If you’re finding yourself dreaming of a change in your career or lifestyle and want an experienced, compassionate person to bounce ideas off of, you would probably benefit from the services of a career coach.
The first step in the coaching process can be the hardest: deciding that it’s the right and worthwhile choice. While ultimately only you can decide to start coaching, you may discover that there are plenty of reasons, all of them equally valid, for seeking out a coach.
You don’t have to be in a state of total job distress to benefit from coaching—career coaching can be as simple as periodically checking in on your goals, achievements, feelings, and ambitions, and taking stock of where you are in your career.
Even successful executives (almost all of them, in fact) enjoy the process of coaching, though too many of them do not take advantage of outside services.
What mentors, colleagues, and supervisors within your company often can’t provide, and what specialized career coaching can, is an objective, highly personal, and big-picture approach that centers you.
If you’re unsure if career coaching is the right move, here are some potential criteria:
You’re interested in making a change, but don’t know what your next step should be
Sometimes it’s clear you want a change in at least some part of your career, but the steps you need to take to get there—or even what you want that change to be in the first place—can be roadblocks. How do you change your life if you don’t know what you want or where to begin to achieve it?
Career coaching offers that guidance in the form of an experienced professional who’s helped countless others navigate all sorts of career changes. These changes can be emotional, confusing, and difficult, and having a guide, even just to bounce ideas off of, can be invaluable.
You’re unhappy or unsatisfied in your current job or lifestyle
Sometimes, career coaching can be as simple as an outlet for career or job frustration. Often, anger, disappointment, and dissatisfaction are the beginnings of the best changes.
A coach can help you channel those frustrations into building something better for yourself, where you feel respected, challenged, and happy.
It’s been a while since you were in the job market
If you’ve been in the same position or have been changing roles internally for a while now, and you’re interested in looking for a new job, it can be intimidating to re-enter a job market that’s changed in ways you may not be aware of. What do employers expect today? How should I update my resume? Am I still doing this right?
Career coaches are great resources for getting re-oriented in the current job market. They can provide specialized advice and information and help you become a stand-out applicant in today’s market.
You find it difficult to land the positions you want
Maybe you feel stagnant or that you’ve only moved laterally in your company—and you really want to move up. Maybe you’re applying to jobs you feel like you’re a great fit for, only to be rejected without a clear idea why.
Career coaches will compassionately evaluate the reasons you might not be landing those offers, and together, you two will build a strategy to get those jobs you deserve. Whether that’s targeted interview preparation, networking guidance, or confidence coaching, career coaches are typically the best people to help with this particular issue.
You want to improve your self-confidence or become more assertive
For some people, professional women especially, growth in confidence and assertiveness is an important way to succeed and reach their career potential.
It’s one of the areas where coaching can be most helpful: instead of the voice in your head that wants to talk you out of going for that promotion or standing up for yourself in that meeting, you have a compassionate listener who sees your talents, is invested in your success, and can hold you accountable and challenge you to be your best self.
Seeing your worth and unlearning negative thought patterns can unlock a lot of opportunities in your career, and a good coach will know how to get you there.
You want to nail interviews and have a stand-out resume
Another thing career coaches offer is excellent interview and resume help. Their experience and knowledge, combined with a highly personal approach exactly tailored to your goals and strengths, can help you become a stellar interviewer with a flawless resume.
You have a desire to challenge yourself and grow
Most importantly, career coaching is a good fit for those who have an interest in self-improvement and are open to growth. If you want to invest in the best possible life for yourself, it may make sense to seek out someone who can help you improve your professional life with understanding, kindness, and a belief in your abilities. It can be hard to take that first step and reach out, but from that point on, you won’t have to do the rest alone.
Get a free 30 minute consultation to learn more about career coaching by emailing us at [email protected]
