Media Contributions - Career Coach Me

It has been a pleasure to contribute to various articles, radio shows, TV shows and webinars – some of which you can find linked below.

“CAO 2025: Expert guidance to keep students on the right track” – The Examiner, 17/01/2025

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-41555260.html

“Authentic, personalised and professional: Creating a CV that resonates with recruiters” – Irish Times, 20/12/2024

https://www.irishtimes.com/special-reports/2024/12/20/authentic-personalised-and-professional-creating-a-cv-that-resonates-with-recruiters

“The first step in developing a career plan? Know thyself” – Irish Times, 20/12/2024

https://www.irishtimes.com/special-reports/2024/12/20/the-first-step-in-developing-a-career-plan-know-thyself

“Career Advice Hour: How to write a compelling CV“- Webinar summary and recording – www.jobs.ac.uk, 04/12/2024

https://career-advice.jobs.ac.uk/resources/webinars/career-hour-how-to-write-a-compelling-cv/#:~:text=Cathy%20Balfe%2C%20Career%20Coach&text=She%20completed%20a%20Postgraduate%20Diploma,of%20students%20navigate%20their%20careers.

“Creating a Job Search Strategy” – Webinar recording, The Social Hackers Academy, 23/02/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=913MAd-ZISI

“Minority Report: Are job-hunters being gamed by artificial intelligence?” – Irish Times, 16/12/2022

https://www.irishtimes.com/special-reports/2022/12/16/minority-report-are-job-hunters-being-gamed-by-artificial-intelligence

“Ask not what the company can do for you but what you can do for the company” – Irish Times, 16/12/2022

https://www.irishtimes.com/special-reports/2022/12/16/ask-not-what-the-company-can-do-for-you-but-what-you-can-do-for-the-company

Career Coach Me

5.0

Based on 47 reviews

review us on

Ronan Curry

10:36 02 Dec 24

Cathy offered me great support and guidance as I was taking the next step in my career. I highly recommend Career Coach Me and look forward to working with Cathy in the future.

Terry Cantillon

08:32 31 Aug 24

I found Cathy's career report tool very useful as I had been struggling to figure out what career options would suit me based on strengths, likes/dislikes etc. Cathy was very knowledgeable on the different paths I could take if I were to move careers and provided a lot of useful information on the college courses relevant for those careers.

Sarah Beth Counihan

18:40 13 Aug 24

Cathy created a comfortable environment in which I was able to voice my opinions with confidence.

Bernice Basnayake

21:58 09 Aug 24

I highly recommend Cathy! She is so kind and supportive, and her work is highly effective. She listens without judgement and offers brilliant insightful advice. I took Cathy's career guidance and interview preparation sessions. The sessions were so efficient, thorough and helpful. Effective tools were used to focus our discussions and brilliant resources were provided with each session.In just one session, Cathy thoroughly explored many different career options in context to my career needs. She helped me to gain clarity with my career goals and provided me with career directions to achieve those goals. The interview preparation session immensely boosted my confidence and taught me to approach interviews with a positive mindset, helping me to tackle interview nerves. I have since been able to enjoy interviews which I never believed I could ever experience!With Cathy's encouragement and support, I was able to power on after facing rejection with a desired role and confidently do new interviews that have since landed me an amazing role! I could not be more thrilled with the direction that my career has taken and the interview skills and positive mindset that I have gained thanks to Cathy!

Thomas Finney

09:41 19 Jun 24

My goal was to understand what other careers were out there that would fit my interests and skills beyond IT. The session with Cathy worked a treat and I came away with ideas and areas for further research that I had never considered before. It has left me excited and eager to dig in further into the possible careers I could switch to. I particularly liked the blue-sky approach where nothing was off the table and it made me think about ways to use the things I enjoy doing (even as hobbies) as a basis for choosing my next job and career.

