Merly Hartnett,
Career Development Practitioner, Burnout Recovery Coach & Career Transition Specialist
with 17+ years' experience in occupational rehabilitation, workplace wellbeing and burnout recovery.
The Work I Do
Today, I support professionals Australia-wide and internationally to recover from burnout and rebuild a more sustainable, aligned way of working.
After building most of my career in Sydney and relocating to the Gold Coast for a sea change, I’ve been working remotely since 2016, supporting clients nationally across Australia and most recently internationally.
This isn’t about quick fixes or pushing through.
It’s about:
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Rebuilding your energy and capacity
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Reconnecting with what truly matters to you
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Creating a career that supports your life, not drains it
My approach combines career coaching with wellbeing and behaviour change, so you’re not just changing jobs, you’re changing the way you work and live.
Where needed, I also support the practical side of career transition, including LinkedIn profile optimisation, resume and cover letter development, and interview skills training, ensuring you feel confident and competitive in today’s job market.
My Background
I’m a qualified and HCANZA-Accredited Health and Wellness Coach with 17 years plus experience in career transition and occupational rehabilitation. I hold a Certificate IV in Career Development and am currently completing my Post-Graduate Certificate in Career Development and Counselling with Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
I’ve supported individuals navigating:
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Career transitions
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Workplace stress and burnout
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Injury and return-to-work journeys
This experience has shown me that sustainable careers aren’t built through pressure, they’re built through clarity, support, and aligned action.
My Story
For a long time, I believed the answer was to keep pushing.
Work harder.
Do more.
Hold it all together.
But eventually, that way of living caught up with me.
I’ve experienced burnout firsthand, alongside the mental load, workplace pressure, and even psychological injury that so many women silently carry.
As a working mum who has studied, worked, and homeschooled at the same time, I know what it feels like to be doing everything and still feeling like it’s not sustainable.
My perspective isn’t just personal.
With over 17 years in occupational rehabilitation, I’ve supported individuals across Sydney, the Gold Coast, and Australia-wide who have reached a crossroads in their careers, whether due to burnout, injury, or the desire for something more aligned.
I’ve worked across multiple paths myself as an employee, a contractor, and now a business owner, and I’ve walked through the same uncertainty, transitions, and decisions that my clients face.
So when I coach, it’s not just theory.
It’s grounded in lived experience, combined with the insights I’ve gained supporting clients through both private coaching and occupational rehabilitation.
What I’ve come to understand is this:
Burnout isn’t a sign that you’re failing.
It’s a sign that something needs to change.
