CAREER COACHING & GRAD ADMISSIONS STRATEGY
Hi, I'm Ash.
ASH CROSS, MA
I'm a career coach and job search strategist with 13 years of experience and a lived understanding of what it actually takes to navigate complex, confusing systems.
I've been on the other side of the table. And I use the same strategies I teach.
Neurodivergent
Nonbinary
Former CMU Admissions Committee
Former Therapist
Career Services for 10+ Yrs
13
Years as a career coach and strategist
6,000+
Professionals across 20+ industries
100%
MFE internship placement while at Carnegie Mellon
$160K+
Average starting salary with sign-on bonus
MY EXPERIENCE
From mental health to career coaching
I spent five years post-degree pursuing my counseling license, working across outpatient, in-home, school, college, and hospice settings. I worked multiple jobs at any given time trying to get enough hours for my license part-time and hold down a full-time job in higher ed.
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In graduate school, I worked in the career center, where I fell in love with career coaching. Students would come back to me after one session with improvements on their resume and positive updates on their job search. I loved how I could help students take meaningful action in session with me and see their a-ha moment while we work together... and it allowed me to feel energized rather than drained after a day full of back-to-back client meetings.
When COVID hit, I went through heavy unmasking and burnout. That's when I decided to get crystal clear on what I wanted in my career, and applied for my dream role as a career coach at Carnegie Mellon University for the MSCF program. I stopped pursuing my license and moved across state lines.​​​
Once I stopped trying to fit into broken systems, everything changed. Now I help others do the same.
Early career
Mental health counselor
Master's in Mental Health Counseling. Five years across outpatient, in-home, school, college, and hospice settings.
2020
Burnout, unmasking, and a pivot
COVID brought everything to a head. I left clinical work and moved across state lines for a role at Carnegie Mellon.
CMU
Associate Director, Career Services at MSCF
Worked on an admissions committee and partnered directly with hiring managers, recruiters, and alumni. Achieved 100% internship placement and 97% employed within 3 months consistently, ranking MSCF the #3 MFE in the US.
2025
Founded Across Careers, LLC
Bringing the same approach directly to job seekers, grad school applicants, and career changers.
MY FRAMEWORK
SONAR is my signature framework
Working at CMU gave me insight and experience in both quant finance and graduate admissions. It also solidified my coaching approach, SONAR.
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​After working with hundreds of students and experiencing multiple leadership changes in a short amount of time...
S
Self Reflect
This involves looking at your interests, values, and needs - both inside and out of the workplace. We want to get clear on what you like to do and what you don't want to do - so we can get closer to finding a role that won't suck your soul.
O
Understand Your Options
Many times people just don't know what else is out there that maps to their skills, or what type of other employers might value their skill set.
N
Narrow & Network
This stage focuses on prioritization and strategy. Once we narrow our focus, we can shape our narrative, outreach strategy, and upskilling goals more effectively.
A
Take Action & Apply
This stage involves more than just updating our resume and cover letter - but looking into application strategy: where are we applying (not just on LinkedIn and Indeed), for what types of roles specifically, and what strategies are in place so we aren't wasting time.
R
Review Results & Re-evaluate
Because we spent the last stage (Take Action & Apply) setting up our systems, now we have data to track and inform what is or is not working about our strategy. We'll also take a look at qualitative data too. If something is difficult outside of session, then what can we do to reduce the friction so you can accomplish it?
MY STORY
Coaching From Lived Experience
Being different doesn't mean you are flawed or incapable.
Having AuDHD, a TBI, and chronic migraines, I've had jobs where I was failing - even while I put in extra hours trying desperately to do the best I could.
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I couldn't keep up with others' expectations... and, looking around, I seemed to be the only one struggling.
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I spent a long time trying to make the wrong situations work... and it cost me my health, relationships, and sense of self-worth.
It reminds me of an Umbreon forcing itself to stay awake while the sun is out. Surrounded by Sunflora who expect it to function in the middle of the day, they might call it "lazy."
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Let it rest, work at night, and be around other nighttime Pokémon... and suddenly it can do a lot more than they assumed.
I stopped trying to force myself to work like everyone else.
Now, I don't have to apologize for who I am or minimize what I need to do my best work.
And that's what I want for my clients too.
There are roles, workplaces, and people out there that make it easier for you to do your best work.
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I help you find them.
SPEAKING AND EVENTS
Invite Ash to speak.
I speak at universities, bootcamps, professional associations, and corporate events on topics including quant and technical recruiting, graduate admissions strategy, neurodivergent career navigation, and job search systems that actually work.
I don't do motivational keynotes. I do practical, specific, and direct talks that give audiences something they can use the same day. Formats include workshops, webinars, panels, and live resume or LinkedIn reviews.
TOPICS I SPEAK ON
Quant and technical recruiting
How competitive hiring actually works, what firms are evaluating, and what makes a candidate stand out in a crowded pool.
Graduate admissions strategy
What MFE, CS, and STEM admissions committees are actually looking for, from someone who sat on one.
Neurodivergent career navigation
Job search systems built around how neurodivergent brains actually work, not how they're supposed to work.
Career pivots and non-linear backgrounds
How to translate a complex or non-traditional background into a clear, competitive narrative for any audience.
The SONAR framework
My five-stage career search framework, adapted for workshops, bootcamps, and group coaching settings.