Jake Smolarek

Career Coach London

As featured in „The Times, Business Insider & Yahoo”

27k+ hours spent coaching
18+ years of coaching experience
1600+ happy clients
177+ testimonials

as featured in

Career Coaching

Fall in love with what you do all over again.

Most of us consider changing our occupations at some point during our careers. You might feel like you have achieved everything you can in a certain field, or you suffer from burnout and want to feel excited about going to work again.

Changing your career path is becoming more popular as more and more people tend to care more about their job satisfaction and are more open to other career options available on the job market.

If you are on the verge of a new chapter in your work life, you can benefit from some guidance and support. That’s why it’s a good idea to consider checking out a career coach.

As your dedicated career coach, I will provide you with guidance regarding your CV and make sure that you feel confident during your job interviews. But that’s only where my input begins. I’ll push you every step of the way to give you the motivation and determination to grab your dream job with both hands.

I also have extensive experience setting up businesses, so if you need business coaching while becoming an entrepreneur, we can work together to help you create a thriving business with a strong leader.

Sign Up to My Personalised Coaching Programme

A new approach to executive coaching begins with an initial one-to-two-hour assessment. Free and with no obligation to proceed, this initial meeting can either take place in my Central London office or on a Zoom call. I’ll carefully review your situation and your career history before adapting my proven coaching process to your specific needs.

I’ll ask you questions, and I expect you to do the same. If you feel stuck in a never-ending career rut, I’m here to help you take back control. Contact me today to get started.

Success Stories

Real Clients. Real Success. Real Results.
From feeling stuck professionally to landing a role far beyond what he expected. This is Egis’s story:

“Within the first couple of months of coaching, I achieved several incredible outcomes. I found an amazing, well-paid job, far beyond what I had expected, all with Jake’s support. I also entered a happy relationship, moved into the flat I had always dreamed of, started travelling the world, and gained a deeper understanding of myself. The journey has been truly transformative.” 

Egis — Business Change Manager at London’s Leading Law Firm

book your complimentary initial consultation session!

What Are The Advantages of Career Coaching Services?

You might want to change your career, but where should you start? Changing the path of your career is a complicated process that can be far simpler if you share it with someone who will help you overcome the obstacles that may present themselves on the way.

But you have to be honest with yourself. And you have to be honest with me. Some career coaches will blow smoke up your behind—I’ll tell you exactly what you need to hear.

You may not think of me as a great career coach when we’re working through the tough stuff in my programme, but I guarantee I’ll be the right career coach if you’re determined to do whatever it takes to find fulfilling work that stretches you.

Top career coaches can assist you every step of the way, and I’m no different. I will help you uncover the real purpose in your life. And with my professional support and top tips—many of which have worked for me and hundreds of my clients—I’ll help you take new directions in your career.

We’ll assess your skills, ideas, and strengths before exploring all available options that could fast-track your career. While work-life balance is important, my priority as your professional career coach will be to lead you on your journey to the career your talent deserves.

You can then apply this knowledge to increase the odds of success in virtually any professional area. Career coaching will add another perspective to your thoughts and plans, ensuring that the next career decision you make will be the right one.

Why I KNOW I’m a Great Career Coach

A lot of career coaches in London and throughout the UK talk a good fight. But when it comes to stepping up to the plate, they resort to platitudes and niceties. That’s just not me.

I know all about change. I’ve walked the walk. After overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds, I embraced change—and it embraced me. Now, I’m ready to turn my experiences and insights into an executive coaching masterclass designed just for you.

Why am I the right career coach for your change of direction? Here are just a few reasons.

Empathy

I know what it’s like to be stuck in a rut and crave big change in my professional life.

I Struggled to Adapt

This might sound odd coming from a confidence coach, but it’s true. I struggled to find the information, support, and motivation I needed to drive my career forward. But I succeeded in the end—and so can you!

I’ve Walked in Your Shoes

In recent years, I’ve been working as a career and life coach in the UK. However, I was once faced with the difficulties associated with career change. Leverage my experiences and insights to take the next steps in your own career.

I’ve Experienced Disappointment and the Euphoria of Success

By adapting my approach to decision-making and rediscovering my passion for work, I was able to adapt and succeed. However, before the happiness of job satisfaction came along, I was forced to deal with setback after setback.

Many People Fail to Achieve Job Satisfaction and Feel The Need to Change Their Career Path

It is much easier to stay within your comfort zone and let habits and routines run your work life. It takes true bravery to leave that space and have a crack at something new. Everyone’s career journey looks different, but our goal is the same: happiness in our professional and business lives.

