Workhap Founder Sho Dewan Wants to Coach You in Your Dream Career Move

Career coach Sho Dewan wants to help his clients find jobs they like and want to do, and to thrive in their new careers.

Founder of Workhap, an international career coaching and training company, Sho trains talent across six continents to ace interviews, negotiate higher salaries, and aim for not just prestige, money, or a title, but for jobs that they care about.

Incubating his company in Hong Kong since 2019, the former consultant and recruiter is also known as one of the most popular career coaches online. He has garnered more than 13 million views on TikTok and 350,000 followers on Instagram, all eager for his advice on getting better, and better-paying jobs.

Sho began his coaching story 10 years ago, studying a business degree at the University of California Irvine. “Early on at college, I didn't know what I wanted to do [after graduation]. I saw my older friends get offers at the Big Four [accounting firms] in finance,” he recalls.

“I went through interview processes for these jobs and understood the game relatively quickly and easily. I understood what employees are looking for, the stories to tell, how to write resumes, how to score interviews."

Sho describes that if a friend sought help fixing their CV, question prepping for interviews, or how to approach applications, he would be their first port of call. “Back in school, I was the resume-interview guy. Back then, I thought I wanted to do this forever, make this a career.”

After Sho immigrated to Hong Kong in 2017 for a job in management consulting at Ernst and Young, the career coach recognised the seemingly great perks of his “cushy job” - the prestige, salary progression, money - led him astray. He began seeking a challenge to find himself a more fulfilling job, and conversely, also helping others to do so in the process.

“I started Workhap,” a portmanteau of work and happy, “because I wanted to help people. I created this career coaching business to help my clients find jobs they like and help them advance in their careers in ways that they want to progress.”

Sho quit his job as head of culture and talent development at a start-up in 2019 to found Workhap with less than US$10,000 in the bank. He said that progress in the past year has snowballed to reach clients in all four corners of the world.

“Often, clients think when they find a new job, they’re content with staying. You might have the high of getting the new job, but you also need to do other things to get the promotion and get the raise.”

“I wanted to help people avoid the mistakes I made when I started at EY. If I make the money and get the name brand, prestige, I’ll be happy. That wasn’t the case. I want to ask my clients, what is it that you want? What is the thing that will make you happy? That’s what I strive for them to aim for." 

Beyond the client-facing side of Workhap, involving Sho assisting with interview preparation, tweaking CVs, and one-on-one coaching, the career coach has gone international with his message on social media.

“I began sharing content on LinkedIn every other day of messages of how to land more successful applications and [get] hired. 17, 18 months ago, I found my career coaching friends on TikTok, using the platform to teach others how successful they had become. I set up a goal to upload 30 TikTok’s in one month. After that, I began on Instagram to upload daily content of my tips and tricks. As you can see, it’s spiralled from there.”

Sho says “straight quantity” is the way to go, when revealing the simple secret to his feverish virality online.

He shoots at least two to three videos in the morning, ready to post on Instagram and TikTok. As the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions diminish, forcing employees back into offices, Sho features videos on how to find remote and hybrid work, and how to negotiate for higher salaries.

“I think the reason why people like me and why they follow the advice is because I speak it from my own experience. I've been in their shoes, and I've done these things.

“I don't think I'll ever give advice on something that I haven't personally done. I don't even think I can speak about a topic that I don't feel I haven't personally lived through and that I've that I haven't experienced.”

In 2023, Sho is dedicating his time to spreading the work-happy message, doubling down on longer-form content with upcoming podcasts and videos on YouTube.