Mentorship + Coaching
Early Career Coaching—Confident Transitions. Real Results.
What if you could get career coaching from the person who actually made the hiring decisions?
Kate BonDurant is a seasoned fashion designer and former hiring manager who built and developed high-performing teams and internship programs. Now she brings that same insider perspective to her 1:1 coaching.
Focused Services:
Résumé Deep-Dive Session
$325 · 2-hour live Zoom session
(students + early-career designers)
What this is
A focused working session where we rewrite your résumé together for one specific target role. This is for design students seeking internships and grads going after their first or second job in the industry.
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What we’ll do
Review the job description, your current résumé, and the roles/companies you’re targeting.
Rewrite your résumé live together so it speaks directly to that role.
Cover the logistical requirements of a productive résumé (the kind that survives ATS and HR scans).
Teach you the psychology behind how hiring managers choose who they want to meet—and how to turn any experience into an asset in their eyes.
Work in Google Docs or Word so you are optimized for scanning systems.
What you’ll leave with
One revamped, role-aligned résumé that highlights you as a top candidate for that specific opportunity.
A clear structure and language you can reuse to tailor your résumé to other roles without starting from scratch.
A better understanding of what hiring managers actually look for, so you can keep improving long after our session.
Portfolio Deep-Dive Session
$325 · 2-hour live Zoom session
(students + early-career designers)
What this is
A working session where we decode what your portfolio is actually communicating to hiring managers—and turn that into a concrete plan to update and expand your work for the roles you want.
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What we’ll do
Review your current portfolio and talk through how it reads from a hiring manager’s perspective.
Identify what’s helping you and what’s quietly holding you back (gaps, weak projects, confusing flow).
Map out specific edits and additions to your body of work so it better targets your ideal roles.
Discuss what to include, what to cut, and how to present each project so it feels professional—not like a class assignment.
Look at example portfolios and projects as needed to illustrate what “professional” looks like in your corner of the industry.
What you’ll leave with
A prioritized action list to improve your portfolio’s structure, content, and storytelling.
Clear guidance on how to edit or add projects so your work speaks directly to the roles you’re targeting.
A practical understanding of the difference between student and professional portfolios—so you can start marketing yourself as a professional designer, not just as a student with projects.
Job Search Jumpstart Session
$350 · 2-hour live Zoom session
(students + early-career designers)
What this is
A focused session for young designers who aren’t sure where to start—or what to fix— in their job search, but aren’t ready for a full 4‑month coaching program.
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Before we meet
I do a review of your résumé, portfolio, and LinkedIn profile, along with a few target job descriptions you send over.
What we’ll do
Talk through your job goals and the kinds of roles and companies you’re aiming for.
Discuss how your current materials support those goals—or how they might be quietly holding you back.
Analyze what you’ve tried so far and why it may not be working.
Outline high‑level updates for your résumé, portfolio, and LinkedIn.
Identify who you should be reaching out to and how, so networking feels less random and more strategic.
Map out your next steps across the process: targeting companies, applying, networking, interviewing, and following up.
Answer your questions about what hiring managers are actually looking for and what’s realistic to expect in this market.
Share practical insight into the psychology behind hiring decisions in the fashion industry, so you understand the system you’re operating in instead of guessing.
You’ll also get access to my curated list of 12 fashion job search sites, plus guidance on how to use them.
What you’ll leave with
A clear picture of where you are in your search and what’s really blocking you.
A realistic, step‑by‑step plan for the next few weeks, tailored to your goals.
A shortlist of strategic updates to your materials.
More confidence about how hiring decisions get made, and how to position yourself within that system.
Custom Coaching Program:
4-Month Custom Coaching Program
$1800 | 2 Sessions/month · 4 months
For young designers who want to become the kind of hires teams fight for
What’s included
You get everything covered in my a la carte sessions (Job Search Jumpstart, Résumé Deep-Dive, Portfolio Deep-Dive), plus:
Job direction & role clarity
Full LinkedIn review + rewrite
Networking strategy
Cover letter review + rewrite
Interview strategy and prep
Onboarding & first-90-days strategy
Ongoing support between sessions
Application aftermath coaching
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What’s included
You get everything covered in my a la carte sessions (Job Search Jumpstart, Résumé Deep-Dive, Portfolio Deep-Dive), plus:
Job direction & role clarity – Support in defining the kinds of roles and companies that fit your strengths, values, and long-term goals.
Full LinkedIn review + rewrite – A profile that actually markets you: headline, About, experience, skills, and featured work aligned with your target roles.
Networking strategy – A concrete outreach plan, including a curated list of ~10 people to contact so you’re not just “cold DM’ing” at random.
Cover letter review + rewrite – One strong, reusable base letter tailored to your voice and target roles, plus how to adjust it quickly for other applications.
Interview strategy and prep – Practice how to talk about your work, answer common and role-specific questions, and show up like a teammate, not “just a student.”
Onboarding & first-90-days strategy – A plan for how to take back your power during a transition: what to ask, how to set expectations, and how to contribute from day one instead of waiting to “settle in.”
Ongoing support between sessions – Email access to me between calls for questions, feedback, and real-time decisions as you apply, interview, and negotiate.
Application aftermath coaching – Guidance on handling ghosting and rejection, following up without being pushy, and staying in motion without burning out.
What you’ll leave with
Across the four months, we’ll work together to shift how you present yourself—from student or intern to capable design professional—so that what hiring managers see on paper, online, and in person actually matches the kind of teammate you want to be.
How it works
In our first session, we’ll talk through your goals and current situation, then map out a plan tailored to you. From there, we’ll prioritize the most important pieces of your search—your biggest concerns and the areas my audit shows are holding you back—and tackle them one by one over our sessions.
Many things we’ll do live together: rewriting key sections, troubleshooting outreach messages, planning interview answers, or mapping your first weeks on the job. Along the way, I’ll explain how each change affects how hiring managers see you, so you understand the “why,” not just the “what.”
Monthly Workshops:
Monthly Workshop + AMA
(Group)
Learn what makes resumes and portfolios work
In these 2-hour live group sessions, I'll walk a small group through what hiring managers actually look for, with live critiques to answer your specific questions.
Best for: Anyone looking for a little support on resume or portfolio best practices and strategies from a hiring manager.
Pricing: $35
Not sure which package fits your journey?
What clients are saying
“What I loved the most about working with Kate was that she worked to build a good rapport to create a more comfortable environment. I was excited to connect with her and show her what I was working on because she was excited to see it and give feedback. I would highly recommend working with Kate, her knowledge and kindness are great assets anyone can learn from.”
Riley Meier
“Since my first conversation with Kate during the summer before my senior year in college, I have gained a new and meaningful perspective on navigating my career path. Her insights taught me that intentional effort creates valuable pathways to knowledge and opportunities I may not have found otherwise. She also encouraged me to initiate informational interviews and build connections, which has been transformative in clarifying my career direction.”
Kristin Draulans