What is career coaching and how will it benefit me?
If you haven’t used a career coach before you can be forgiven for finding the concept confusing. You might also think it’s unnecessary and that you can figure things out alone. Some people do manage to, but often we find ourselves repeating unhelpful patterns of behaviour or going around in circles with the same thoughts. This often leads to feeling stuck, confused and an inability to take action.
Career coaching, sometimes referred to as career counselling, empowers you to overcome whatever challenges you’re facing in your career or job search. It’s all about gaining the support, tools and guidance you need so that you can both recognise and achieve your potential, and make decisions about your future.
How you achieve this will vary depending on your coach’s approach, as well as your specific needs. Sometimes you might complete tools and exercises to help you gain useful insights, other times you’re likely to be discussing your ideas and reflections. Your coach will hopefully ask you incisive questions to help you dig deep and challenge your perceptions and thoughts, so it’s important that you trust your coach and feel able to open up about your career-related concerns and fears. When working with a coach, you hold the agenda and take ownership of your actions.
Who can benefit from career coaching?
Some coaches work with 1 or 2 specific client groups, while others offer services to a broad range of clients. Here are some of the key times when you might benefit from working with a career coach:
Contemplating a change of career, but don’t know where to start – you might be in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s
Looking to return to work after a career break
A student considering the next steps after school, college or university
Recently graduated from university and seeking your first graduate position
You have an interview coming up and need some support
Applying for lots of jobs but not getting interviews – wanting help with your CV and applications
Being made redundant and not sure what the future holds
Unemployed or underemployed – there may be low cost or free services that you can access, so check these out first
Deeply unsatisfied at work, but not sure what to do about it and your usual strategies aren’t working
Being passed over for promotion or other development opportunities
Planning for or contemplating retirement
A specific career-related concern, such as difficulty with relations at work, dealing with conflict or managing your time
The benefits of career coaching and how it can help you
The benefits can be broad and are dependent on your individual needs and goals, but here are some of the things that clients have said during or after coaching:
I feel more able to make informed decisions about my future
I have grown in confidence and I’m not riddled with self-doubt
I am far more aware of my abilities and how to market myself towards a job
I have managed to assert myself in the workplace and gained a promotion or a rise in salary
I’m much clearer about my purpose and what I want from my career
The things that used to hold me back in my career no longer do
It has been so helpful to be able to talk to someone outside of my usual circle about my concerns
I got the job! The work I did with you really helped me to believe in myself and this clearly showed at interview
It’s also worth noting that working with a career coach can help you to develop the confidence and motivation to manage your career both in the short and long term. It’s often not about a ‘quick fix’ and the skills you can develop through coaching can be used to develop your career long after your coaching has finished.
If you would like to discuss whether career coaching is right for you, get in touch.