How To Be Resilient In Your Career And Face Up To Barriers At Work ‒ Interview With Dr. Helen Ofosu

Dr. Helen Ofosu is an Organizational Psychologist, Executive and Career Coach, and HR Consultant. She is soon to be a published author when her book launches. How to Be Resilient in Your Career: Facing Up to Barriers at Work will be released by Routledge on February 23, 2023.

Dr. Helen has helped individuals and organizations become more resilient for more than ten years through her private practice I/O Advisory Services Inc.

Dr. Helen is the author of more than two hundred blog posts and is frequently contacted by journalists to comment on subjects related to the workplace, employment, entrepreneurship, and diversity.

She is also one of five founding officers of a new section of the Canadian Psychological Association focused on Black Psychology, which aims to improve the representation of Black faculty, graduate students, and psychologists in Canada.

Dr. Helen Ofosu, Psychologist, Author, Speaker, Coach & Consultant

For readers who don’t know you yet, who is Dr. Helen Ofosu?

I studied Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology, also known as Work and Business Psychology. My specialties include assessing and developing leadership skills, inclusive recruitment, corporate mentorship, and navigating the complex issues of workplace bullying, harassment, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Part of what sets me apart from many career and executive coaches is my experience on the inside, as an HR and professional development expert, within large corporate workplaces. I have intimate knowledge of typical HR processes and systems.

In 2012, I left the safety and security of a job in the Canadian federal government to launch my own practice. I am proud that my practice reached the ten-year mark in 2022.

I am also an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, where I deliver occasional guest lectures and enjoy mentoring aspiring psychologists.

Your tagline is “More than career coaching; it’s career psychology®.” What is Career Psychology? Is it the same as Therapy?

Since I’m a psychologist, potential clients sometimes worry they’d be signing on for months of treatment or therapy. But unlike the patients of Clinical psychologists, most of my clients aren’t coming to me for help with deep-rooted personal problems that require months or years to work through. Most of my clients are professionals or recent graduates who need guidance to get ahead in their careers or navigate difficult work-related situations.

Over the years, I’ve become a highly skilled Career Psychologist, so it is possible to achieve meaningful results quickly.

I understand you wrote a book on many of the challenges of the modern workplace.

Yes, I wrote, How to be Resilient in Your Career: Facing Up to Barriers at Work, which Routledge will publish in February 2023. Here’s a 30-second video overview.

From what I’ve seen up close, the modern workplace is complicated and sometimes quite difficult – for employees, leaders, and HR professionals.

I also appreciate how hectic life can get, so when I started planning this book, I wanted to make sure readers would get a concise, easy-to-read resource that covers ten of the most common challenges and setbacks that I regularly tackle with my private coaching clients (e.g., underemployment, harassment/bullying, being part of an underrepresented group, toxic workplaces, etc.)

Who will benefit most from reading this book?

This book will benefit employees who are skilled and competent at their jobs and want to avoid certain problematic situations at work. And if they find themselves dealing with these challenges, this book will be a helpful guide to help them bounce back more quickly and completely.

When my clients suffer from some of the problems addressed in this book, I sometimes connect them with Clinical Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Counselors, or Social Workers. Many mental health professionals have limited experience working in typical corporate workplaces. These professionals will find this book to be an excellent resource. This book will also be a helpful guide for career coaches and executive coaches who are building awareness of the nuances I address for members of underrepresented groups and HR matters.

Why were you the right person to write this book?

I have a unique perspective based on my deep understanding of careers, leadership, the psychology of work and business, the modern workplace, and the realities and practicalities of equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and anti-racism.

Most career and executive coaches do not have the HR experience I have. Likewise, most HR professionals don’t have the coaching experience I have.

Adding my foundation in psychology to the mix creates a complete and compelling package.

How is this book different from other books on career advice?

I have never found a book written by someone with a background in work psychology, HR, coaching, EDI, and leadership that addresses the common problems high-performing professionals face. This book fills the gap left by most online searches too since certain problems are too big and high stakes to rely on online searches.

I think I’d like to order your book. Where can I preview some of the content?

Here’s a 30-second book trailer/video overview of How to be Resilient in Your Career: Facing Up to Barriers at Work.

You can also look at the Table of Contents and some endorsements/testimonials.

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and visit my website to find more ways to become more resilient in your career.

Read more from Dr. Helen!