Ascent
A Leadership Career Programme Belfast and Beyond
A four-month career consultancy built around your unique strengths, to clarify your direction, sharpen your positioning and plan your next move with confidence. It's a leadership career programme designed for senior professionals across Belfast, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and the UK who are ready to stop drifting and start steering.
About This Leadership Career Programme
I built Ascent because I kept seeing the same thing. Competent, experienced leaders making their next move without a clear picture of what they were actually bringing to the table. Not because they lacked ability. Because no one had ever helped them see it properly.
That matters more than most people realise. When you can't articulate your own value with precision, you undersell yourself on paper, you hedge in interviews, and you end up in roles that don't quite fit and can't explain why.
Ascent fixes that at the root. Before we do anything else, you complete the StrengthscopeLeader™, a BPS-validated diagnostic that maps your strengths, your leadership risks, and your performance patterns. That becomes the evidence base. Everything else, your positioning, your strategy, your next move, is built on what's actually true about you.
forward.
Is Ascent for you?
Ascent is for leaders and senior professionals who are at a genuine crossroads. You are capable and experienced, but you want to be more deliberate about what comes next. You might be coming out of a role that ended unexpectedly, aware that you have drifted from work that actually energises you, or approaching a transition you want to get right this time. What you have in common with every Ascent client is this: you are done with generic advice and ready to do the real strategic work.
Ascent is not for people looking for a quick CV refresh or for someone to make decisions on their behalf. It's structured, it's direct, and it requires you to do the work.
Pre-Programme Diagnostic
Before we begin, you will complete the StrengthscopeLeader™ assessment. Validated by the British Psychological Society, it is a rigorous, research-backed diagnostic that maps your unique strengths, leadership risks and performance habits. This forms the evidence base for every conversation and recommendation throughout the programme.
Your Four-Month Ascent
Ascent runs over four months, with two 60-minute consultancy sessions and one Ascent Briefing Call each month, giving you structured, consistent support from start to finish.
Month 1
Diagnostic & Direction
Session 1: StrengthscopeLeader™ debrief - your strengths, your risks, and what they mean for your next senior move
Session 2:
Career direction -identifying the right role and environment where your strengths create the most value
Month 2
Strategy & Positioning
Session 3:
Leadership strategy -defining your authentic leadership style and the boundaries that protect it
Session 4:
Positioning consultation -your CV, LinkedIn and bio audited, edited and aligned to your leadership narrative
Month 3
Execution & Preparation
Session 5:
Visibility strategy - who needs to know you, what they need to see, and how to build your presence with purpose
Session 6:
Interview preparation
high-stakes interviews, senior panels and board-level conversations rehearsed around your strengths and story
Month 4
Consolidation & Forward Plan
Session 7:
Results review - live opportunities assessed, what's working, what needs to change
Session 8:
Closing consultancy - a forward plan to sustain momentum and keep your strengths working for you
What's included
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Eight one-to-one sessions - just you and Paula, across four months
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Between-session support - voice notes, quick calls, or written feedback, direct access when you need it
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Strengthscope diagnostic - full assessment and personal debrief
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A personal career strategy document - your direction, your positioning, your next steps
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One follow-up session at month six - to check progress and tighten anything that's drifted
Specialist Support Built In
StrengthscopeLeader™
Full diagnostic and feedback session, validated by the British Psychological Society, to uncover your unique strengths, leadership risks and performance habits.
Positioning Consultation
Most senior professionals are underselling themselves on paper. This session fixes that your CV, LinkedIn and bio are audited and rebuilt around your real leadership narrative.
Interview Preparation
Senior interviews are high stakes. This is focused rehearsal built around your strengths and the level you are going for.
Not sure if Ascent is the right fit? Book a short discovery call
Format
Hybrid/Online
Ascent is delivered on a hybrid basis. In-person sessions are available at Forsyth House, Belfast, with virtual delivery available for clients across the UK and beyond.
Duration
4 months / 8 engagements
Model
1-to-1 consultancy
The Work That I Do
For more than fifteen years, I’ve worked with professionals navigating career change, progression, leadership challenges, and major transitions at work. Over the past three years, my focus has been working one-to-one with senior leaders and executives, helping them make well-considered career moves, reposition themselves professionally, communicate their value more clearly, and secure roles that genuinely reflect their experience and capability. My background in employability and career development means I understand both the strategic side of career transition and the human reality behind it. That combination of insight, structure, and practical guidance is what Ascent is built on.
What People Say
"After moving to Northern Ireland, I began seeking a new job in the IT field. Since I wasn't familiar with the job market, I asked Paula to guide me through the process.
She helped me improve my CV, enhance my LinkedIn profile, and gave me invaluable advice on how to strengthen my job search.
Paula is a great specialist, detail-oriented, and always seeks a personalised approach to her clients. I highly recommend her as a career development mentor and consultant, with creative ideas and insights for navigating the tough process of job searching or career change."
— Lusine P
"I had the privilege of working with Paula as my career coach, and I cannot recommend her services highly enough. She played a pivotal role in transforming my job search, helping me refine my CV, master interview techniques, and even connect with key recruiters and companies in my field.
What impressed me most was her genuine commitment to my success. Paula didn't just offer advice; she followed up regularly to ensure I stayed on track and provided tailored guidance every step of the way.
Thanks to her expertise and relentless support, I secured a role that perfectly aligns with my career goals."