Millions of people end up being stuck with jobs they don’t like. They don’t feel like they are making any progress and they don’t want to be in that place forever, but they are still not doing anything to change that situation.
Do you find yourself somewhere in that description? Do you feel like you’re not doing anything useful in your life? Would you do anything to have a better job? You’re showing the symptoms of a common condition: the need for a career coach. If you don’t have enough confidence to hunt for the job of your dreams or you don’t even know what position would be the perfect one for you, a career coach will help you find it. How do you choose a good career coach?
Do you feel you’re stuck in the current position?
Set your expectations. When you hire a career coach, you need to have precise expectations from them. Their goal is to help you gain confidence for the job hunting process, as well as insights into the industry of your interest. You should be completely honest and allow your career coach to get a sense of your true personality.Why do you feel you’re stuck in the current position? Do you have a precise vision for your future? If not, the career coach can bring you closer to it.
Understand what a career coach does. Before you start searching for the best career coach, you need to understand what they can do for you, and what they cannot do. A career coach will take your current life into consideration, and they will pay attention to your aspirations. They will ask questions and they’ll evaluate your strengths, skills, and compatibility with the profession you would like to have in the future. Then, if necessary, they will recommend what skills need updating. A career coach will not hunt the job for you, and they will not write a resume for you. They won’t even tell you exactly what job you should go for; they’ll leave main decisions to you. They will, however, give structure to your job search and help you with the application documents. They will also give you tips on how to behave on job interviews.
Set a budget. Depending on the coach you choose, you can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $500 for one session of coaching, which usually lasts for one or two hours. Since this can turn out to be a lengthy process, set a budget to include several sessions. Keep in mind that this is an investment in your professional development. If you’re stuck in a dead-end or unfulfilling position, then this investment is definitely worth making.
Find the perfect career coach.You need to pay attention to a few criteria when you want to find the perfect fit.
- Consider the background. When you’re looking through the website of a career coach, you’ll find information about their own career. Have they helped many people to discover their ideal professions and get the jobs they wanted? Have they gained recognition for their efforts?
- Evaluate their business. If a coach has a lousy website, it means that they are not investing enough into their professional development. How can you expect them to help other people with that? The way a career coach runs their own business shows you how effective they are in coaching other people.
- Get a free consultation. Most coaches will offer you a trial consultation. Benefit from such an offer to sense how you can connect with a coach before hiring them for good.
- Check the online reputation. A good coach has impeccable online presence not only through a website, but also through social media and LinkedIn. These tools are very important in ones professional development, so you need a person who understands their importance for promotional purposes.
- Don’t sign long contracts. You don’t want to end up with a scammer, who makes you pay an upfront fee, promises you a dream job, and makes you sign a long contract.
A Career Coach Can Guide You to a Better Future
If you know what you want to do and you are aware of the steps you need to take to get there, then you don’t need career coaching; you just need the courage to make the first step. If, on the other hand, you have a blurred vision of your future, a coach will help you identify precise goals and get a job that would make you happier and filled with purpose. The investment in a career coach can really pay off if you’re willing to collaborate and dig deep into your own needs and wants.
