If you want personal assistance or advice I can work with you on CV and LinkedIn updates to accurately reflect your value and experience, or provide customised coaching to meet your specific needs and situation.

Cntact me at shirley@elementum.co.nz  or call 0220474475

About me

My areas of experience: leadership and management, software testing, business analysis, agile, coaching, editing and proofreading, documentation, customer support, working in corporates and start ups, mentoring, volunteering, conference organising, working in “legacy”/traditional environments, diversity and inclusivity.

I have lots of experience working in IT, and I love helping people who work in Tech roles to get more of what they want at work.

I began coaching as a side gig after a 20 year career in Tech in many roles, companies and industries. Throughout my career I saw a pattern emerge: often, employers struggle to attract and retain staff, while many employees struggle to get the development opportunities they want. At the same time, ways of working are changing and emerging tech is creating new opportunities.  We need ways to navigate this evolving ‘future of work’.

Passionate about the Tech sector, I decided I wanted to contribute to the industry through providing career coaching and training.

I’m here to support and encourage tech professionals who want to change and grow.

I have a saying that underpins all the work I do: I believe in you and I haven’t even met you yet. I know everyone is capable of achieving so much – sometimes we all just need a little help along the way. I’m here to provide that support.

I understand the frustrations and difficulties, and rewards and awesome perks that come with Tech roles. My goal is to help people overcome personal and professional challenges, so that they can be their best and thrive at work.

Outside of this coaching, in 2019 I completed a Masters degree (Technological Futures) and I consult on agile ways of working. I’m the local co-organiser for the Auckland Women in Tech meetup (that I co-founded)  and I volunteer with a few programmes that inspire and educate young people about a future in Tech. I enjoy presenting at meetups and conferences, and writing.

CV & LinkedIn updates

If your CV isn’t getting you interviews then it may not be accurately describing your value, skills and experience. It’s the same for your LinkedIn profile –  both it and your CV should demonstrate to recruiters and hiring managers that you are a worthy candidate. Having a good LinkedIn presence also improves how you are viewed within your work community. If you would like to showcase your skills and experience, I can help.

Make an investment in your career. Book a 90-minute session and get:

  • One-on-one time with me, Shirley. I’ve worked in Tech for over 20 years, I’ve been in a wide range of roles and have lots of experience reviewing CV’s, and hiring, assessing, coaching and working with people in Tech. I’m a native English speaker and I have experience writing articles and editing.

  • I’ll help you to figure out the things you really want your CV and LinkedIn profile to say.

  • We’ll review your CV and LinkedIn profile and you’ll leave with:

    • A list of changes you could make so both are user-friendly and demonstrate your value.

    • Tips on how to present yourself during an interview.

    • Advice that relates to the New Zealand work environment.

Ready to take the next step? Contact me at shirley@elementum.co.nz. I work with a range of clients, from potential immigrants based overseas, to people already working in New Zealand.

After the first session, you can choose to continue working with me on things like:

  • Revamping your CV and cover letter for a specific role, job or company.

  • Making edits to your LinkedIn profile.

  • Helping with your job search.

  • Interview tips and skills.

  • Support during negotiations,

  • Anything to do with job searching or applying for a new role.

Customised coaching

Coaching is all about you and sessions are tailored specifically to whatever you need. We help you overcome challenges, reach your goals and take charge of your career. You can shortcut your growth by learning from someone experienced in what you’re going through.

Coaching will help you:

  • Make a good impression in a new role

  • Get more of what you want from your career

  • Improve your confidence and do great work

What does coaching involve?

  • We meet by by phone or online or in person

  • Sessions are usually 30 – 60 minutes long

  • Sessions can be ad hoc or regular – whatever you need

Many companies pay for their staff to have independent coaching. Contact me if you’d like help asking your company for this.

Here’s some of the ways people have benefitted from coaching:

  • Becoming an effective leader

  • Improved communication and listening skills

  • Salary and offer negotiations

  • Job search strategies

  • Strategies for dealing with stress at work

  • Preparation for an important interview

  • Tips to be effective and productive

You aren’t alone in your career journey. I’m here to help, encourage and support you along the way.

Client Feedback

What do you want to be different? I’ve helped people get better roles, more money, less stress and more confidence. Contact me if opportunities or skills you want, if you’re looking for a new or improved role, or if you just need unbiased, independent advice relating to your career. For some people, just 1 session is all they need. Others prefer to check in every month or two so they can keep moving forward.

Here’s what some of my clients have said …

“Shirley helped me land my dream job. She helped me focus and organise myself by offering practical tips and techniques. She helped me tweak my CV so that it highlighted the parts of my skills that related to the job I was looking for. I valued her input greatly. She was energetic, open and fun to deal with. I would highly recommend some one on one time with Shirley if you are looking for your next career move.”

“Thank you so much. It’s been an eye opening experience working with you on my CV.”

“Imagine a situation where you have landed in a totally new country and you have no idea about work culture or local experience and on top of that you have a break of 5 years in your career. I met Shirley in the this situation. She helped me gain confidence and strengthen my strengths and weaken my weaknesses. She helped me to redesign my CV, Cover Letter and LinkedIn profile. The outcome was that in no more than 3 months I got 2 job offers. I feel really lucky that I met her.”

