Career Coaches Workshop

Hosted by UCLA Alumni Career Engagement, these workshops presented by professional career coaches tap into their expertise in helping people make decisions and plan career directions. This page lists upcoming online workshops. Scroll to the bottom to access recordings of past workshops. For additional career development workshops, visit the UCLA Alumni YouTube page.

Thriving in the Gap: How to Make the Most of a Survival Job Without Getting Stuck With Markell Morris

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 | Noon PT

Many professionals take “bridge” jobs out of necessity, after a layoff, career disruption or while re-tooling for more meaningful work. While these roles can provide stability, they can also quietly stall long-term career progress.

In this practical, experience-based webinar, career counselor Markell R. Morris, M.A., NCC, DCC shares real-world strategies drawn directly from job seekers who successfully used survival jobs as stepping stones, rather than dead ends. Participants will learn how to reframe their mindset, leverage everyday work experiences and strengthen their network to intentionally plan their next move and avoid burning out or losing momentum.

This session is ideal for mid-career and late-career professionals navigating transition, as well as recent graduates balancing financial realities with long-term career goals.

Register

Beyond the Algorithm: How to Get Noticed When Everyone Is Using AI With Armine Kulikyan

Wednesday, July 15, 2026  | 6 p.m. PT

In an era where nearly every job seeker is using AI to help with job applications, many candidates worry that their applications aren’t being seen or that they sound just like everyone else. This workshop teaches UCLA alumni how to use AI strategically to stand out, not blend in.

Participants will learn how employers use AI in hiring, how to avoid generic AI-generated language and how to enhance their unique professional voice through smarter prompting. We’ll walk through practical tools for tailoring applications, strengthening LinkedIn visibility and using AI to accelerate—not replace—the human elements that make a candidate memorable. Participants will leave with three actionable steps they can take in the next month to elevate their job search using AI.

Register

Working Hard Isn’t Enough: The Unspoken Rules That Shape Your Career With Ricky Koo ’09

Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026 | Noon PT

As a first-generation immigrant, career coach Ricky Koo was taught to work hard, stay humble and let results speak. Sound familiar?
Here’s the thing: You can be great at your job and still be misunderstood, overlooked or underestimated.

In this webinar, Ricky Koo — a first-generation immigrant who rose through the ranks to become a corporate executive before building his own professional coaching business — breaks down what actually shapes how you’re perceived at work, and how to take control of your professional narrative without being fake, loud or political in ways that feel misaligned. This isn’t about self-promotion. It’s about self-definition.

In this webinar, you’ll learn how to:

• Define your professional brand clearly — so others stop guessing your value or mislabeling your intent

• Advocate for yourself without feeling awkward or “bragging”, even if you’ve been taught to keep your head down

• Navigate workplace dynamics with confidence, instead of pretending they don’t exist (because ignoring them is a strategy — and usually a costly one)

• Stay grounded in your worth during high-pressure moments, so stress, feedback or hierarchy don’t shake how you show up

Regardless of your career level or what industry you work in, this session can help you develop your skills in self advocacy and intentional branding, refine your voice and create lasting impact.

Register

When Traditional Career Advice Doesn't Fit Your Brain: ADHD at Work With Kelly George

Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026 ǀ Noon PT

Many professionals with ADHD feel like they’re not living up to their potential at work, but aren’t always sure why. Challenges with focus, follow-through, communication and managing competing demands can impact performance, even when ability is not the issue. 

This session offers a practical approach to understanding and navigating ADHD in the workplace. Participants will learn how these patterns show up day to day, how they affect productivity and collaboration, and what to do about them. It will delve into strategies for managing focus and follow-through, as well as identifying or adapting to work environments that better support how you function. 

Rather than relying on generic productivity advice, this workshop will examine tools that reflect how ADHD operates in professional settings. Participants will leave with the ability to recognize how ADHD impacts their work and strategies to work with it more effectively. Whether you are formally diagnosed with ADHD, pursuing an ADHD diagnosis, supporting a loved one or colleague with ADHD, or are simply interested in learning more about this topic, this session is open to everyone.

