Looking for a Career Coach with Higher Ed Experience?

Whether you are a student or a seasoned professional, you’ve probably pondered the unique challenges of working in higher education…choosing the right graduate program, the right university, or the right position; figuring out the differences between a resume and a curriculum vita, so you can write a really good one; preparing for all-day (or longer) interviews, and filtering through generic career advice and deciding what holds true for higher education, and what to ignore.

It can be really confusing, and it’s not always easy to use friends and family members as sounding boards, because they may not understand what you really do for a living. Colleagues at your level in the organization might not be the best sounding boards, either, because they might still be figuring out how to plan their careers and prepare for interviews. Wouldn’t it be great to have an experienced professional to guide you along the path?

Thanks for stopping by my new site. My name is Sean Cook, and I have been a student affairs professional for just over 15 years. I earned my Masters in Educational Guidance and Counseling from Clemson University, with a concentration in Student Affairs in Higher Administration in 1994. Since then, I’ve held a variety of student life positions, starting with a Residence Life position at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina, then positions working in Residence Life and academically-linked student organizations at Penn State.

Over the course of my career, I have screened probably a thousand resumes or so and conducted several hundred interviews, for staff at all levels, from undergraduate student to director. I’ve advised many students and young professionals about their job searches, graduate school applications, and interview strategies. It gives me great satisfaction to help people explore their motivations for working in higher education, examine their interests, and plan the next steps in their education and careers.

Working in higher education provides some unique challenges when it comes to career planning and job searching. With 15 years of experience in the field, I am uniquely positioned to help you explore possibilities, evaluate options, and make plans.

You’ll find more information about my own career track, management philosophy, and perspectives elsewhere on this site. I hope they will give you a clearer picture of who I am as a person and a professional. If you are interested in working with a career coach to explore possibilities and make plans for your next steps, send me an e-mail at sean@higheredcareercoach.com and we can arrange a time to set up a free introductory coaching session. If you aren’t interested, or just aren’t ready, then feel free to visit the site and read articles and posts about pursuing careers in higher education.

Thanks for stopping by, and please visit again soon.