Roisin Reilly

16:51 18 Apr 24

Fardis Khan safi

09:44 17 Apr 24

civil engineering site management and site safety management inspection and management processes

Patrick MacGabhann

22:20 20 Mar 24

I really enjoyed working with Cathy and the advice she gave to me during the session. Cathy helped me get direction in the session with career choices and how I could narrow down different career options and what my priorities were. The career work book was good in terms of continuing in decision making for a career path. In the session Cathy was easy to talk to and gave me ideas while also listening to different suggestions I had to offer. The questionnaire gave us a good starting point where my skills may lie and we went from there. I would advice anyone who's looking for guidance for their career path to do it because it gives direction.

Sinead Ralph

14:43 18 Mar 24

Thank you so much Cathy, the session was so informative ,practical and useful. I feel much more confident exploring different career opportunities now and look forward to seeing where this will lead me in the future.

David Hickey

15:23 13 Mar 24

Really enjoyed working with Cathy. She was very organised for our session, did a lot of prep work, and the support she offered will stay with me for a long time. The appointment was thorough and extremely helpful. Cathy has a lovely, calming and positive personality. She was genuinely interested in helping me get the result I wanted. I would recommend her to everyone considering this option. Well worth the investment.

Paddy M

15:08 13 Mar 24

I had a zoom meeting with Cathy in order to help with a future career change. I went into the meeting with no plan or real idea on what I wanted to do or where to begin. I found her incredibly helpful and easy to talk with about my options and also really helped me think about career options that I would enjoy and that will suit my circumstances. Her friendly and open way of asking questions really got me thinking more in depth than I had before. I would highly recommend Cathy for anyone looking at a career change.The plan that Cathy made out after the zoom meeting I found very useful too. It really helped cement a plan to move forward. I couldn't have been happier.

Mike Seymour

11:43 07 Oct 23

I booked an online consultation with Cathy for support with interview preparation. It was a great learning experience and a very worthwhile exercise. I liked her approach and communication style. Cathy focused on the key areas where I sought assistance and delivered valuable advice as to how to improve on the process. Cathy provided a detailed summary of what was discussed after the meeting which also was very helpful. I would highly recommend Cathy to anyone looking to improve their interview skills and boost their confidence before attending an interview.

Clinz Buck

20:20 13 Apr 23

I reached out to Cathy for support with interview preparation. From the first point of contact, Cathy went above and beyond to help me achieve my goals. Throughout the process, I received swift and consistent contact from Cathy. She researched the role, designed possible interview questions, and coached me in using my current practical experiences to adequately answer questions I had previously believed were irrelevant. Before meeting Cathy at our 90 minute session, nerves had overtaken and I had decided not to attend my interview. Cathy encouraged me to chat things out with her & within minutes of our session my confidence had grown, nerves were reduced, and I was determined to attend the interview. Cathy worked on my mindset and provided resources for extra support. Cathy’s genuine interest and support for her clients is evident in her work. She checked in with me on the morning of the interview & days following it. I was thrilled to share I was offered the job! I would highly recommend Cathy's services.

Phoebe Webb

10:51 12 Feb 23

When I decided I wanted to work with a careers coach I actually found it quite hard to find someone who offered a practical service. A lot of career coaches that I came across were all about working with personal traits like building confidence. But as someone coming from such a mixed background of work, I was looking for a coach who was actually going to help me to define and realise what sort of jobs I should be looking for because I had no idea. Cathy helped me to narrow down my job search which has made my life SO much easier. The test and the following session were very helpful and enlightening and I left knowing which direction I should be going in. So for me Cathy did exactly what I wanted from a career coach (and more!) and because of this I would highly recommend her to anyone who wants some practical and useful career guidance.

Ellie Kenny

14:05 28 Jan 23

I really enjoyed my experience with Career Coach Me. Cathy was really helpful, she answered all of my questions and she made me a great action plan that really helped me to continue researching my career goals.