Register

The Mindful U: Finding Calm, Clarity + Connection in a Chaotic World With Jessica Sanam Hekmat, MBA ’10

Thursday, Sept. 30, 2025 | Noon PT

This interactive session led by career coach Jessica Sanam Hekmat invites participants to pause and reset to cultivate presence and self-awareness while navigating professional and personal demands. We’ll explore practical mindfulness tools and reflective prompts designed to foster resilience, regulate stress and re-energize focus. The conversation will balance strategy and self-inquiry, and we'll ground together in real time through guided breath work, reflection and visualization. Participants will leave with practical ways to reconnect to their values and sense of purpose, even when the external environment feels unpredictable.

Register

Taking Charge of Change: Five Fundamental Truths for Mastering the Chaos of Life With Jim Hjort ’94

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026 | Noon PT

Change is the only constant in life, and every day we are called to reckon with this. Today it may be most apparent to you in national or global tumult, a career pivot you’re contemplating or relationship dynamics you’re struggling to tweak or adapt to.

However it shows up, you can count on the rug continuing to shift beneath your feet. And your brain really doesn’t like that, at least by default. In its frenzy to find stability today, it will leap to ways of thinking and behaving that will leave you feeling even more stuck, stifled, and afraid tomorrow. Yet, if you are inclined toward personal growth, you can use the tidal forces of change to propel you to ever-greater wisdom, inner stability and even growth.

In this session with Jim Hjort, an executive and career coach, personal development trainer and licensed psychotherapist, you’ll learn:

• Why your inner critic and pessimist is actually a key part of your team

• Why you may do all the “right” things, while feeling less and less satisfied with your life

• How to look beneath the surface of your life story to identify what makes you feel truly alive—so you can have more of that

• Communication skills to help you show up for yourself first, so you can show up whole and healthy for anyone else you want in your life

• How to not just survive chaos and uncertainty, but embrace it as the essential journey of your life

Register

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Past Career Coaches Workshop Recordings

Influence Matters: Tools for Managing Up, Across and Down With Mollie Stephens, M.S.W. ’16, M.P.P. ’16

Wednesday, April 29, 2026 | Noon PT

Many mid-career professionals find themselves carrying significant responsibility — often without clear authority, sufficient support, or access to best practices or training.

In today's fast-changing impact-focused workplaces, influence is no longer about hierarchy. It's about clarity, trust, relational intelligence and the ability to reduce friction while advancing meaningful work. 

However, influence does not happen in a vacuum. It is shaped by identity, role, history and systems of power and privilege. Join career coach Mollie Stephens for a virtual session that acknowledges those dynamics and offers grounded tools for navigating them with clarity, integrity and courage.

In this session, you will:

• Commit to one concrete step that increases their impact this week
• Identify where influence feels stuck, draining or unclear in their current role
• Strengthen clarity and alignment with teams and stakeholders
• Navigate influence across differences in identity, authority and access
• Apply simple tools to manage across peers without formal authority

Watch the Recording

How to Give and Receive Feedback For Maximum Growth With Amanda Jaggard

Wednesday, April 8, 2026 | Noon PT

It is often said that, “feedback is a gift.” But whether we are on the giving or receiving end, we don’t always feel that way about it.

What if we became masterful at sharing our feedback with others in ways that truly occurred as a gift, coming from a place of advocacy? What if we became masterful at receiving feedback, leveraging any feedback we receive for our good and our growth? In this virtual session, career coach Amanda Jaggard will share practical principles for turning feedback into a non-negotiable tool for ourselves and our teams so that it truly is a gift we both receive and give.

Watch the Recording

Job Search Strategies: Staying Motivated in a Challenging Market With Emily Baxt ’92

Wednesday, March 18, 2026 | Noon PT

Are you feeling discouraged in this job market? Join Emily Baxt ‘92, career coach and workplace consultant, as she shares strategies for developing a sense of progress and motivation in your job search. Send your questions in advance via the registration form--the second half of the hour will be spent responding to your specific challenges.

Watch the Recording

Planting Today for Future Successes: Why This Moment Matters for Career Meaning and Momentum With Bill Benson ’87

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026 | Noon PT

Feeling stalled in your career? Uninspired by the same routines? Wondering if it’s too late (or too early) to make a move?

As we head into spring, this webinar offers a timely reset for anyone navigating career crossroads, recovering from a layoff or simply feeling professionally “off.” Now is the moment to stop waiting for clarity, and start planning for it.