Some people find job satisfaction when they can provide for their families and live a comfortable life; others find it in the number of satisfied clients or finished projects they can amass. Job satisfaction looks different to us all, which is the reason why so many people need to make a lot of changes before discovering a true work-life balance.

There is no recipe for becoming instantly happy with your career, but sessions with an experienced career coach in London are an excellent place to start your new journey.

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Think about your future

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A Successful Career Coach in London with a Unique Approach

I’m a coach who knows how to advance careers. But I’m not here to spoon-feed you knowledge. You’ll need to work hard, challenge yourself, and prove me right at every opportunity. I’ll make personal recommendations based on your strengths and weaknesses, but you have to become the ideal candidate through your own hard work and perseverance.

That said, my coaching approach involves teaching the soft skills clients need for a lifetime of success. I’m a coach who will focus on your future success rather than what’s happening right now.

How do I do it? How do I help my clients find professional happiness, defeat imposter syndrome, and secure the lives they dream of? Well, it’s all down to my coaching system. It’s called Vision GPS, and it’s designed to give you the confidence, soft skills, and motivation you need to fulfil your career potential.

The Vision GPS

V – Vision

What are you in this for? Be honest. Is it the money? Is it the prestige? Do you crave power, or are you excited by the thrill of the chase? Perhaps you want that dream second home or the performance sports car you’ve always dreamed of. All of your heart’s desires come together to create your vision.

My coaching approach involves defining your vision and using it as a motivational tool. When things aren’t going well, I’ll remind you of your vision—and why it is the key to your professional success.

G – Goals

There’s more than a little psychology involved in my training and career coaching methods. For example, I know that simply setting your ultimate goal at the beginning of our time together will leave you feeling daunted and defeated. It’s just too much to take on at once.

But to keep you interested and maintain a sense of positivity, I’ll work with you to set goals—incremental steps that make a big difference to your mindset.

P – Planning

I have lots of training mechanisms, tips, insights, exercises, and discussion topics in my professional career coaching arsenal. But not all of them will be the right fit for you. And I’ll need to implement them at the right times. That’s why planning is essential.

I spend a lot of time mapping out your journey to career change. I’ll listen to your concerns, priorities, and objectives before developing a plan that suits your personality and current frame of mind.

S – Systems

To pursue the career that has thus far eluded you, you HAVE to embrace change in your life. This means adopting new, often uncomfortable daily routines, habits, and goals. As a time management coach, I’ll teach you how to squeeze every last second out of every day. You may well be out of your comfort zone, but I don’t want to hear it! Unless you can adapt to change, I can’t help you!

book your complimentary initial consultation session!

How Career Coaches Support You

Career change coaching is a mix of life coaching and career coaching that focuses specifically on job satisfaction and work-life balance. Here are some of the aspects you can expect when working with a coach:

  • Find clarity or reassurance about what you need from your career and life, why you want it, and how you can achieve it
  • Explore and redefine your values
  • Turn your ideas into achievable goals
  • Erase the gap between where you are now and where you want to be
  • Assess all your career options
  • Develop strategies and techniques to help you to reach your goals faster

New Careers Require New Beginnings

When I say I’m not like other career coaches in London, I mean it. I work with successful, high-achieving professionals every day, but that doesn’t stop me from being controversial and—at times—confrontational. In my experience, that’s the only way to get to the heart of the issues at play.

Your new beginning starts at 2a Prebend St. N1 8PT Islington/Angel. Reach out today to book an initial free, no-obligation discovery session, and let’s redefine your career together!

My Clients Say

Before my coaching sessions with Jake, I was in a terrible position. My relationship was in a bad state, my feelings and sense of self-worth were very low, and I was barely able to stay emotionally stable. I hated my job and my whole life. However, since working with Jake, I’ve become much stronger; my self-belief has gone through the roof, and I know how valuable I am. I have found a company I love to work for, and my relationships with others are much more profound and exciting.

Tina Patel – Lawyer

When I began working with Mr Smolarek, the business was under considerable strain. Too many decisions were coming back to me, and several key roles were not working as they should. He helped me look at the organisation with much greater clarity. We made some difficult changes, strengthened the structure and put better people in the right positions. Within a quarter, margins had doubled.
UPDATE: I first worked with Mr Smolarek in 2020 and continued for over five years. He still visits our London headquarters periodically to offer an independent perspective.

Daniel Williams – Director & Co-owner

When I started coaching with Jake, I was in the darkest depths of my relationship, my business, and my entire life. I was a walking shadow, and I couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel… However, Jake helped me to turn everything around and put me on the right track. His coaching helped me to change how I can see the world. The impact it has had on my business and personal life is priceless. His business ideas are so easy to implement and at the same time very powerful!

