James O'halloran - certified b corp

Career Coaching Services in Bristol & Online

Are you feeling stuck in your career, burnt out at work, or simply unsure which direction to take next? You’re not alone. Many people reach a point where work no longer feels aligned with who they are. Through career coaching in Bristol and online across the UK, I help people find clarity, confidence, and purpose so they can build a working life that feels more fulfilling.

What is Career Coaching and how can it help you?

Career coaching is about creating space to pause, reflect, and make conscious choices about your professional life.

Instead of telling you what to do, I’ll work with you to uncover your strengths, clarify your values, and explore the possibilities that lie ahead.

From there, we create a practical plan to help you move forward with confidence.

As a career coach in Bristol, I work with people at all stages: from graduates taking their first steps, to mid-career professionals considering change, to leaders navigating new responsibilities or those planning for retirement.

The process is structured but flexible, always centred on what you need most.

Is Career Coaching right for you?

For many of my clients, the common thread is that something feels “off” in their work. Sometimes it’s exhaustion from long hours and stress. Sometimes it’s the sense of being stuck in a role that doesn’t fit. Others are facing redundancy, or stepping into a new chapter –or wanting to– and unsure how to navigate it.

You might be early in your career and feeling pressure to choose the “right” path. Or perhaps you’ve already achieved success on paper, but it doesn’t feel satisfying or sustainable. By working with me, I offer a space to untangle these feelings and turn them into clear, practical next steps. We’ll figure it out together and then make a plan that’ll intercept the vision I’ve helped you uncover.

What You’ll Gain From Career Coaching

The real value of coaching is in the shifts it creates, in both how you see yourself and how you act in the world.

Clients often describe walking away with a renewed sense of clarity about their goals, along with greater confidence in their own abilities.

Together we’ll explore what matters most to you, and develop strategies to help you move towards work that feels both purposeful and sustainable. Work that you truly love doing.

Yes, there are practical outcomes, a review of what’s worked for you and what hasn’t, clarity on your strengths and USP (unique selling proposition), a compelling vision for your career) but there’s also something deeper.

Coaching can help you rediscover motivation, build resilience in the face of challenges, and create a working life that feels aligned with who you are.

Success Stories From Clients in Bristol & Beyond

I’ve worked with people from a wide range of industries and backgrounds, but the results often share a common theme: more confidence, more clarity, and more balance.

Jessica came to me unsure how to pivot her marketing career. After just one session she left with concrete steps that helped her move in a more meaningful direction.

Beth was struggling with anxiety and fear about the future. Within three sessions she noticed a huge shift, feeling more productive and more excited about her life.

Bryan had been caught in a cycle of working hard, burning out, and becoming unhappy. Coaching gave him the tools to break that pattern and move into a role that truly suits his values, transforming both his career and wellbeing.

These are just a few examples of what can change when you give yourself the space to be supported. Read these testimonials and more here.

After just one session with James, I walked away with a handful of actionable steps to pivot my career in a meaningful way and develop my passions. I came to James with some overwhelm over all the options for pivoting my marketing career into something more aligned with where I want to be someday. The conversation was inspiring, exploratory, and connected some dots that I've been struggling to connect. James is a great listener, makes you feel comfortable coming as you are (and crying if you need to!), and highlights your unique strengths. Perfect blend of practical, personal, and business-minded. I would highly recommend getting yourself into his ecosystem and trying coaching with him. Thanks, James! 🫶

Jessica Vaillancourt

I was in a pretty bad way when I first met James but from just 3 sessions I noticed a huge shift in my fear and anxiety. With his encouragement and support I have become more productive to achieve a life I am genuinely excited and aligned with.

Beth Stewart

Before working with James I never really knew what made me tick from a work perspective. I kept going through a cycle of working hard, succeeding, burning out and becoming unhappy. James helped me navigate through and break this cycle during our sessions together, really getting into details on what work means to me, how I approach work and what needed to change to break that cycle. I now find myself in a role far more suited to these core values, which has had a really positive effect on my mental health and overall well-being. There are no silver bullets, and this is ongoing work, but James has given me the tools to navigate through what was previously holding me back. If any of this resonates with you reach out to James - you won't regret it.

Bryan Walsh

“From my first session, James helped me find the space to think clearly. By signposting me to some great tools, he helped me identify my transferrable skills and talents and how best to put them to use. During our sessions James reflected back to me so I could get clarity on my thought processes, both positive and negative, and really understand myself as well as how I come across to others. This was extremely enlightening. James flexible approach ensured that I got what I needed from each session including providing excellent summaries of our conversations afterwards so I could follow up consistently. Over the course of our coaching James helped me regain my confidence and figure out how to move forward. I highly recommend James’ coaching for people who want help identifying their talents and to regain their sense of direction and find the confidence to move forward.”

Nicola (Huntley) AingerSenior Project Manager

Why Work With Me as Your Career Coach in Bristol

I know what it feels like to stand at a crossroads. My own career has taken me from programming in Silicon Valley at 20, to designing furniture, to building startups, to retraining more than once. Coaching became my path because I realised what I cared about most was helping people feel more alive in their work.

I’ve combined that lived experience with training, psychology, and years of coaching practice. As a certified B Corp, I also hold myself accountable to high ethical standards, because I believe the way we do business and where we spend our working life matters.

What sets my approach apart is that it’s both practical and human. I’ll challenge you, but also support you. We’ll explore big-picture questions, but also map out concrete next steps. And whether you want to meet in person in Bristol or connect online, the process is designed to fit around your life.

Start Your Career Coaching Journey Today

Sometimes the hardest part of change is taking the first step. That’s why I offer a free taster session – a low-pressure way to experience coaching and see if it feels right for you. We can meet in Bristol or online, whichever works best.

It’s just a conversation, but it could be the start of something bigger. If you’re ready to explore what a more fulfilling career could look like, I’d love to hear from you.

FAQs

How many sessions will I need?

It depends on your goals. Some people feel a big shift in just a few sessions, while others choose longer-term support. Most get what they need in about 8 sessions.

What’s the difference between career coaching and counselling?

Counselling often focuses on healing the past. Coaching is more about looking ahead: understanding your strengths, setting goals, and taking action. It’s common with my type of coaching that we’ll address and heal some of the past too. There is a strong focus on practical next steps that will meaningfully change your future.

Can I do career coaching online instead of in person?

Yes. Many clients prefer online coaching and find it just as effective as meeting in person.

But I am not clear what my goals are, can career coaching still help me?

Absolutely. I never assume that anyone will have it all figured out. This is a big part of my role… to help you learn who you are, figure out what that might look like in your future.

Will it be scary, will I have to take a huge plunge?

I am a big fan of experimentation. Once we have some clear ideas about what may be a great future for you we can design small manageable experiments in order to test out this future before you commit to a massive change. Testing things out in a low risk way not only builds confidence it also provides the evidence we need for effective decision making. For example some people may decide to retrain for a few years in order to access another career. It’s a good idea to bring this out of the mind and into reality first otherwise you might end up in the same place again feeling stuck in the wrong place.