“What do you want to be when you grow up?” If you are struggling to find the answer to this question, you are not alone. In fact, almost 60 percent of Americans say that if they had it to do over again, they would choose a different career.
Even if you are among the majority of Americans who are dissatisfied with their current job, you might be unsure of how to begin the process of finding the right job or career for you. Perusing online job postings and asking family and friends for advice are seldom effective in making a meaningful career transition. Often, futile efforts like these can raise more questions than answers, leading to inertia – that feeling of being “stuck.”
To truly move forward and make a significant change, we sometimes need someone to guide us, motivate us and hold us accountable along the way. That’s where a career coach can have a profound impact.
What is a Career Coach?
Career coaches provide one-on-one guidance tailored to your individual wants and needs, to help you target the right career, set realistic but challenging goals, employ effective job search strategies, find greater career satisfaction and more.
A career coach will create a safe, supportive environment where you can be honest, acknowledge and work to overcome your fears, reflect on your past choices, share your dreams and goals, and focus on taking control of your future.
What Results Can You Expect?
A career coach can help you:
Gain clarity and become more self-aware – With a career coach, you can learn more about yourself and your beliefs, perspectives, strengths, talents, values and passions. This greater self-awareness can not only allow you to shift to experience yourself, others and the world in a much more positive way, but can also help you better understand what you need in a career in order to find greater meaning, purpose and fulfillment.- Overcome inertia – Inertia can keep you stuck in a job you don’t enjoy, trying to justify the reasons you should stay. The stress of making a decision, or fear of making the wrong decision, can make it seem easier and safer to stay with the status quo. A career coach can help you break free of inertia, conquer that feeling of being “stuck” and make powerful progress toward your career goals.
- Explore and discover the right career fit for you – A career coach will help you more effectively navigate the overwhelming maze of possibilities and bring you to a sense of “knowing” which career path is right for you, guiding you to create a career road map designed to achieve your long-term goals.
- Develop your skills – Just as performing a job requires specific skills, finding a job also involves a certain skill set. A career coach will help you master those you need for your job search, such as networking, interviewing, presenting and negotiating. Career coaches also help professionals leverage their experience and talents to find new ways to apply these skills.
- Achieve better work-life balance – No matter what your current or desired career is, striking a balance between your professional and personal commitments and goals can be a major challenge. A coach can work with you on reducing stress levels, better managing time, learning to say “no” more often, and setting and sticking to priorities. The result is greater satisfaction, better sleep, enhanced relationships and improved mood management.
These are just some of the results you can expect from working with an effective, qualified career coach. If you’re dissatisfied in your current career and want to transition to a new career that better aligns with your values, interests and passions, hiring a career coach is a great first step.
Which of the five results above resonated most strongly with you?