Noelia Zamora

11:31 03 Dec 22

Recently, I had the pleasure to have an interview coaching session with Cathy. Her excellent guidance helped me feel much more confident and landed me a job offer after the first interview.She taught me to structure the responses in a way that is easy to remember, gets right to the point, and makes you stand out from other candidates.She also supported me in improving my CV and deciding on a tough work problem.I couldn't recommend her services enough!

Gar L

15:50 24 Nov 22

I honestly can’t recommend Cathy high enough not only does she provide friendly professional and educated advice she really does listen to you and works tirelessly to helping you achieve that goal.

Eimear Duffy

11:16 13 Oct 22

I booked in with Cathy for the career report and debrief package. I would highly recommend for anyone who is thinking of changing their career. Cathy is such a lovely lady. She is so positive and easy to talk to. She suggested careers that I never would have thought of, and set me on the right path. I am very thankful that I booked in with her. Onwards and upwards from here.

Barry Lenahan

09:29 27 Jul 22

I signed up for interview skills with cathy to improve my overall structure and improve confidence in the interview stages . She helped massively on my pitch, preparation and interview style. I was successful in the interview and would highly recommend her services.

Aisling O'Toole

09:44 20 Jul 22

I booked slots with Cathy for a CV re-write and Interview Coaching and it's the best thing I ever did. I was always so close with interviews but someone always just beat me to the punch, since my session with Cathy I have had job offers internally and externally and I have now secured my dream role. Her advice made sure that I stood out from the crowd in what have been some really competitive interview processes, I was more relaxed and better able to cope with those questions that you can never prepare for. If you are thinking of booking a session with Cathy go for it, you will not regret it!

Peter Mc Mahon

20:34 18 Mar 22

I have attended several career coaching sessions with Cathy, and she is professional, caring and very good at what she does. I have always felt very comfortable with Cathy as she immediately puts you at ease and secure which is very important in coaching. She offers the right amount of support and gave me lots of advice about interview preparation which was very helpful. I would highly recommend Cathy for career coaching.

Niall

15:01 18 Mar 22

Cathy was brilliant to work with!I was at a cross roads in my career and I was looking to maximize the options available to me to ensure that my next step was the right one. Cathy provided great resources to help me identify what my main strengths are and different possible jobs that I could pursue based on this. Cathy provided great advice to help articulate what I want to do with my career.The best thing about this service is that Cathy asks the right questions to help you come to conclusions yourself. Before chatting with Cathy I didnt think I had too many career options available to me but afterwards I found that I have countless opportunities. If you are also at a cross roads or just unsure about the career options available to you then I 100% recommend Career Coach Me!

Rebecca Advani

22:43 25 Nov 21

Having not had an interview for 8 years, I asked Cathy for a 'refresher'! She prepared thoroughly for the session, and asked really relevant questions. Her feedback was detailed, but positive and encouraging at the same time. She also really helped with preparing me to be in the right mindset during an interview. I came away feeling confident that I could handle my upcoming interviews, and was offered the job I wanted. Thanks Cathy!

Antoinette Murphy

17:36 06 Oct 21

I got in touch with Cathy when I was invited to interview for a new job. After a few years out of the workplace and previously finding competency based interviews extremely difficult, I knew I needed some help. After booking an appointment via the website, Cathy sent on some info to prep with and confirmed our zoom appointment.By the day of my interview I actually felt like I could talk my away into any job, and I'm delighted to say that today I received confirmation that I was successful. This is definitely as a result of the confidence gained from an hour chatting with Cathy. I would highly recommend her service.

Dariana Tani

16:04 01 Oct 21

Working with Cathy has been amazing. I can’t thank her enough for her advice and help throughout my whole interview process. I would recommend Cathy to anyone. She is as great a person as she is a coach.

