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Karen PappasCareer Strategist

Karen co-founded Pappas & Pappas and CareerMode®, and is the driving force behind the success and extraordinary reputation of both firms. Prior to this, Karen was the Vice President of a well-regarded Massachusetts HR consulting and outplacement firm, and the founder and leader of an exclusive professional placement firm in Boston. Karen began her career with a global staffing firm, where she launched new U.S. locations and led turnaround operations for underperforming field offices.

Currently a member of the Northeast Human Resources Association (NEHRA), The Boston Club, and the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), Karen is also a founding member of the Boston College Club. She is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a former Board member of the Pan Mass Challenge (Jimmy Fund), The Wang Center for Performing Arts, and the Boston Human Resources Association (BHRA).

Karen co-established the Diversity Committee at BHRA and served as co-chair of the Membership Committee. She was also co-chair of the Holiday Card Program at Dana-Farber and a past rider and volunteer for the Pan Mass Challenge. Karen is a volunteer career strategist for the Eagle Exchange at Boston College, volunteer career coach at The Boston Club, group mentor in The Boston Club ‘45’ Mentoring Program, mentor at the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), group mentor at Women in the Enterprise of Science & Technology (WEST), volunteer career coach at One Family, Inc., fellow, Institute of Coaching, McLean Hospital, and member, Women’s Mental Health Leadership Council, McLean Hospital.

Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Sociology from Boston College and numerous certificates from Harvard Medical School (Mind Body Medicine) and the University of Pennsylvania (Positive Psychology). Karen is also an MBTI® Certified Practitioner.

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Dave PappasCareer Strategist

Dave balances creativity, strategy, and logic to deliver innovative programs and services to internal and external clients. He excels at building cohesive teams for organizations via Outstaffing®, an inventive and successful talent acquisition model of his own design. Dave also oversees operations, including human resources, legal, marketing, payroll, and IT.

Dave began his career as a technical recruiter then moved into a leadership role for a major national technical placement agency, where he was consistently ranked as a top performer. Before starting Pappas & Pappas in 1997, Dave was an HR consultant for one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing technology companies. He successfully sourced and placed high-demand candidates in the areas of Professional Services, Software Development, Technical Support, Application Engineering, and Information Technology.

Prior to his career in human resources, Dave attended Boston University and was an active-duty United States Marine, where he held numerous leadership positions. Dave received multiple honors and awards as a Marine and non-combat veteran of the Persian Gulf War, including Parris Island Honor Graduate, a Certificate of Commendation from his Commanding General, two Meritorious Promotions, a National Defense Service Medal, and an Honorable Discharge.

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CareerMode® was perfect for me to successfully prepare for interviews and actually it resulted in me landing a great job. Preparing for interviews alone is a very challenging task in my opinion. I believe you need someone to provide feedback on the answers you provide, giving you the opportunity to rework your answers in order to be successful on the interview day. With this in mind, it was extremely beneficial working with someone who has interviewer experience and has a great understanding of what companies are looking for in a candidate. Other than interview preparation, we worked on cleaning up my cover letter and resume to make it more presentable. All in all, CareerMode® was exactly what I needed to land the job I wanted.

Josh F.

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Working with Karen and the CareerMode® program encouraged me to do a deep dive on my core competencies and to explore my strengths and interests during a career transition. I appreciated Karen's and her team's candor, positive energy and attention to detail, especially with my resume and board biography.  I highly recommend CareerMode® to anyone who is transitioning between careers or looking for new opportunities.

Janice W.

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I had worked with Karen for many years, providing her outplacement services to my employees. When it was time for a career change of my own, Karen was my first phone call. Although I already had some incredible milestones under my belt, I did not have the confidence in my resume or my experience that I needed to pursue future high-level opportunities. That insecurity completely changed after our first session. Karen has a way of infusing confidence into her clients that they didn't know they were capable of. I would leave each session more inspired and more determined than I ever thought possible. Karen worked with me not only to polish my resume and my interviewing skills but most importantly she helped me realize the limitless career potential that I had never truly considered for myself! The confidence Karen instilled during these private sessions is something that has stayed with me as I entered this next chapter of my life and for that I am forever grateful. I would (and have!) recommend her services to anyone and everyone.