Join therapist, author, and UCLA alum Bill Benson for a dynamic session that blends practical psychology, career strategy and emotional resilience. You’ll learn how to work with the natural cycles of change (not fight them), and discover simple mindset shifts that turn stagnation into growth - even when the job market feels tight and motivation is running low.

Whether you're rethinking your role, reinventing your path or reigniting your purpose, this workshop will give you the psychological tools to move forward - with intention and meaning.

Watch the Recording

Reclaim Your Time With Sami Toussi ’11

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026 | Noon PT

Many people are entering 2026 already feeling behind. 

Between rapid advances in AI, a fluctuating job market and economic uncertainty, it is easy to feel reactive. Days get filled responding to what is urgent, leaving little time to step back, reflect and intentionally decide what matters most. 

This interactive session is designed for those who have not yet had the time or mental bandwidth to properly reflect, set goals or create a clear plan for the year ahead and do not want another year running on autopilot.

Rather than a traditional webinar, this session is an immersive working experience using Sami Toussi's trademarked RPP framework (Reflect, Plan, Prioritize). Participants will actively work through guided exercises using fillable workbooks provided during the session. 

This session is especially valuable for those who feel capable but stretched, unfocused and ready to take back ownership of their time and direction.

Watch the Recording

Life Management Hacks: Aligning Your Time, Energy and Priorities With Jessica Hekmat, MBA '10

Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025 | Noon PDT

Join Jessica Sanam Hekmat, MBA ’10, brand strategist, business consultant and career exploration coach, for a conversation on redefining productivity and fulfillment. Forget the myth of work-life balance — this session will help you reframe how you manage your time, energy and commitments in alignment with your evolving values and priorities. Learn how to navigate the seasons of your life and career with intentionality, ensuring that your efforts lead to both efficiency and fulfillment.

This workshop will explore:

• Life Management vs. Time Management — why efficiency alone won’t make you feel fulfilled
• Redefining Success — integrating personal and professional wins for a sustainable, purpose-driven life
• The Power of Prioritization — focusing on what truly moves the needle
• Making Room for What Matters — simple shifts to reclaim energy and reduce overwhelm

If you feel stretched thin, constantly busy but not necessarily fulfilled, or like you’re always chasing the next task, this session is for you.

The Intentional You: Using Authenticity to Thrive in Your Career With Ricky Koo ’09

Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 | Noon PDT

In a rapidly changing world dominated by noise, information overload and pressures of conformity, self-worth and authenticity have become even more critical in the workplace across all levels. Join us for an inspiring webinar as we delve into the art of being intentional with your authenticity and how to leverage that towards personal and professional success. Drawing inspiration from real-life stories and psychology insights, Leadership and communication coach Ricky Koo will offer practical strategies to guide you on a journey to realize the power of self-branding.

Learn how to align your actions with your values, while being intentional about creating a genuine and compelling self-brand that will allow you to take charge of your life and career. As a queer immigrant turned corporate executive and business owner, Koo navigated that challenging path towards leadership across multiple industries including tech. Now as a professional coach, he will share practical guidance to empower you to have a happy, purposeful life and career, without sacrificing your authenticity.

Mastering LinkedIn: Building Your Personal Brand and Unlocking Networking Opportunities With  Armine Kulikyan

Thursday, July 31, 2025 | 6 p.m. PDT

Join us for an engaging workshop on personal branding and networking on LinkedIn, where you'll learn how to craft a compelling profile, enhance your online presence and build meaningful professional connections. Whether you're looking to advance your career, grow your business or expand your network, this session will provide practical strategies and tips for standing out on LinkedIn and making lasting, valuable connections.

Rediscover Your Career Spark With Markell Morris

Thursday, June 26, 2025  | Noon PDT

Today’s professional landscape is evolving faster than ever, leaving many seasoned professionals questioning their career direction. If you’re feeling uncertain, uninspired or unsure how to move forward, this workshop can help. Together, we’ll explore proven techniques to identify your strengths, clarify your goals and chart a realistic path forward. You’ll gain tools to adapt to constant change while prioritizing what matters most — whether it’s finding balance, overcoming burnout or reigniting your passion for your work. Join us to regain control of your career and embrace your next chapter with confidence.

