining exactly how I'd work with you, what's included, investment, and timeline.
Step 3: Strategic Engagement
We work together - starting with positioning strategy, then executing on all the tactics, adapting as your search evolves, until you land your role.
Work Smart.
Live Well.
Here's what I constantly hear from candidates:
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"I'm applying to jobs 14 hours a day."
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"I check my email every 30 seconds."
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"I haven't had a single day off in three months."
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"My family barely sees me anymore."
And here's what I tell them: You're doing it wrong.
Not the job search part. The life part.
The Burnout Myth
The best job candidates don't burn themselves out. They are the ones who take walks in the woods, listen to music, see their friends, and head to a concert in the park. They actively take care of themselves.
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And you know what? Because they do, they interview better, negotiate stronger, and land better roles.
Train Like a Champion
Think of it like an athlete preparing for a big game. Champions don't train 24/7 without sleep. They train smart, recover intentionally, eat well, and maintain a real life outside of their sport. That is exactly how they show up ready to win.
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Your job search requires the exact same discipline. You absolutely need the strategy, the materials, and the interview practice. But you also need balance. You need sanity. You need music, books, and the people you love.
Strategy, Not Laziness
Is a job search stressful? Yes. You have bills, real constraints, and high stakes.
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But taking an evening off to do something that makes you feel human again isn't laziness. It's strategy. It ensures you show up to your next interview sharper, more confident, and genuinely yourself.
What I Actually Do
I practice what I preach. To keep myself grounded, resilient, and sharp for my clients, I intentionally make time for a few foundational practices:
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Music: I'm a student of the piano and clarinet. I'm not trying to become a professional musician, but the discipline of daily practice keeps me centered.
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Reading: I look for stories of resilience, like Jeremy Dent's autobiography, to learn how to show up when things get hard.
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Creating & Connecting: I spend time in my kitchen making a great lasagna, I take walks, listen to music, and make time for the people I care about.
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This isn't separate from my work as a career coach. It's foundational to it.
Your Turn
So yes, let's get you strategically positioned. We'll do the hard work together.
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But also: Take the walk. Cook something that makes you happy. Listen to the song. See the people who matter to you. Pick up that thing you've been meaning to try.
Your job search, and your life, will thank you for it.
SOCIAL PROOF
My Clients Land Roles At
Typical results:
Senior professionals who were stuck for 6+ months often land roles within 2-4 months of strategic positioning. Career pivots who couldn't get interviews in their target field start getting callbacks within weeks. Executives concerned about age bias successfully reframe their experience and land competitive offers.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Ready to Get Unstuck?
Tell me about your situation:
Where you are, what you're facing, and what you're hoping to achieve.
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I'll either call you to discuss how I can help or send you a customized proposal based on what you've shared.
