Book a session
Book a session

Tailored career strategy

Know what to do next in your career

For international professionals who feel stuck and are unsure how to position themselves for stronger roles in Europe.

Start planning your next move

Trusted by 1,000+ professionals · Featured in Forbes

Maria Blinova, CEO of Leaders First
Maria Blinova · CEO, Leaders First

London-based Career Advisor with 17 years of international experience and 8+ years in career consulting and professional development.

Mentor atRoyal Academy of EngineeringFeatured inForbes

This is for you, if…

See what's holding your career back

Sound familiar?
Recognise yourself here?

I don't know what my next move should be

I want to earn more, but I'm stuck where I am

I'm moving to a new industry or country

My LinkedIn doesn't show what I'm really worth

Recruiters just aren't reaching out to me

My job search feels all over the place

International professional taking the next step in his career

The outcome

Better opportunities, on your terms

You'll know where you're going, how to present yourself with confidence, and what to do first
Clear priorities for the next 30 days

After the session

What you walk away with

Mindset

Calm and confident

  • Know what to do next
  • Trust your experience and professional story
  • Focus on opportunities worth your time
Practical tools

Tools you can use immediately

  • Realistic options for your next move
  • A stronger LinkedIn and positioning
  • A personalised action plan with clear next steps

Choose your next step
Move forward with clarity

Choose your session

Career Clarity & Direction

Thinking about changing roles, industries or countries?

Power Session · 50 min£120
Deep Session · 90 min£195
Offer lasts until 30th August
What’s included in this session?
£120 · 50 minPower Session

Focused recommendations for the decision you need to make now.

  • Pre-session questionnaire and situation review
  • Career direction and positioning recommendations
  • Clear priorities and practical next steps
£195 · 90 minDeep Session

For a more substantial career reset and a detailed, personalised action plan.

Everything included in the focused session

  • Deeper skills assessment aligned with skills-based hiring
  • Transferable strengths, gaps and best-fit directions
  • Hidden Job Market access, outreach recommendations and a practical action plan with clear next steps
  • Bonus AI Job Search support where relevant
Book this session
LinkedIn

LinkedIn Recruiter Visibility

Your LinkedIn could be costing you interviews.

Power Session · 50 min£120
Deep Session · 90 min£195
Offer lasts until 30th August
What’s included in this session?
£120 · 50 minPower Session

Expert profile audit and clear recommendations to implement independently.

  • Pre-session LinkedIn audit
  • Positioning, keywords and profile recommendations
  • Priority profile changes to implement independently
£195 · 90 minDeep Session

For hands-on implementation, not recommendations alone.

Everything included in the recommendations session

  • Live rewriting of the main profile sections: Headline, About and Experience
  • Keyword updates plus recruiter visibility and outreach recommendations
  • Hidden Job Market access plan and a personalised action plan
  • Bonus AI Job Search support where relevant: tailored prompts for LinkedIn positioning, outreach, applications and interview preparation
Book this session

How it works

A focused format built around you

One-to-one strategy, tailored to your situation — from first question to a clear plan.

Find your best next opportunity
01

Choose your session

Pick the session that fits your goal — booking takes a couple of minutes.

02

Share your context

A short questionnaire helps me understand your situation before we meet, so no time is wasted.

03

Work through it together

A private session where we shape your direction, story and positioning around your goals.

04

Move forward with clarity

You leave with a clear direction and practical next steps you can act on.

Maria speaking to an international business audience
1,000+LinkedIn profiles updated
500+professionals secured new roles
1,200+hours of one-to-one consultations

Maria Blinova · CEO, Leaders First

Hi! I’m Maria

Why you can trust me with your career

London-based Career Advisor with 17 years of international experience and over 8 years in career consulting and professional development training.

My clients are professionals working at organisations including Deutsche Bank, BlackRock, Kaspersky, Sony, Cisco, Google, Tesla, Huawei, and UniCredit.

I have been featured in Forbes, mentor founders at the Royal Academy of Engineering, and work in English, Italian and Russian.

I maintain regular conversations with HR leaders, recruiters and hiring managers, ensuring my advice reflects today’s hiring market rather than outdated career guidance.

Client stories

What clients say

Clear thinking, practical next steps and advice shaped around the person — not a generic career formula.

Private career consultation

“A tailored and clearly structured session helped turn broad career questions into specific goals and practical CV improvements.”

Career consultation client
CV review

“The review was practical, concise and focused on the changes that mattered — without lengthy theory or generic advice.”

CV review client
International career strategy

“Maria helped uncover overlooked strengths, identify the visibility barriers holding a senior professional back and build a realistic action plan.”

Kamila Taktasheva
One-to-one coaching

“A focused session turned uncertainty into a practical plan, renewed motivation and the confidence to move an important project forward.”

Alexandra Robinson

Bonus inside the 90-minute session

Use AI more strategically in your job search

As a bonus inside the 90-minute session, I can help you use AI more strategically in your job search — especially if you're already using ChatGPT or Claude but still not getting enough replies.

Together we'll sharpen:

  • your positioning
  • your prompts
  • a job search system built around your role, market and goals
Role analysisOutreachApplicationsInterview prep

* This tailored bonus is available only within a 90-minute session, where relevant.

Choose a 90-minute session
Laptop and coffee on a calm professional workspace
Career Direction Guide by Leaders First

Free Career Direction Guide

Get practical direction for your next move

Subscribe to the Leaders First newsletter and receive the guide by email or through Telegram — choose what works best for you.

FAQ

Before you book

Practical answers about the format, preparation and what is — and is not — included.

01Will you rewrite my CV or LinkedIn profile for me, or is this a strategy session?

This is a strategy session, not a generic done-for-you writing service. I help you understand what is not working, how to position your experience and what to change first. CV rewriting is not included. In the 50-minute LinkedIn session, you receive an audit and recommendations only. In the 90-minute LinkedIn session, we rewrite most of the main profile sections together during the session.

02Do I need to prepare?

Yes. After booking, you will complete a focused questionnaire and, depending on the session, share your LinkedIn profile, target roles or example vacancies. This lets us spend the session on decisions and strategy — not basic information gathering.

03Can you help with an international move?

Yes. I work with international professionals considering the UK, Italy, Switzerland and wider European markets. We can assess realistic role options, positioning, visibility and the steps to take before applying.

04Is this suitable for senior professionals?

Yes. It is especially useful when you have strong experience but need a clearer story, stronger market positioning or a realistic route into a more senior role.

05What happens after I book?

You choose a time, pay online and receive the pre-session questionnaire. I review your answers before we meet, so our time stays focused on clarity, positioning and practical next steps.