Career & job search coach · Santa Clara, CA & online

Find work that fitsand keep your calm while you look

I spent six years deciding who got hired. Now I coach people through the job search, the career pivot, and the hard middle part where most people give up.

Tom Vinkler
Former tech recruiterSenior Recruiter and Recruitment Manager, 6 years
M.Ed., Counseling PsychologyRutgers UniversityBridging evidence-based behavioral psychology with practical hiring strategy.
AuthorZen and the Art of Job Hunting, October 2026
AI job search, from the insideCo-founder, Hirello.ai — AI career & job-search platform

How I help

Three kinds of help, often in the same person at the same time

Job search

Get seen by the people who hire

Most applications vanish because they look like the other 900. I show you how recruiters actually screen, then build a search that reaches hiring managers directly.

  • Target list of employers worth your time
  • Outreach messages that get replies
  • Resume and LinkedIn written for a recruiter's 30-second scan
  • Interview prep and salary negotiation
Direction in the AI era

Figure out what's next, and what lasts

AI is changing which jobs exist and what they ask of people. We work out what you want, which of your skills carry over, and where they'll still be valuable in five years.

  • Strengths and interests, mapped to real roles
  • Transferable-skills map for your pivot
  • Short experiments to test a direction before committing
  • Using AI tools well, and knowing where they mislead
Calm and joy

Stay steady through the search

A long search wears people down: the silence, the rejections, the money worry. We build a rhythm you can sustain, and look for the parts of work that actually make you happy.

  • A weekly routine with real stopping points
  • Handling rejection and long silences
  • Networking that works for introverts
  • Finding meaning in the job you take next

The philosophy behind every session

Cut the noise, elevate the signal.

From the hiring side, most job searches are noise: hundreds of identical applications nobody reads. A good search sends fewer, clearer signals to the right people.

NoiseSignal
Easy Apply as applicant #945A short note to someone on the team
"Results-driven team player"One specific result, with a number
Self-rated skills listA small piece of work that shows the skill
100 applications in a week10 conversations in a month
Cover of Zen and the Art of Job Hunting by Tom Vinkler: stacked stones on raked sand, a stepping-stone path leading toward a city skyline
Coming October 2026

Zen and the Art of Job Hunting

Finding Joy and Fulfillment in Challenging Times, and Navigating Your Career Beyond 2026

A grounded, practical roadmap for navigating job search fatigue, AI hiring noise, and career reinvention without burning out.

How it works

Simple to start

1

Free 20-minute call

Tell me where you are. I'll tell you honestly whether I can help and which package fits.

2

A one-month launch sprint

Four weekly calls to set your targets, rebuild your resume and LinkedIn, and start outreach.

3

Support when it counts

After the sprint, calls are spaced out and some are saved for when real interviews and offers arrive.

Packages

Built for how long a search really takes

Searches now run four to six months for mid-level roles and longer for executives. Each program starts with an intensive month, then saves sessions for when interviews actually happen.

Single session

Rapid Strategy & Search Audit

$400 one 60-minute session on Zoom

A fast diagnosis of what's holding your search back. The best place to start if you're not sure which program fits.

  • Audit of your resume, LinkedIn and search results so far
  • Live triage of your biggest bottleneck
  • One-page action roadmap within 24 hours
  • Fee credited in full toward a program
Book the audit

Card or Affirm installments

Executive · 6 months

Strategic Transition Partnership

$4,000 or 3 monthly payments of $1,400

For directors, senior directors, VPs and executive leaders targeting $150k–$350k+.

  • 12 advisory calls, 50 minutes each
  • Month-one executive brand and narrative sprint
  • Up to four 15-minute interview huddles
  • Executive resume, one-page bio and LinkedIn
  • A call reserved for offer and contract negotiation
  • VIP messaging, replies within 3 business hours
  • 2 decision-maker interviews within 120 days, guaranteed
  • $300/month Executive Bridge if you need longer
Get started

Card, monthly payments or Affirm

2interviews

The interview guarantee

Both programs guarantee two interviews with real decision-makers: within 90 days for Career Acceleration, 120 days for the executive partnership.

100%money back

The first-session guarantee

If you don't find your first session valuable, email me within 7 days and I'll refund your full payment.

Questions

Before you book

What are my payment options?

Pay in full by card, use the monthly payment plan shown on each program, or choose Affirm at checkout. Affirm shows you the payment options it can offer, such as 4 interest-free payments or monthly installments, and you pick one. Approval and terms are set by Affirm, and checking your options won't affect your credit score.

Do you guarantee I'll get a job?

No one honestly can. What I do guarantee is interviews: two with hiring managers within 90 days on Career Acceleration, or two with decision-makers within 120 days on the executive partnership, as long as you keep up your weekly outreach. The offer itself depends on the market and on the work we both put in.

Are sessions online or in person?

Online by video, so you can be anywhere. In-person sessions are available in the South Bay on request.

Who do you work with?

Mid-level professionals, managers and senior individual contributors through to directors, VPs and executives. Tech and corporate backgrounds especially, since that's where I recruited.

What if I'm not sure which package fits?

Book the free 20-minute call, or start with the $400 audit. If you enroll in a program within 7 days of the audit, the full $400 comes off the price.

What happens if I haven't landed by the end of the program?

You can continue month to month for $300. That covers one call a month, ongoing messaging, and negotiation coaching when an offer arrives. Cancel any time with 7 days' notice.

About

Hi, I'm Tom

For six years I was a senior recruiter and recruitment manager, screening candidates and watching which ones got hired, and why. Before that I was a corporate trainer and coach; after it, a program manager at companies including Uber and Cisco. My master's is in counseling psychology.

Since 2021 I've coached people through job searches and career changes, and helped design the coaching approach behind an AI job-search platform. I wrote Zen and the Art of Job Hunting because most job-search advice ignores how stressful the process is. I think you search better when you're steadier.

Based in
Santa Clara, California
Sessions
Video worldwide · in person in the South Bay
Education
M.Ed. Counseling Psychology, Rutgers
Book
Zen and the Art of Job Hunting (2026)
Book a free 20-minute call LinkedIn