Watch the Recording

Working It Out: Attachment Trauma, Healing and Growth in Your Career and Everywhere With Jim Hjort ’94

Thursday, May 29, 2025 | 6 p.m. PDT

As popular as it may be, “work-life balance” is an oversimplified concept. Our happiness depends on us being whole and integrated, not split and compartmentalized. Plus, the physical, psychological, social and vocational domains of our life necessarily influence each other. Unfortunately, this interdependence means that the effects of trauma can ripple through our lives in unexpected ways. 

Unresolved attachment trauma — early experiences that deprived us of the sense of being safe, secure and loved just as we are — colors our view of ourselves and what we want, and keeps us from experiencing what we’re really capable of, at work and everywhere else. 

In this talk, we’ll explore the signs that trauma is affecting your career trajectory (or, that vocational trauma is spilling into other areas of life), and how you can begin to effect lasting change and healing, and much more.

Watch the Recording

Build a Resilient Career: Define Your Brand and Expand Your Career Options With Susan Chang ’93

Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | Noon PDT

In today’s ever-changing job market, resilience is key to success. This workshop will guide you in identifying your unique strengths, leveraging transferable skills and embracing growth opportunities. You’ll gain practical strategies to adapt, excel and explore diverse career paths, from side gigs to entrepreneurship, ensuring you stay ahead in your career journey.

What You’ll Learn:

• Expanding Career Horizons: Learn how to use side gigs, freelancing and entrepreneurial ventures as pathways to build skills and uncover new opportunities.
• Tapping Into Your Strengths: Discover how to identify and effectively showcase your unique strengths to align with your ideal role.
• Lifelong Professional Growth: Explore actionable strategies for continuous learning and skill development to remain competitive in any field.

Ask the Career Coach: Job Search Tips, Questions and Answers With Emily Baxt ’92

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | Noon PDT

Join Emily Baxt, career coach and workplace consultant, as she shares 10 minutes of her favorite job search strategies and then answers your questions.  You can send your questions in advance on topics like job search strategies, résumés, LinkedIn, networking, changing careers and negotiating. We will also take questions via the chat during the webinar.

Your Business Breakthrough in 60 Minutes With Sami Toussi ’11

Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 | Noon PST

This isn’t your typical webinar — it’s a focused, hands-on session designed to help you tap into your ideal client’s needs and craft solutions that stand out. Through guided prompts and journaling, you’ll reflect, brainstorm and capture actionable ideas in a fillable document designed to keep you accountable long after the session ends. Whether you’re just starting, refining or scaling, you’ll leave with clarity, confidence and a personalized plan to move forward in 2025. Don’t miss this chance to create a business breakthrough!

Watch the Recording

Impactful Communication: Going Beyond Words With Ricky Koo ’09

Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 | Noon PST

This is an interactive opportunity to hone the skills needed for impactful communication and collaboration with leaders on all levels. You will learn a unique communication framework designed for you to articulate your message with confidence, while being mindful of your audience and driving towards a clear outcome. Through practical real-world scenarios, attendees will gain insights into effective communication strategies as well as access to Ricky Koo's Impactful Communication template. After this session, you will be able to position yourself as a valuable thought-leader through effective communication, all while remaining your authentic self.

Watch the Recording

Back to You: Reconnecting With Your Purpose and Ambitions With Jessica Hekmat, MBA '10

Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 | Noon PDT

Join Jessica Sanam Hekmat, brand strategist, business consultant and career exploration coach, for a discussion on the power and limitations of our assumed identities. Through this session you will reevaluate your values and commitments, to empower you to create authentic alignment to launch your next move.

Watch the Recording

Tips for Success: Navigating and Thriving in Your Career Transition With Jane Chongchit Houston ’04

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024 | Noon PDT

Have you accepted a new position, been promoted or are planning to take on a new career challenge? Join our workshop to learn how to navigate change and thrive. Gain insights on aligning your unique skills to the organization. Learn to avoid the pitfalls of change and embrace the opportunities in your new transition.  

Join Jane Chongchit Houston ’04, executive career coach and former U.S. diplomat for tips and strategies on how to prepare for a successful career transition. 

In this workshop you will learn:  

• How awareness of your strengths and priorities will set you up for success
• How listening to understand will help you discover hidden opportunities and potential pitfalls
• How being fully present will give you a sense of control and help you set work/life boundaries
• How building strong personal relationships will lay the foundation for career growth

Watch the Recording

Leveraging AI for Career Growth and Opportunities With Susan Chang ’93

Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024 | Noon PDT

Explore how you can harness AI to advance and future-proof your career in both technical and non-technical professions. Learn the in-demand AI skills that employers seek, discover innovative ways to apply AI no matter your profession, and how to leverage existing resources to reach your career goals. Join career coach, talent management consultant and UCLA alumna, Susan Chang, for a discussion on how you can empower your professional journey in an AI-driven world.

