You’re not being rejected.
You’re just not being seen.
Here’s how to fix that in the next 90 days.
The degree is done. Your career starts here.
But when you’re back at home, facing another inbox of rejections, it’s hard to feel optimistic.
If you’re lost between graduation and your first proper job, don’t lose hope.
A stunning 70-80% of job vacancies are never advertised.
There are great jobs out there, beyond over-subscribed grad schemes and corporate internships. You just haven’t been shown how to find them.
That’s where I come in.
Welcome to the Side Door
A new way to launch your career
It’s easy to feel stuck, overwhelmed and full of self-doubt when the path between uni and work isn’t clear.
Here’s how I help:
Get a strategy that focuses on you, so the tactics make sense.
Go from deflated to energised, as you regain momentum and opportunity.
Build strong foundations to showcase your strengths and land your dream job - using a different route.
So you can officially move out of home and regain your independence.
“Truthfully, I was feeling quite lost and unsure where to turn and what to do. You’ve given me so much to think about. I honestly hadn’t thought of any of these options before!”
How we do it
First, let’s tackle the overwhelm.
Get clear on your strengths, areas of interest, and priorities for your next role. What you want to do, why you want to do it, and which environment suits you best.
Next, reduce anxiety and weather ‘failure’.
Confidently communicate what you have to offer, what you want to learn, and what makes you uniquely you - on paper and in person.
Meanwhile, build bonds to reduce isolation.
Craft your support group, from peers in the same boat, to industry advisors, and feedback friends. Find the ‘side doors’ that give you maximum visibility.
“Working with Sally gave me a sense of direction and greater purpose when I was struggling to find a job. It made me feel calmer and more reassured that I was taking the right approach. She really showed me how to make myself stand out and be noticed as an applicant.”
Meet Sally
aka ‘Captain Sunshine Pants’
Find me on LinkedIn - let’s connect!
Sometimes you need an unbiased stranger to highlight what makes you great. I’m that person.
My career spans tech, publishing, PR and entrepreneurship. Fifteen years leading global teams at companies like Amazon and Blinkist. A humbling experience co-founding (and closing) my own investor-backed business.
I’ve hired and developed a lot of people - it’s always been my favourite part of the job. All of them massively undersold their strengths and most came to me through a ‘side door’.
Whether you have no idea what you want to do, or how to get there, I can help.
Expect high challenge and high support. I won’t let you get away with sitting in your comfort zone, but I will make sure you have the tools and momentum to move out of it.
Ready to find out if we're a good fit?
Ways to work with me
Get some Sally energy to help you shine!
The Coffee Chat
Free*
30 mins to jump-start your career
1:1 call with coach & mentor Sally
Step closer to career clarity, confidence or connection
Follow-on resources to maintain momentum
*Slots limited. Optional donation supports full programme funding for those who can’t afford it.
The Career Launchpad
£249 per session*
3-month programme to take you successfully from uni into work
10 x 1:1 sessions with coach & mentor Sally
Strong foundations & bespoke strategy to give you full ownership of your career
Side Door tactics that get you noticed by the right people
Priceless resources to support you throughout your career
*Programme includes 10 sessions. Virtual-first, in-person in Surrey available.
What’s a Side Door?
There are three ways into working at a company…
Front Door
This is the way you’ve probably tried already. Applications for job openings, graduate schemes, internships. A lot of competition, a lot of process. Often dispiriting.
Back Door
This is the door you might use if you have well-connected parents, or move in the kind of social circles I don’t really understand. You’re ‘placed’ inside, no aptitude necessary. A little icky.
Side Door
This is the hidden way in - and there are lots of them. You access them in distinctly human ways: acts of creativity, service, generosity - all of these open side doors just for you, no-one else.
The only job I successfully applied for was on a Tesco checkout.
I often make this joke, but it’s true. My track-record through the Front Door is not strong. But through the Side Door, it’s excellent.
I got into publishing by writing to an editor who had just launched a new imprint, offering support in her first 90 days. She sent my CV around.
I landed at Audible after calling the hiring manager for a different job and finding out more about the business. They invited me in for a new role, six months later.
I was introduced to Blinkist by my old boss. There was no open position, but he was pretty sure I could get them where they needed to be.
I became co-founder of WorkTripp, my first business, after enthusiastically DM’ing the author of a post I loved. She convinced me we should work together.
All this is testament to the power of human connection. To acting on curiosity, rather than waiting for permission. And it’s fully available to you - if you want it.
That’s the magic of the Side Door.