Christine H.

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It was a pleasure to work with Karen Pappas of CareerMode®. I had never used a Career Coach before and was a little apprehensive. Karen was able to guide me in the right direction and open my eyes to how I could move into the right path with very simple strategies that I could incorporate into my daily routine. I would recommend anyone that I know to work with Karen so that she can help you reach your goals faster and create the path that is right for you and not one that someone chooses for you.

Anita F.

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CareerMode® inspired me to reinvent myself and helped me jumpstart my professional career. As a first-generation American and first in my family to graduate college, I felt lost but CareerMode® supported me every step of the way. We worked on my resume, interview skills, and so much more. It was a truly empowering and personal experience for me. Thank you for the amazing, life-changing work that you do!

Lisa N.

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Karen is a brilliant career coach.  I recently worked with her during a career transition and, in the face of overwhelming career uncertainty, her work was invaluable in getting me back on track.  Karen provides clarity with ease, and her talents only seem to increase alongside the complexity of the problems she's given to solve.  Most importantly, Karen is genuinely invested in her client's success, and it's always evident that the solutions she provides are based on a wide breadth of knowledge and experience.

Jeff C.

We now offer Mindfulness-Based Career Coaching (MBCC) programs through CareerMindful™READ MORE

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A New Level of
Career Management
and Transition Support

A New Level of
Career Management
and Transition Support

Who We Are

Hello! We are Karen and Dave, founders of Pappas & Pappas. We are bringing decades of experience as Career Strategists to our newest venture, CareerMode®. We began working in the field separately, then joined forces in 1997 to launch Pappas & Pappas.

Over the years, we have helped countless people start and advance their careers, transition from one role to another, open a business, prepare for retirement, and more through our employer-sponsored programs. We are excited to now offer our professional career management and transition support services directly to individuals!

Who We Are

Hello! We are Karen and Dave, founders of Pappas & Pappas. We are bringing decades of experience as Career Strategists to our newest venture, CareerMode®. We began working in the field separately, then joined forces in 1997 to launch Pappas & Pappas.

Over the years, we have helped countless people start and advance their careers, transition from one role to another, open a business, prepare for retirement, and more through our employer-sponsored programs. We are excited to now offer our professional career management and transition support services directly to individuals!

LEARN MORE

What We Do

First, we will meet with you to assess your career goals and/or transition. Next, we will customize a program to meet your specific needs. Once the program is in place, you may choose to meet with us at our office, work with us remotely, or both! Each program is unique, but components common to many programs include:

Assessing Your Experience

Defining Your Objectives

Creating a
Career Plan

Communicating
Your Transition

Developing Your
Resume

Leveraging Social
Media/Network

Applying for
Positions

Coaching for
Interviews

Answer four questions to receive a free 20-minute career consultation!

GET STARTED

Client Testimonials

CareerMode® was perfect for me to successfully prepare for interviews and actually it resulted in me landing a great job. Preparing for interviews alone is a very challenging task in my opinion. I believe you need someone to provide feedback

READ MORE

Josh F.

Working with Karen and the CareerMode® program encouraged me to do a deep dive on my core competencies and to explore my strengths and interests during a career transition. I appreciated Karen's and her team's candor, positive energy and attention to

READ MORE

Janice W.

I had worked with Karen for many years, providing her outplacement services to my employees. When it was time for a career change of my own, Karen was my first phone call. Although I already had some incredible milestones under

READ MORE

Christine H.

It was a pleasure to work with Karen Pappas of CareerMode®. I had never used a Career Coach before and was a little apprehensive. Karen was able to guide me in the right direction and open my eyes to how

READ MORE

Anita F.

CareerMode® inspired me to reinvent myself and helped me jumpstart my professional career. As a first-generation American and first in my family to graduate college, I felt lost but CareerMode® supported me every step of the way. We worked on

READ MORE

Lisa N.

Karen is a brilliant career coach.  I recently worked with her during a career transition and, in the face of overwhelming career uncertainty, her work was invaluable in getting me back on track.  Karen provides clarity with ease, and her

READ MORE

Jeff C.