Katie-Marie Lynch MIEP, a dedicated freelance Neurodiversity Consultant and Specialist Employability Coach, recently achieved the IEP Award in Employability Essentials (EE) program, marking a significant milestone in her professional journey. With over eight years of experience helping individuals overcome barriers to meaningful employment, Katie-Marie’s shared her experience of the IEP’s EE program and why she found it so rewarding.
Katie-Marie is a self-described ‘big nerd’ when it comes to CPD in employability and career support. She found IEP’s Employability Essentials program to be a particularly enriching learning experience, appreciating its depth and practical approach.
“I absolutely loved how thorough this course was and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking to explore career coaching in the real world,” Katie-Marie says.
“I’ve done a few training courses now but I really liked this one for furthering my understanding of all the different aspects that can influence your client’s journey into and staying in the right work for them in the right way, and most importantly how to support these needs holistically. Career coaching is so much more than just writing up CV’s and Cover letters, and that’s why I love what I do.”
One of the course highlights for Katie-Marie was the Understanding Neurodiversity module curated by Genius Within CIC and learning about the implications of left and right-side dominant brains in the Time Management module.
“Turns out I am 70% left sided, which means I learn better with visual organisation techniques as opposed to written. I can see this being a valuable discussion with my clients to see how they work best.”
Katie-Marie is eager to continue growing and staying up to date with the latest trends and best practice through the valuable range of resources offered by the IEP. Her goal for 2025 is to work towards Member Ambassador status (MAIEP), allowing her to share her insights and learnings with others.
“My approach to neurodiversity will always be grounded in a more holistic understanding that takes into account the toughest barriers to employment – whether that’s financial struggles, disability, low confidence, societal stigma, or lack of accessible support. By expanding my knowledge and skills, I can continue offering the most inclusive and effective support to those who face these significant challenges.”
Katie-Marie owns Glitter In The Grey – an employability career coaching consultancy that bridges the gap to unlock neurodivergent potentials and empowers leaders to harness the strengths of employees with ADHD.
