Why You Need A Career Coach
Are you fresh out of school and looking for a job? Have you been sending out a lot of applications but do not really know what career path to follow? Or are you already at an entry-level in your profession and looking towards growth? Either way, you need a career coach. You might be thinking, who is a career coach and why do I need one?
A career coach is someone whose job is to guide people through career choices and challenges like professional development, career change, or promotion. Career coaches are not just random, unqualified people offering unsolicited advice. They are professionals and experts at what they do because they have been in the hiring, recruitment, and training industry for long periods of time and are up to date with current trends and happenings in that sector. Their skillset in human resources means that they have a plethora of tips and hacks that can help make your career journey successful and easier. Like we mentioned at the beginning of this article, if you need any form of help at any stage of your career journey, then you need the services of a career coach. A career coach’s help is beneficial as early as when you are still thinking of what type of job you should take or late in your career when you are thinking of quitting or pursuing some other interest.
Their services also include:
- Helping you construct a good resume, cover letter, or any other document needed for job applications especially if you have a specific situation like an employment gap. In that case, a career coach will help you sift out skills you have learned during your break from job seeking and help you present them well on your CV or resume.
- Offering help when you are preparing for an interview, especially on how to answer common interview questions and building your confidence before the interview
- Giving you advice on how to negotiate a good deal for yourself regarding salaries, asking for a raise, benefits like bonuses and perks of a job
- Helping you build your professional network
- Suggesting techniques that will help you maintain a good work-life balance and motivation in your career
- Giving quality advice when you are feeling unfulfilled in your current role
- Giving help when you have been applying for jobs with no success by finding out if there is something you can do or stop doing to increase your chances of getting job offers
- Giving advice when you are rethinking your career path
- Offering guidance when you want to switch industries
- Helping you decide between job offers when you have a lot and cannot seem to decide. They help you weigh the pros and cons of each so that you can choose the best offer
- Helping you build your personal brand to make you more visible and desirable to recruiters
- Offering tips on what to do ensure quicker career development, like getting a promotion
Even after going through a list of services career coaches offer, some people might still struggle with making the decision of hiring one. But, why do you really need a career coach? Here are some reasons:
- Two Good Heads: Yes, it is a cliché but two good heads are really better than one. You might think, ‘I can craft a CV or cover letter myself’ and we do not doubt your abilities. However, having another pair of eyes look through your documents will make sure they are error-free, top-notch, and in line with the present hiring standards and if those second pair of eyes belong to an expert, then you are sure of a positive outcome.
- Making Good Choices: Sessions with a career coach can help you plan and strategize before making sound career decisions. Based on your skills, interests, and experience, your career coach will help you narrow down your prospects if you are confused because you have a lot of ideas and preferences. With coaching, you will be able to go in the right direction and land a job in a field that matches your portfolio and gives you an opportunity to work your way up and ample room to grow.
- Professional Advice: No one is a monopoly of knowledge. The level one has reached in his or her career does not exempt them from challenges and that means that everyone needs guidance once in a while. When challenges arise, professional advice is needed in order to make the best decisions because one’s career defines a big part of their life. When you hire a career coach, the advice you get is one on one, personalized just for you based on your situation. You can be sure that you are paying for an expert, impartial opinion. If you are slacking off on your job and need to buckle up, they will not lie to you or blame it on your boss. They will tell you the truth like a doctor to his patient and help you get better.
- Better and Faster Results: When you are working with a coach, you do not have to make mistakes over and over again before finally getting it right. This mostly happens when you are job-seeking alone with no help. With a coach, more time is saved because you do not have to send in applications over and over again or attend hundreds of interviews because you keep on stumbling on one question. Nor do you have to waste an incessant amount of time wondering if you should quit your job till you lose all motivation and perhaps make a wrong decision such as quitting abruptly with no plans or formal notice. A coach helps you find what your niche is and helps you focus on it so you do not get distracted by other things and waste valuable time that would have been put into building your career. That is why it is advisable to hire a coach before the challenges become unbearable. That way, you will be able to get your career underway and running well on time.
- Positive Mindset: It is not easy to find and keep a job. The demands and stress that come with your career can become too much and affect your motivation. Working closely with a career coach helps you retain your positivity towards your job. How? Career coaches always aim for positive results because they want you to be the best at what you do. They can help you continue stoking the fires of your passion or rekindle your passion for your job if you are losing it and make sure you continue having job satisfaction.
- Coaching Brings Out the Best in You: If you have made it to this point of this article, then you probably know now that not only current job seekers or employees at entry-level jobs require the services of career coaches. Some companies hire career coaches for the training of their staff, from the lowest level to the executive level. Being coached does not necessarily mean that you are failing at your job. It could mean that you want to succeed to the highest level in your career the same way expert career coaches have in theirs.
- Personal Growth: If you are an employee working for an organization or company, hiring a personal coach reminds you to track your progress and think about your own growth distinct from the company you work for. A career coach can help you make progress in your job if you are feeling stuck or not making progress. Through your coaching sessions, your coach will determine if you need to update your skillset or get more certification maybe by taking online courses in order to move a step forward in your career. A coach can also go through other job options with you if you think your skills and full potentials are not been maximized in your current job. And of course, coaching can help you grow your personal brand. If you also have a dream you want to pursue, your coaching sessions will help you weigh the pros and cons of pursuing it. A career coach can also help you turn your interests into a viable career.
Final Thoughts
The services of a career coach are very beneficial. Their expert guidance will make job-seeking and every aspect of your career easier. You can find professional career coaches on social media especially on LinkedIn and for a fee, you can have your questions answered.
