I Didn't Plan to Become a Career Coach
- Tianyu Koenig
- Mar 25
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 27
I didn’t wake up one day and decide to become a coach.
For years, I was just doing my job: UX research, product strategy, mentoring junior UXers & college students, sitting in hiring committees, interviewing candidates.
But a pattern kept showing up.
Some of the most capable, thoughtful product builders I met were the ones struggling the most to get offers, recognition, or promotions.
That’s when something clicked.
Doing the Work ≠ Getting the Outcome
We like to believe that if we’re good at our job, things will work out.
But in reality, knowing how to sell your work, and more importantly, sell yourself, is often more important than the work itself.
I’ve seen incredibly strong candidates get passed because they couldn’t clearly articulate their impact. I’ve also seen average candidates outperform simply because they told a sharper, more compelling story.
It’s not always fair, but it’s how the system works.
“Selling Yourself” Is Not a Vibe, It’s a System
Most people approach job searching like this:
Scroll LinkedIn → apply → wait → repeat.
Do that 100 times, and you start questioning yourself.
I’ve worked with many clients who spent months in this loop, spray and pray, losing confidence with every rejection, then applying even more blindly, spiraling deeper into this vicious cycle.
It’s not a motivation problem. It’s a strategy problem.
Selling anything effectively requires:
A clear value proposition
A defined target market
Strong positioning
Consistent messaging
Why would “selling yourself” be any different?
The biggest transformations I’ve seen didn’t come from rewriting a resume line-by-line.
They came from building a coherent package : resume, portfolio, interview narrative, networking strategy — all anchored in a clear positioning.
Once that clicks, everything else gets easier. And faster.
The Extra Layer for International Talent
There’s another pattern I’ve seen repeatedly, especially among international candidates.
It’s not about accent. It’s about communication norms.
Being overly courteous can read as a lack of confidence.
Being indirect can dilute your impact.
Using unfamiliar terms can make strong work sound weaker than it is.
Trying too hard can come across as desperation.
I know this because I was there too.
As an international Chinese student navigating the U.S. job market over a decade ago, I had to figure this out the hard way, through trial, mistakes, and a lot of recalibration.
Coaching, for me, is partly about passing those lessons forward, so others don’t have to learn everything the hard way.
What Doesn’t Change (Even as AI Does)
Right now, there’s a lot of anxiety around AI.
Will these roles still exist in 5 years? 3 years? 6 months?
Honestly, no one knows.
But I’m confident about this:
The fundamentals don’t go away:
Understanding business logic
Having strong product sense and original thinking
Communicating clearly and persuasively
Balancing details with narrative
Explaining your decisions and tradeoffs
Working effectively with cross-functional teams
Tools will evolve. Expectations will shift. But these are the skills that compound over time.
They’re also the ones I focus on most with my clients.
Why I Write
I believe writing is learning at a second time. Even when I write things I'm already familiar with, it gives me new perspectives.
I want to share what I’ve learned through hiring, coaching 350+ clients, and navigating my own career.
Expect practical frameworks, real examples, and occasional industry observations.
Just my honest $0.02 and things that actually help you move forward.
If this resonates and you’re currently navigating a job search or interviews, I’d be happy to chat.
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