3 Things You’ll Learn With a Career Coach
Finding a new career is daunting, especially in the current economic climate. For every job posting, there are dozens (sometimes hundreds) of applicants. How do you make your resume stand out? If you’ve been on a job hunt for a while with nothing to show for it, career coaching might be the best option for you.
What Should I Look for in Coach?
If you’ve decided to take the plunge and hire a career coach, the first thing you should look for is a clear online presence. Is his or her website clean, professional, and polished? Are there links to LinkedIn or Twitter? Are client testimonials available? If the answers are no, widen your search. If you expect a career coach to help you connect with potential employers, he or she should be engaged in the craft.
To determine if your career coach is really an expert, look for work outside of career coaching. Is he or she published? Does the individual give conferences or offer speaking engagements? This should help you narrow down the field of prospects and watch for any red flags.
What Can I Expect From Career Coaching?
Once you’ve selected a career coach, the actual work begins. Career coaches vary in their approach, but you should be able to determine whether your personal goals align with the goals of the program you’ve chosen. In general, you can expect these kinds of services from an experienced coach:
- A review of your resume and how to make it stand out.
- How to create a unique personal brand.
- Networking tips.
- Advice for nailing the interview.
- Improving your social media presence.
- Making your “elevator speech.”
What Kind of Coaching is Right for Me?
The kind of coaching you’re searching for depends on your unique needs. If you’re looking to stay away from corporate life and start your own business, you may benefit from Solopreneur coaching. This type focuses on building your brand, networking, and improving your social media presence to effectively start a career on your own terms as an entrepreneur.
On the other hand, if you find your career in a rut and your field is in sales, sales coaching might be the best option for you. Perfect for realtors, bankers, lawyers, accountants, and comparable professionals, sales coaching will teach you how to bolster your capital and pad your bottom line.
No matter what kind of coaching you choose, a qualified counselor will help you do the following things:
- Improve your self-awareness and help you determine which direction you’d like your career to go.
- Help you achieve clarity in your job search goals, so you aren’t applying to jobs that will be a time sink.
- Increase your career management skills, whether that’s public speaking and networking, or developing a successful sales strategy.
Are you still on the fence about whether to hire a career coach? Consider it this way: professional athletes often hire trainers and personal coaches on their way to making it to the most elite level of competition. If you think of a career coach as a guide to the highest possible level of your field, you may be willing to take the leap.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Career Coaching.
Additional Resources:
Should You Hire a Career Coach?
Why Should Job-Seekers Use a Career Coach?