The HILMA Career Journey™
Career coaching for experienced professionals
A culture-, context- and systems-aware small-group coaching programme for mid-career and senior-level international and interculturally positioned professionals navigating career direction, cultural dynamics, leadership and growth.
The HILMA Career Journey™ provides a safe, dedicated space to understand what may be keeping you from moving forward, clarify what matters now and translate insight into focused, purposeful action.
Coaching that starts with you.
A small-group coaching programme for experienced professionals navigating career direction, cultural dynamics, leadership and growth — built around your question, not a fixed script.
A safe space to understand what’s really happening, and move forward with purpose.
Progress over perfection. Start where you are now, with what you have.
Does this sound familiar?
You may recognise yourself in one or more of these situations:
- You have considerable experience, but your direction no longer feels clear.
- You feel capable yet stuck, or ambitious yet unsure how to move forward.
- You have several possibilities but find it difficult to choose between them.
- Your professional story feels fragmented after working across roles, sectors or countries.
- Your current role no longer fits who you are or what matters to you.
- Culture, identity or belonging affects how you experience your career.
- You feel that your expertise or potential is not fully seen or understood.
- Approaches that worked well in one environment don't seem to work in another.
- You are reflecting extensively but not yet creating meaningful movement.
- You don't want another quick career fix or a prescribed answer.
Testimonials
Your Guide
Elizabeth Njeru-Smid, drs.
Elizabeth Njeru-Smid, drs. is a Kenyan-born, Netherlands-based EMCC-NOBCO Accredited Coach, trainer and consultant with 15+ years of international experience across career development, sociology and intercultural practice.
Her role isn’t to hand you the answer. She helps you:
- See yourself and your situation more clearly
- Consider the cultural, contextual and systemic influences at play
- Recognise your scope for action
- Translate insight into purposeful movement.
Born in Kenya and based in the Netherlands, Elizabeth brings first-hand understanding of navigating careers and identity across cultures. She works in English, Dutch, Swahili and Kiembu.
What you'll walk away with.
Depending on your question and context, the HILMA Career Journey™ can help you:
- Understand what may be contributing to feeling stuck or uncertain.
- Clarify what matters to you at this stage of your career and life.
- Define what meaningful progress or success looks like for you.
- Understand how personal, cultural, relational and systemic influences shape your question.
- Recognise your strengths, experience, patterns and transferable capabilities.
- Develop a more coherent professional narrative.
- Explore realistic career and leadership possibilities.
- Identify relevant skills, networks, relationships and sources of support.
- Recognise gaps that may need to be addressed.
- Make more informed and intentional decisions.
- Distinguish opportunities that fit from distractions that consume scarce resources.
- Strengthen your personal agency without ignoring the context around you.
- Translate insight into focused, practical action.
- Adapt your strategy as you learn and circumstances change.
Because every participant brings a different question and context, individual outcomes will vary. The programme supports clearer understanding, better decisions and purposeful action; it does not guarantee employment, promotion, career change or another predetermined result.
How the journey unfolds.
The HILMA Career Journey™ combines guided small-group coaching, individual reflection and practical application. Each participant enters with their own question, exploring it through the HILMA Framework.
01
Before the journey
Intake and initial reflection to identify your situation and desired outcomes.
02
During the live sessions
Elizabeth introduces relevant questions and frameworks; you reflect and apply them to your situation.
03
Between sessions
Guided exercises and practical experiments to test possible ways forward.
04
Throughout the journey
You consider what’s changing and what needs adapting.
05
At the end
You consolidate insights and actions into a personal way-forward plan.
What's included.
- A personalised intake and goal-setting process
- Live small-group coaching sessions
- Guided individual reflection
- The HILMA workbook or participant guide
- Practical exercises and between-session activities
- Peer perspectives and shared learning
- Relevant cultural, contextual and systemic insights
- Career-development tools and resources
- A confidential and psychologically safe group environment
- A personal HILMA map or way-forward plan
- A closing reflection and integration process
Here's what you need to know.
Programme facts
A quick overview of how the journey is structured.
- Small-group format
- [X] weeks
- [X] live sessions
- Online / In-person / Blended
- English
- [date]
Ways to participate.
Choose the route that fits your situation.
Privately funded
Join as an individual investing in your own career and professional development.
Employer-sponsored
Your employer may fund your participation through a learning, development or coaching budget.
Dedicated cohort
Organisations can commission a closed HILMA Career Journey™ cohort for a selected group.
Your investment.
A meaningful investment in your career direction, clarity and confidence.
*VAT included