Greg Waters

10:49 28 Sep 21

I recently contacted Cathy at Career Coach Me to rewrite my CV but got so much more than this from our initial and subsequent calls. Cathy provided me with a CV rewrite, job application cover letter template and interview advice. Her ability to deep dive on one's own goals and objectives in terms of career pathways and then highlight these was for me, enlightening. Professional and efficient are two of the many traits evident in Cathy's approach to helping people in a positive way. Highly recommended.

Gillian

15:45 05 Jul 21

I highly recommend anyone who needs help with their CV, Cover Letter and interview prep to contact Cathy. A thorough professional, Cathy really took the time to go through my career history and understand the roles I want to apply for in order to build a fantastic CV and strong Cover Letter. Her interview prep is fantastic and it really helped me to go confidently in to a job interview which I'm delighted to say I was offered the job!

Edel Cribbin

10:17 30 Jun 21

Working with Cathy was what I hoped it would be but a lot more fun. I completed our sessions with a much clearer idea of what my options were and what I might like to do next. She also made it feel far more like an adventure than a crisis. I'd highly recommend her service, even for those of us who want assurance that they're where they're supposed to be.

Anna Walker

11:50 17 Jun 21

Absolutely wonderful. Cathy is amazing and I left our meeting with a clear picture of what I want to do with my life and how to get there! I went in having no idea or plan.She also emailed me everything we spoke about in the meeting so I have the noted to look back on.Would recommend her to anyone who is looking for a career change and has no idea where to start!She is very easy to talk to and made me feel so comfortable even though I was so anxious.Thanks so much again Cathy!

Emma Stack

10:19 16 Jun 21

Fantastic service provided by Cathy. Cathy was warm, approachable and extremely helpful. At the end of my work with Cathy I had an excellent action plan along with a clearer mindset in terms of my future career options and applying for postgraduate courses.I would highly recommended Cathy's services.

Jason O'D

13:24 11 Jun 21

Cathy was extremely helpful on getting me focused on achieving my perfect mind set for going into an interview and setting me at ease.Cathy helped me in every aspect of the interview from preparing to keeping focused on getting through.Cathy is always there for support and advice.Great service!!

Colm McCarthy

18:57 18 May 21

I would certainly recommend Cathy's CV services. She carries out an incredibly thorough level of research on both the role being applied for and her client's previous experience, and leaves no aspect overlooked. She then captures and showcases the client's strengths and talents brilliantly on the CV she writes.Her application and scheduling process is user-friendly and efficient. The consultation itself then is very insightful, inspiring and I came away from the experience significantly more confident.

Eanna Garvey

11:41 06 May 21

Fantastic service provided.Cathy was a pleasure to work with and set out a very helpful action plan.Would highly recommend.

Joanne Murphy

09:22 11 Apr 21

I'm currently undergoing a career change and consulted Cathy to help me to get some clarity around my future direction. I was impressed with how she was able to help me wade through the possibilities and to get clear by asking the right questions. I really appreciated her depth and range of knowledge, deep listening and genuine interest in helping me. I found the experience immensely helpful and would highly recommend Cathy's services and expertise.

Brian Farrelly

17:04 21 Mar 21

I was looking for someone to help me evaluate and develop my career plan and working strategy - and she 100% deliveredI would highly recommend her service - totally worthwhile!

Bobby Devery

16:22 08 Mar 21

Cathy's coaching has been absolutely fantastic. Over a couple of sessions, she really helped me to get a better understanding of what I was looking for in my career, and how to interview well to achieve it. I've been able to use that to start an exciting new career in a different field that I wouldn't have explored without her help. Her coaching is really thorough, she always focuses on the positives, and the feedback and action plans she provided me with were hugely motivating and helpful.

Jane B

11:45 22 Feb 21

Cathy took me through a mock interview and worked with me on both my content and presentation. I came away feeling very positive and will be much more focused in my preparation after our session. Her post session feedback is very comprehensive too, I was taking notes during the session but I see now that I didn't need to at all.

Sean Seymour

20:34 12 Feb 21

Excellent service.Adds alot of structure to your thoughts, and allows you to focus more on the task at hand.Would highly recommend!