This session will address:

• In-demand AI skills that will set you apart in the job market
• Integrating AI into your current role for career growth
• AI-powered job searching and networking tactics
• How AI is shaping careers across industry sectors

Watch the Recording

Supporting Your LGBTQ Colleagues In the Workplace With Kevin Medina, M.S.W. ʼ16, M.P.P. ʼ16

Wednesday, June 26, 2024 | Noon PDT

While many companies have advanced their DEI policies in recent years, LGBTQ professionals continue to face unique challenges based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. In this webinar, Kevin Medina, will cover gender and sexuality terminology and frameworks, and provide tangible strategies to support prospective and current LGBTQ employees. 

Watch the Recording

Mastering Your Business Model with Sami Toussi ’11

Tuesday, June 4, 2024 | Noon PDT

Calling all entrepreneurs! Whether embarking on a new venture or steering an existing ship, find the key to prosperity in this workshop with career strategist and alumna, Sami Toussi. For new business owners, it's a compass for establishing a robust foundation, while existing business owners benefit from a strategic tune-up to reassess, refine, and optimize their models. Join Sami on this transformative journey, unlocking the potential of a well-crafted business model for success in any entrepreneurial landscape.

Watch the Recording

Three Tools to Thrive As a First Gen Professional With Paula Amezola, M.P.H. ’02

Wednesday, May 1, 2024 | Noon PDT

In this workshop, participants will explore three evidence-based strategies essential for navigating the complexities of being first gen professional trailblazers; assessing awareness, practicing positivity and shifting to a resilient mindset. These strategies collectively serve as a blueprint for first gen professionals to liberate themselves from constraints, overcome obstacles and thrive in their professional journey. Join us to unlock the genius within, as we explore actionable practices to flourish in the ever-evolving workforce landscape.

Uncover Your Passion and Design a Career You Love With Markell Morris

Thursday, April 18, 2024 | Noon PDT

Are you at a career crossroads wondering what to do next? This session will introduce you to actions you can take to create a road map for pursuing your desired career. It will guide you to how to gain personal insight, get a reality check and chart a career path. You'll learn about what motivates you to perform your best, explore viable career options, research realistic opportunities, and plan for a successful job search or transition.Uncover the step-by-step process that will help you design a career on your own terms.

In this session you will learn:

• A clear step-by-step roadmap that outlines exactly what to do in your career change
• Specific strategies and techniques for gaining clarity, getting good career information and charting a career path
• Resources for career information, guidance and support to launch your career change

Watch the Recording

Your Moment of Truth: Finding Clarity in Your Career (and Life) in Uncertain Times With Jim Hjort ’94

Thursday, March 21, 2024 | 6 p.m. PDT

Whether you’re facing an unexpected career disruption, contemplating making a change, or just feeling a touch stagnant or uninspired, this session is for you. Jim Hjort, LCSW, an executive and career coach and licensed psychotherapist, will give you the knowledge and tools you need to respond to vocational stress in a way that promotes not only your long-term career growth and satisfaction, but your movement along the path to self-actualization. 

In this session you will learn how to:

• Understand your career as a crucial contributor to your happiness as a person
• Make wise choices even in the midst of anxiety and uncertainty
• Identify and de-power the powerful, and often false, thoughts and beliefs that keep you stuck
• Use tools based in psychology and motivational science, so you can make real, consistent, progress toward your career and life goals

Watch the Recording

Jump Back In: Successfully Returning to Work After an Extended Career Break With Emily Baxt ’92

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024 | Noon PST

Even the most accomplished college-educated professionals can doubt their value in the workforce after an extended leave for parenting, caregiving, health, or other reasons. Join Emily Baxt, leadership development facilitator and career coach, to discuss common issues and concerns, effective action steps, and relevant resources for stay-at-home parents (and others) navigating the transition back to work. 

In this session you will:

• Learn strategies to build your confidence
• Discover ways to identify your past successes and current strengths
• Choose specific job search tactics to move you forward'

Watch the Recording

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Career Coaches Workshop Recordings Archives