This week's coach in the spotlight is Caroline Clark, a Coaching Academy graduate who now runs her own business specialising in supporting women through pivotal career moments within the tech and product management space. Caroline is passionate about helping her clients build confidence, achieve their goals, and thrive in their careers. Read on to discover her inspiring story, why she chose this niche, and her top tips for women navigating the challenges of the tech industry.
As an accredited coach, having completed my Coaching Diploma with The Coaching Academy, I specialise in early to mid-career transitions for women in Product Management and Tech through my business Caroline Clark Coaching. I help my clients navigate pivotal career moments such as landing new jobs in Product, achieving promotions, and stepping into leadership roles. My approach is a blend of coaching and mentoring, which combines practical tools with deeper psychological insights, informed by my ongoing degree in Psychology (due to graduate next year!). This allows me to help clients not only achieve their goals but also build the self-belief needed to thrive throughout their careers.
With 11 years of professional experience in product management across startups, scaleups, and larger tech-driven companies, I’ve seen firsthand the barriers women face in this male-dominated field. Coaching enables me to combine my professional expertise with my personal mission, creating a meaningful impact for both my clients and the wider tech industry. I focus on coaching women in Product because I’m passionate about addressing gender inequity in tech. I love working 1:1 with ambitious women, supporting them to build confidence, step into leadership roles, and make their voices heard. Typically clients come to me for help with overcoming self doubt and imposter syndrome, navigating burnout and toxic work environments, or finding clarity and direction when considering a career transition. I find this work incredibly rewarding.
Coaching in this space is critical because women’s voices are essential in shaping how products are built. Women currently make up just 22% of the total tech industry, and 30% of product management professionals in the UK. Without diverse perspectives in decision-making, technology risks being designed for a narrow subset of society. This can lead to biased products that exclude or harm under-served groups, which will become increasingly problematic with the wider adoption of new technologies like AI.
Coaching helps women develop the confidence to overcome systemic and personal barriers, equipping them with the leadership skills to step into these crucial roles and have a positive impact. By supporting women in Product, I’m not just helping individuals succeed—I’m working towards a more equitable tech industry and building better products for everyone.
1. Overcoming Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome: Reframe self-doubt as a collective challenge, not an individual flaw. We often approach imposter syndrome as a personal failing, yet it also stems from environments that undervalue women’s contributions. Instead of internalising these doubts, talk openly with trusted peers or mentors to normalise the experience and gather feedback on your performance. Building a supportive network helps shift the narrative from “I’m not enough” to “This system wasn’t designed with me in mind, but I can succeed anyway.”
2. Navigating Burnout and Toxic Work Environments: Leverage collective action to create change. While setting personal boundaries is essential, remember that burnout is a product of dysfunctional workplace cultures, not individual failings. Collaborate with colleagues to identify shared challenges and advocate for improvements, like workload redistribution or better team processes. Recognising burnout as a shared issue reduces feelings of isolation and empowers collective solutions.
3. Finding Clarity and Direction in Career Transitions: Anchor your career decisions in both personal values and social impact. When deciding on your next steps, consider not just what aligns with your skills and goals, but also how your work can contribute to building more inclusive, equitable products and services. Use your career transitions as opportunities to align with companies or teams that value diversity, equity, and inclusion. This creates a career path where your growth benefits both you and the communities your work serves.
Training as a coach with The Coaching Academy has been transformative. It’s a cliche, but I have been on my own journey of self-discovery. Through coach training I’ve increased myself awareness of my beliefs and biases, improved my communication (particularly active listening) and learned what works to make sustainable personal change. This has allowed me to not only support others in achieving their goals but also given me the tools to create meaningful, lasting impact in my own life and career. As my grandfather always said - whatever you want in life, just go for it.
Thank you Caroline for sharing your inspirational journey with us!
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