Ben C. – Business owner (Surname withheld for privacy)

Jake’s work as a business coach has had a tremendous impact on both my business and my life. Working with him helped me focus on my vision, goals and the actions that actually mattered. In just a few months, I made more progress than I had in the previous five years. I became much clearer about what I wanted and far more decisive about what needed to happen next.

Neil Coker – Founder and CEO

The only thing I can say is a huge thank you, Jake! I already had the right tools in place to create a good income, but Jake added a few missing pieces to my plan and helped me grow my coaching business much faster. In just a few weeks, he helped me see what I was missing, make better decisions, and improve how I was positioning and developing the business. It wasn’t always easy, but it was worth it.

Denise Green – Peak Performance Coach

Jake helped me change my life when I felt lost. I decided to work with him because I wanted to change my career path. With his genuine personality and sense of humour, I instantly connected with him. He helped me find my new way, and I am now doing what I always wanted to do, but wasn’t brave enough to try. Jake believed in me when I doubted every action and feeling I had. He pushed me to my limits, so I had to break them, and to my surprise, I did.

Tom Bayliss – Writer and editor

Working with Jake changed the way I thought about my business and the decisions I was making. Even after the first few sessions, I could see things more clearly and approach problems differently. He helped me improve my sales and communication, challenged some of the assumptions that were holding me back and pointed out opportunities I had not considered. Over time, I became more productive, made better decisions and had more freedom in how I ran the business.

Phillip Larsen – CEO

I had a good job and was earning well, but I wanted to build something of my own. I found Jake online, booked an initial consultation and told him I had no idea what that business should be. Through our conversations, I became interested in online advertising. Jake encouraged me to take it seriously and helped me turn it into a business.
UPDATE 2026: Seven years later, I still run the agency full-time. I deliberately kept it small and specialised, working with freelancers and focusing mainly on advertising for cleaning businesses across London and other UK cities.

Magda Kowalczuk – Agency Owner

By the time I was introduced to Jake, I had already built a successful fashion business, but I was carrying too much of it myself. The company was growing, the pressure was increasing, and I had very few people around me who truly understood what it meant to run a business.
Jake helped me think more clearly, challenge my assumptions and make better decisions. Over time, the business became larger, more profitable and far less dependent on me.
UPDATE: I first worked with Jake in 2019. In 2026, I sold the business in a lower nine-figure deal and began considering what I wanted to build next.

Barbara Johnson – Fashion Entrepreneur

I started working with Jake in 2020 when I was 22 and trying to turn my fitness work into a proper business. He helped me understand the commercial side, including sales, branding, marketing and positioning. Within about six months, I was earning £10,000-£14,000 a month and had built a six-figure business. Jake gave me structure, challenged my thinking and helped me focus on what actually moved the business forward. His guidance made a real difference in how quickly I progressed.
UPDATE: By the second quarter of 2026, I had grown the business to eight figures in annual revenue.

Rakesh Patel – Fitness Entrepreneur

Jake, thank you. You genuinely changed my life for the better. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was really moving forward and doing what I had always wanted to do. You helped me believe that I could make it happen, and then actually start doing it. That confidence carried into my business as well. I started making clearer decisions, taking opportunities more seriously and building with much more purpose than before.

Romario Ramirez – Business owner, Speaker & Artist

Jake is a great coach. Our conversations challenged the way I was looking at several problems and reminded me that there is always more to learn. He is very observant, experienced and good at seeing what may be difficult to notice when you are too close to a situation. I am genuinely grateful for the support and perspective he gave us during a difficult period. I can see why business coaching suits him so well.

Steven P. – COO of a large corporation (Surname withheld for privacy)

When I started working with Jake, the business was doing around £6 million in turnover, but too much still depended on me. Jake helped me see that I had become the bottleneck and pushed me to change the way I was running the company. We improved delegation, brought in the right support and put better systems around the business. Once I stepped back from things I should not have been doing, the company grew into eight figures. Jake helped me see what needed to change and held me to it.

Michael Chadwick – Founder

At a certain level, it becomes difficult to get completely honest feedback. Jake gave me that. He challenged some of my assumptions, said things others around me were unlikely to say and helped me look at several decisions more clearly. What I valued most was the directness. There was no need to impress me or agree with me. The conversations helped me sharpen my thinking, delegate better and make cleaner decisions.

Oscar A. – Founder & CEO (Surname withheld for privacy)

Jake coached and mentored me through the early stages of my online business. He gave me confidence, helped me understand what I needed to do and supported me while I built my online fashion company. His guidance made a real difference in those early years, especially when I was still learning how to think about the business and make decisions with more confidence.
UPDATE: I started working with Jake in 2017. Now in 2026, the business is generating more than $40 million in annual turnover.