“I loved the really practical advice. I got off the call with a list of things I could do to make a difference to my profile in the market right away.”

“Working with Shirley helps me focus on my own development goals, not just my employer’s needs. Sharing my thoughts in safety helps me clarify ideas and makes my goals more real.”

“I loved the support and encouragement that you gave to me. you filled me with confidence…and gave me excellent pointers to enable me to achieve my goal. You are warm, encouraging, experienced and extremely supportive. I would recommend your guidance to whomever needed it.”

“Thank you very much…my CV and cover letter documents are in better shape and it was an absolutely wonderful learning exercise working with you.”

“Shirley is an awesome Career Advisor. Her career advice and years of professional experience in IT has helped me understand the job market in New Zealand and eventually land a job as a Test Analyst. She is very passionate about her work in offering career advice to job-seekers and Tech professionals to enable them to start and grow their career. ”

“Conversations with Shirley help bring clarity in a way that almost nobody else can provide in such a specialised industry. Her comprehensive knowledge of testing practices and the world-of-work associated with them are second to none. From broad issues of employment to more specific topics of work methodologies, skill-sets and training, Shirley is able to make sense of it all. She will help you orient yourself correctly to the direction appropriate for you.”

“You make me look at things from a different perspective and change my thinking. It makes a difference in my job and my team have noticed too. I’m more confident and I am now making progress. Thank you.”

“There were three key messages I took from my coaching with Shirley when I recently applied for a role I had no immediate experience in but for which I had a range of transferable skills:  this is as much a chance for me to learn about the company and its values as it is a chance for me to shine,  I should not be apologetic for the skills I don’t have but proudly advertise my strengths and the diversity I bring, and take a moment before the appointment to breathe, to become aware of my posture and to bring confidence and personality in the room. Shirley also called it my experiment instead of my interview and something as simple as changing that language made it less scary. What I also took from the coaching was that if this ‘experiment’ didn’t work out I should see it as a learning experience and move on to the next opportunity, this was not my one and only chance. Last but not least, Shirley helping to frame my interview questions, you know the ones you have at the end of an interview, was extremely valuable. It helped me realise that I had not formulated the questions the right way and that I could have made them stronger.”

“I am grateful for her help and recommend her unreservedly.”

“I’ve known Shirley for the past three years both as a practice manager at Assurity and also as a co-organiser of the WeTest Auckland meetups. As a mentor, I’ve found Shirley to not only be extremely encouraging but also helpful as well. She offered concrete advice to help me improve my testing career and also helped me recognise my strengths as a software tester. Shirley is a very pragmatic mentor who strives to help the person she is mentoring, realise their full potential.”

“Shirley holds the characteristics of a great professional mentor whom I am very blessed to know. She has keen eyes and ears to observe different situations and give very spot-on advices. I worked with Shirley as a part of her team during my consulting engagement with a client in Auckland. I have always taken Shirley’s suggestions to give it a go and seen the benefits whether it is a client-related delivery object or personal/career development related direction. Her advice goes beyond the extension of problem-solving and situation-reaction, but to input into one the quality and ability to stand up and build things that will last and generate long-term result either for him/her or the organization. For a recent career development decision, I have sought Shirley’s input and as usual Shirley is still an outstanding, sincere and practical adviser whom I believe most of the people who know her agree with me. I have no hesitation recommending Shirley to other professional workers (whether you are in IT or not) to go with the offers of her professional services from Elementum.”

“Shirley has the amazing quality of bringing out the best in you. She has been a guiding force in helping me grow in my career. A few things she has helped me with so far have been how she encouraged me in giving my first public talk on software testing at a meetup, after which I realised my public speaking potential, and giving me valuable advice on a successful salary negotiation. I would highly recommend Shirley to those individuals who are looking to progress further in their careers and reaching their full potential.”

“You are such an inspiration and positive person …I love our sessions. The points that really work for me are: – Flexibility : I can be at home and talk to you over Skype and decide on my own agenda – Resourceful : You are so resourceful , you always have such a wonderful suggestions for what to read, who to follow, you share information about courses that are helpful, conferences to go to and great meet-ups to be part of which works really well for me – Vastly experienced : When I discuss my professional challenges, you see it in a different light and offer me directions that I could never think of with my own thinking hat. You give me a totally different perspective and tools to handle it in a very nice way.”

“… you made me realise that I do probably often under estimate my abilities and that I should be more confident and that the best way to learn something new or develop my skills further is to just do it!”

“A seasoned and capable consultant who throughout all interactions demonstrated an incredibly high level of integrity and trust! Shirley combines technology savvy with an amazing depth of interpersonal skill. She has an extraordinary ability to connect with people rapidly and deeply. Her warmth, care and appreciative style are perfect for someone who works with people on something as intimate as career coaching. She has an exceedingly flexible and powerful approach that takes the appearance of a light and humorous conversation yet always seems to deliver great clarity and results. I invariably feel inspired and alive after a conversation with her. I would highly recommend her as a coach to anyone looking to make personal change.”