FAQ
What is Career Coaching?
Career coaching is a type of personal coaching that helps people find greater fulfillment in their careers by establishing professional goals, creating a plan and overcoming obstacles that may be in the way.
What do Career Coaches do?
Career coaches can help people with a wide array of career-related issues. Some seek career coaching because they’re stuck in a dead-end job that brings no meaning or purpose, while others are challenged by the demands of balancing their work lives with their personal lives. Some clients know exactly what they want to do with their lives, but need help finding and executing a plan to get there, while others have languished without a clear calling in life. Career coaching helps people with all of these concerns and more.
What are the benefits to having a Career Coach?
Support
A coach is there for you. They actively listen to what you are saying and what you aren’t saying. They will create a safe environment where you are comfortable and can talk without judgment. Looking for work can be extremely isolating. Working with a coach provides the necessary support to move forward. A coach provides non-judgmental guidance and can see things from the 30,000 ft view, offering different perspectives and opportunities. They’ll help you identify where you are stuck, what the obstacles are between you and your dream job, and illuminate the path to what you really want.
Structure and Accountability
A coach will set up regular coaching meetings with you (by phone or in person) and assist in developing a plan to achieve your career goals. Looking for work can be frustrating, annoying and demoralizing and it may be difficult to know where to start. Having regular coaching sessions will lend structure and stability to your career transition. A career coach will customize a program to suit your individual needs and meet you where you are, whether at a career crossroad or in job search mode. They will provide the necessary accountability for you to achieve and exceed your goals, far faster than you would on your own.
Focus
A career coach will help you focus on what you really want to do and where you want to do it by identifying your values, interests, talents and passion. They will help you discover what is really important to you and how that relates to finding your ideal career.
Confidence and Your Personal Brand
When you are out of work you may lack self-confidence and your perspective on successfully finding work may become clouded. Career coaching can provide you with fresh perspectives on the challenges and opportunities when finding meaningful work, give you better awareness of your strengths, accomplishments, unique value proposition and your own personal brand.
How does Career Coaching work?
So the job (pun intended) of a career coach is to help you find a job – but not just any job – a job you love. A career coach does this by offering a range of services. On one end of the spectrum is the personal development side of career coaching that helps you answer the big questions in life such “what are you passionate about?”, “What do you really want to do?” and “What career legacy do you want to leave behind?”. On the other end of the career coaching spectrum are the technical job searching services such as resume writing, preparing for interviews, and developing job searching skills.
Does a Career Coach actually help you find a job?
A career coach can provide assistance if you are currently employed and looking to transition to another industry or job or if you are re-entering the workforce. A coach can help you find direction when you lack focus, and don’t know what your next steps are. Whether you are nearing retirement and want to start a whole new career, or are a new graduate fresh out of college or university, a career coach can help ease the transition and get you where you want to go faster and with less stress.