Often we find ourselves at points in our lives where we are unable to make a major decision regarding our careers. For example, how often do you think these thoughts?
Should I leave my current position? Do I need to switch jobs? Is there something else I could be good at? Should I keep applying to jobs online even when I don’t hear back from the majority of them? Am I going towards my goal or away from it?
It is very likely that at such crucial points in our lives, we can end up making the wrong decisions. Career coaching is a wonderful option to help with the confusion and indecisiveness. Career coaches ensure you achieve your goals, maximize your potential, and avoid making wrong choices.
No matter where you are in your life, if you feel purposeless and uncertain about your career choices, it is not too late to seek help. Let us explore this topic by answering questions about the role of a coach and how you can benefit from their expertise. Let’s start by answering the basic question about the profession itself.
Who Are Career Coaches and What Do They Do?
A career coach is a person who helps you define and redefine your objectives and goals. A career coach uses a solution-oriented approach to make sure you reach your goals step by step through a personalized and effective method.
Career coaches help you when you are stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed by the job-hunting process. They instill confidence, insight, encouragement, and inspiration to help you find a fulfilling career.
Career coaching is not to be confused with counseling. Counseling is a process where a client’s emotional, psychological and behavioral issues are addressed to help them overcome their issues and get back on the track of achieving their goals.
Career coaches understand the recruitment process and can give you valuable advice surrounding the most effective way to find a new job. They provide you with the tools and methods required to make these decisions. For example, the coach will help with your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. Ideally, a minimum of 10 hours of coaching can help you reach your goals.
Here are some of the services career coaches offer:
- Meet with you and learn about your academic and professional background.
- Learn about your goals and help you achieve them
- Identify your skills and provide the necessary tools to polish your existing skills and recommend new ones.
- Provide recommendations about efficiency in your current role, job search process, and advancement in your career
- Help prepare resume and/or LinkedIn profile
- Do mock interviews with you
- Help you transition into a new career
- Bring back/boost your confidence
- Address your fears and anxiety
- Provide honest feedback
- Discuss strategies to improve communication skills, interview skills, conflict-management skills
- Maximize potential
- Define or redefine objectives
- Help plan a career path
- Help you define and achieve short-term and long-term career goals
Mindset For Receiving Career Coaching
To receive career coaching, it is very important that you approach it with an open mind. Your mindset will influence the decisions you make at all levels, whether you are at a beginner level in your profession, management level, or leadership level. The mindset with which you approach coaching will determine the failure or success in your journey.
People with a fixed mindset believe they are great at something or a failure at something. They want to hide their shortcomings instead of addressing them. They stay in their comfort zone and don’t push themselves. When they fail, they get discouraged and go down the road of “I am a failure/loser.” People with fixed mindset use common phrases like “this is who I am” or “I am not good enough.”
On the other hand, people with a growth mindset believe they can learn anything and they adopt a flexible approach to new things. They climb out of their comfort zone and explore new possibilities with an open mind. When they fail, they learn from it and move on.
People in a growth mindset believe anyone can be good at anything. They use phrases like “I can learn it” and “I can achieve it”
So to fully benefit from your coaching you will need to have a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. Admit mistakes, listen to feedback, and make necessary changes. Let your coach open your brain to amazing possibilities.
Trust your coach and do your homework. Don’t expect an overnight change or wish to magically land a job within a week. Everything has a process and it takes time. Remember there are no shortcuts to success.
How To Find a Career Coach
Finding a coach can be a daunting process when you are just starting out. A good approach would be to do your research online, read about different coaches and check their reviews and testimonials online. If you end up finding someone suitable, contact them and ask for a free 15-20 min initial call. Many coaches often provide a free initial trial session.
Through this short session, you will get an idea about their approach and it will help you make a better decision about whether you and this particular career coach click. Make sure you book sessions by hour and not by months or years so you don’t feel tied down with one person. Lastly be aware of scams. If someone asks you for a huge amount upfront, it is a big red flag. Find the coaches who are interested in you more than your money.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