Dávid Pákozdi

21:54 21 Oct 20

I talked to Cathy about a month ago on long-term career planning, how to respond to the changing circumstances in related to COVID, and specific opportunities. Her guidance was very reassuring and I feel I am on the right path. I can only recommend!

Catherine Gaffney

15:47 29 Sep 20

I had an extremely helpful Career Discussion with Cathy last week – I had been feeling a bit at sea, regarding future career directions, and it was brilliant to talk these through with her. She was very perceptive, insightful, focused and encouraging, and gave fantastic and generous guidance re. strategies and potential opportunities. Would definitely recommend!

Alan Fox

20:17 02 Sep 20

I've been working with Cathy as my Career Coach since December 2019. I'm very happy with the direction my Career has been taking lately as we continue to take action regularly towards my new exciting Business endeavors. It has been a great support working with Cathy, both through her interview preparations and coaching techniques but also the accountability sessions that we have as I move forward, regularly checking in with each other to set goals and sound off ideas.It has been a great experience. I can wholeheartedly recommend her services if you're looking for a change in your career path or need any of the other services she provides.

Bernadette Ryan

15:38 07 Aug 20

I found Cathy to be very helpful at refining my CV and cover letter and making it stand out from the crowd. Having the perspective of someone who is experienced in this area makes all the difference and means that I feel more empowered and supported when applying to new jobs. Cathy also gave me very good advice with regard to networking and very useful insights into what employers look for on CV's all of which I will be using now going forward to help me find the perfect job. I cannot recommend Cathy highly enough.

Aneta Zakrzewska

13:20 26 May 20

I really enjoyed working with Cathy . She is a friendly, helpful and kind coach.I quickly saw the benefits of her sessions as i was preparing for the interview process. I would recommend Cathy to anyone.

Rob Hunter

10:42 19 Mar 20

I have run my own business for the last three years but have found myself bored and looking for a total change but not quite being able to put my finger on what I wanted to do exactly. Only having vague ideas of indefinite job titles. I felt like when I was a kid and I said that I wanted to be a fixer, you know, who fixes things.I was looking extensively for a career counsellor and came across Cathy and Career Coach Me. I was extremely busy with work so the fact that I didn't have to go anywhere or take any time off was a big plus. After picking the option to have an hour consultation the process of booking it was effortless and you get email prompts of how to access the online video appointment. The program Cathy uses for the video call is really good, no annoying set up or anything. Just click the link and there you go.We talked about various things and I gave her my vague ideas of what I wanted to do and she always had the perfect question to get closer to the end decision.I was also applying to go to college as a mature student and she gave me a few tips for my CV. As the only CV I had was an electrical CV it was a completely different structure to what I needed for a college application. I wrote one and then booked another appointment with Cathy and The suggestions and fine tuning that she gave me was fantastic. The CV was completely different to what I would have written if left to my own devices.Cathy also said that I could send her on anything that came up in the application form that I was not sure of. I felt this was above and beyond what I would have expected from a service like this. But it was no bother to her at all. And when I emailed her to ask if she left a certain section of what I had written was too long(probably like this review) she got back to me straight away with more advice. It was in fact too long(a bit like this review).I would highly recommend booking an appointment with Cathy. It's all super simple and she is really easygoing and friendly whilst getting down to business at the same time. She has helped me no end and the return on investment is definitely worth it.

Brian Ó Néill

09:46 17 Feb 20

I was recently made redundant from my IT job. I was sending out CVs but wasn't getting many responses. I was referred to Cathy by a friend. I had an online consultation about my career history and where I am at. I then asked her to rewrite my CV. I had been doing my CV wrong! I have had a lot more interview's since I had it professionally done and was definitely worth the investment.Cathy is open, professional and extremely knowledgeable about career guidance. If you are looking for direction in your career or advice looking for work I would recommend contacting Career Coach Me, the initial call is free.

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