From restless ambition to confident career choice
Client Case Study: How Ayse redefined her career goals, secured a new leadership role, and found peace in a more grounded and spacious mindset.
Ayse (*) felt stuck balancing a demanding UN role, new motherhood, and a significant transition in workplace leadership. Her applications weren't gaining traction, which affected her confidence. The internal pressure to "get it right" for her family overwhelmed her.
"I was stagnating at work, making me anxious and stressed. I didn't know which direction to go in, and I felt like my profile wasn't a good fit for the jobs I wanted." – Ayse
Ayse wanted coaching support to find a role aligned with her long-term ambitions and her family's needs. But she also wanted tools to manage the stress and self-doubt that were taking up too much mental space.
In our sessions, we focused on building both clarity and confidence. Using structured tools like skills mapping and career prioritisation frameworks, Ayse re-examined what mattered most to her professionally and in her family life. She began to see her career not as a race but as a marathon.
But what began as a search for a job evolved into something deeper: a shift in how she thought about her career, capabilities, and overall well-being.
"Before, I saw my career as a sprint - I just had to get there. Coaching helped me slow down and take it step by step." – Ayse
We tackled the practical aspects of her ongoing job applications first. Mock interviews gave her a safe space to practise articulating her strengths and value add, and she began to see how much she had to offer. The shift was immediate: She felt more prepared and grounded. Her interview responses became sharper and more confident. She began receiving responses to her applications and advanced in competitive recruitment pools, including being selected for the Chief of Mission pathway.
Coaching helped her develop new habits, such as taking a pause when stressed, setting firmer boundaries with colleagues and reflecting on her priorities with more perspective. Ayse appreciated the practical nature of our sessions: she loved having small, specific tools to work with between calls. Whether it was a visualisation exercise, a skills-mapping worksheet, or a reminder to take five-minute breathing breaks, these became part of her week - and gradually shifted her energy.
But the bigger shift was internal. At the start of coaching, Ayse believed that if she didn't land a specific role in a new region, she and her family would be disappointed. Over time, that softened. Ayse began to see her career differently. She realised it wasn't a sprint but a marathon. She no longer felt she had to chase the ideal job to prove something. Instead, she was able to weigh her options with calm and clarity. She began to explore other paths, including staying put and taking a different approach.
In the end, Ayse accepted a leadership role at her current duty station, one she had initially dismissed. It ticked the boxes she hadn't allowed herself to prioritise stability, growth, and alignment with her family's needs.
"I thought I'd only be happy with one particular role. But coaching helped me see that my priorities had changed." – Ayse
By the end of our work together,
Ayse had secured a new leadership role at her current duty station - one that, months earlier, she wouldn't have considered, but now she feels exactly right. She no longer views staying as "settling." Instead, she built self-trust, made space for what matters most, and made a decision from that viewpoint.
She successfully entered the highly competitive UN Chief of Mission pool.
She feels more resilient, more confident in her communication, and more relaxed in approaching her work and future.
What began as a frantic search for something different led to a calm, considered choice rooted in her values and circumstances. She now sees her journey not as settling, but as choosing with intention.
"I don't feel that restless anymore. I'm no longer chasing. I'm choosing what fits - for me, for now." – Ayse.
Ayse took part in my Your Next Chapter journey. This journey utilises my 4-part framework to support global professionals in social impact in clarifying their next steps while developing the inner skills to make it happen*.*
Book your free discovery call to discuss your career challenge. We'll identify your biggest challenge, what overcoming this might look like and if we're a fit for each other.
(*) name and important details changed to protect anonymity.
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