Jane Ho – Online Entrepreneur

I can highly recommend Jake Smolarek as a business coach. He must be one of the best in the business. He helped me take my business to the next level and become much clearer about the decisions I needed to make. I did not always like what Jake had to say, but he is tough, fair and very direct. Looking back, some of the things I least wanted to hear were exactly what I needed. He helped me see what I was missing and approach the business with much more clarity.

Susan Mason – Business Owner

I worked with Jake for more than 5 years. When we started, I was still employed and building my business from scratch. He helped me make the decisions I needed to make, including leaving my job and going full-time with the business. Over the years, I grew the company from zero to around £2 million in turnover. Jake was there through every stage, helping me with decisions and growth. He was always direct, and I knew I would get his real opinion. Working with him made a huge difference to me and the business. I would highly recommend him to any serious business owner.

Paul Jackson – Business Owner

Jake challenged the way I was looking at the business and pushed me to make a few decisions I had been avoiding for too long. Some were uncomfortable, but they changed the way we led the company and how the business was structured. Within less than twelve months, turnover grew from around £80 million to £140 million. Jake has a very good eye for what is actually getting in the way and is not afraid to say it.

Sean McKenzie – Founder and CEO

Jake is a fantastic business coach who gets to the heart of the problem very quickly. He helped me take some drastic steps (they were needed!), which made a huge difference to both my business and family life. In practical terms, I now work less, earn roughly twice what I used to and have considerably more time with my kids. What I like about Jake is that he can be straightforward when needed. He is not afraid to ask difficult questions when the situation calls for them. An outstanding return on investment. Thank you, Jake. See you again soon.

Peter Barnes – Entrepreneur

Jake is one of those people I call “my people”. He was the business coach I needed when I was trying to get clear on what I wanted to build and how to move forward. His feedback helped me clarify my objectives and build a very profitable online business. He challenged me when I needed it and gave me practical tools I still use in both business and life. I am in a much better place today because of the work we did together. Thank you, Jake.

Robert Yau – Online Entrepreneur

Career Coaching FAQ

Career change coaching consists of advice and support from a professional and experienced coach to help you make the next big step in your life. As a career coach in the UK, I offer both practical tools and personal support to motivate you.

As a dedicated career coach in London, my approach to career coaching extends beyond traditional methods. I understand that feeling stuck or stressed in your current job can be overwhelming. That’s why I provide career coaching that’s up-to-date with the latest trends.

Whether you need a business coach to polish your interview skills or offer guidance for a successful change of career, I’m here to help. We will tackle the challenges together, creating a bespoke plan that aligns with your professional aspirations. Through mentoring and positive reinforcement, we’ll get through the challenges of career development together.

Embarking on a new career path can be exciting yet daunting. The amount of career transition coaching you need largely depends on where you are in your current career, your career goals, and how much support you feel you need to achieve your ambitions.

In my coaching sessions, I tailor the experience to your specific needs. Whether you are feeling stuck, contemplating a complete career change, or simply looking to update your interview skills, I’ll take a flexible approach as your dedicated professional career coach. A single coaching session might provide the clarity you need, or you might benefit from a series of sessions.

The best jobs for a career change are those that align with your skills, passions, and desired lifestyle. As experienced career coaches in London, we’ve seen clients thrive in a broad range of industries, from media to higher education. The key is to identify what represents a job that is fulfilling to you.

Is it the opportunity to achieve your goals? Is it the work environment? Or is it the challenges it presents? During our career counselling sessions, we’ll explore various options and help you understand the job market.

Whether you’re returning from maternity leave, seeking a more positive work-life balance, or wanting to leverage your existing skills in a new industry, there’s a fulfilling career out there for you. Together, we can discuss potential paths and create strategies to make your next career move a successful one.

Working with a career transition coach is a journey of discovery and growth. In our London-based career coaching sessions, the process is all about you—your needs, your career aspirations, and your vision for the future. We start with a free discovery session to understand where you currently are in your career and where you want to go.

This initial talk sets the stage for a series of tailored sessions designed to help you achieve your career goals. Each session is a step towards developing the confidence and direction you need for a successful change. We’ll cover everything from interview skills to strategies for moving forward in your chosen field. It’s not just hard work; it’s a supportive, genuine, and positive experience. 

My role as your coach is to be both a mentor and a guide—helping you face the process head-on and feel confident in your decisions. You’ll leave each session feeling more empowered to take on the challenges of your next job interview or business venture.

Remember, finding the right coach is crucial in this process. As professionals in the field, we take genuine care in understanding your needs and helping you create the future you desire.

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address

Davies Street, Mayfair,
London W1K

phone number

Mobile: +44 7738 514 600

email

[email protected]

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